More and more Ecuadorian flowers arrive in US by ship

It is often said that sea transport is a good alternative to air transport - it's now becoming a reality for exporters and customers in the USA. The demand has grown sharply, particularly for sea shipments with vacuum coolers. Agroideas, for example, is living proof. During the Valentine's season alone,…

CAN (QC): Fire destroys flower grower's greenhouses in Laval

A fire ripped through the Laval (Quebec) location of Serres Sylvain Cleroux on Tuesday. The enterprise totals more than 1,000,000 square feet. Based in Laval and Mirabel, the…

Italy: Fifth edition Myplant & Garden taking off

The fourth edition of MyPlant & Garden took off this morning in Polo Rho Fiera di Milano, Italy. It is a meeting point for all the operators in the sector in Italy, and it has also attracted the interest of international exhibitors, buyers and professionals. The trade show will last till February 22.…

Queen celebrates 10,000+ followers on Instagram

As a grower, you can create the most beautiful flowers, but if the end consumer does not have the information and inspiration of how to use the flowers, your products will never become a success. That's why the Danish breeder Knud Jepsen a/s created an Instagram account for their Queen branded kalanchoes…

“Every rose has to exude exceptional charm and grace before it achieves our David Austin hallmark"

Juliet (Ausjameson) is one of David Austin’s first cut roses, introduced in 2004. It has subsequently become one the world’s most recognized and iconic wedding flowers. Juliet is also known as the £3 million rose because that’s how much it cost David Austin to breed and create this new cut rose over the…

Kenya: Open Days at WAC International in Naivasha

At the end of this month, WAC International will be having open days at their trial house in Naivasha, Kenya on Thursday February 28 and Friday March 1. "We will be showing all our latest newest selections including the first viewing of the 2019 selection", says Richard McGonnell, Sales Manager at WAC international. For those that may not know…

Sensory data, water deficit control and the challenges facing poinsettia growers

Research from Volmary has confirmed that, without granular data, growers are overwatering their crops. Data has shown that, due to floor unevenness, there is significant variation in plant moisture in Poinsettia plants. Implementing water deficit control requires the flexibility of wireless sensors and…

DVFlora becomes first Certified American Grown wholesaler

DVFlora, one of the largest floral importers and distributors in the United States, has become the first wholesaler to earn Certified American Grown status. This latest certification of DVFlora by Certified American Grown marks a notable shift from the program’s focus on farm production to now include…

Irish hospitals are banning flowers - good idea or not?

Most of Ireland’s main hospitals are banning visitors from bringing in flowers, citing concerns over hygiene, allergies, water spillages, vase breakages, a lack of space and creating extra work for nurses. All of the State’s major hospital groups have confirmed they have clamped down on fresh bouquets being allowed on…

"Roses are red, orchids are addictive"

About a year ago, 11-year-old David Marcovici started collecting orchids. Since then, he’s amassed a few dozen that have turned the family kitchen into a mini-rainforest. His favorites are miniatures, which he calls his “little guys.” He brought $267—all his savings—to spend at a recent orchid show in New Jersey. Then…

Sensory data, water deficit control and the challenges facing poinsettia growers

Research from Volmary has confirmed that, without granular data, growers are overwatering their crops. Data has shown that, due to floor unevenness, there is significant variation in plant moisture in Poinsettia plants. Implementing water deficit control requires the flexibility of wireless sensors and…

Fine-mesh insect gauze for Dümmen Orange

In De Lier in the Netherlands, construction work at Dümmen Orange is steadily progressing. Part of the project is the renovation of the existing wide-span greenhouses. The project is in the hands of Zwirs Horti Projects and Ventiguard has supplied the insect gauze. Thrips gauze Laurens Besemer from…

Syngenta Flowers and OptiFreeze sign collaboration agreement

Syngenta Flowers and OptiFreeze AB from Sweden have signed a collaboration agreement to further test and develop OptiCept; a breakthrough technology in shelf life optimization. OptiCept is a method to improve the post-harvest quality of cuttings, cut flowers and potentially also seed. By using the…

US (VA): Grower helps feed public demand for potted orchids

On a recent Friday, workmen were installing a camera on the gas meter outside the office and greenhouse of Color Orchids in Culpeper County. Owner Ben Van Wingerden said the camera will help him monitor gas usage at the business and prevent him from having to come check it in person at 2 a.m. Luckily, he and his family live…

Dutch grower planting Bletilla and CannaSol

In their greenhouses in the Westland in the Netherlands, Green Works are hard at work planting the Bletilla and CannaSol varieties. These Bletilla varieties, winter-hardy orchids, have a flowering time in early summer and are available at Green Works from week 49 to week 15. Varieties: Bletilla striata, Bletilla striata Alba, Bletilla striata…

“We want to turn waste into a supply”

A lot of flowers in Toscana are being produced on peat but in the future they may be skipping the peat for dredge remediated sediments from the port of Livorno. At least that is the aim for the project SubSed that Flora Toscana is working on with the support of the LIFE program of the European Union. “We…

US: Overview of plant growth regulators for greenhouse production

Plant growth regulators (PGRs) applied to greenhouse crops can suppress or promote growth, increase branching, or promote or delay flowering. To produce high-quality compact flowering plants proportional to container size, growers can use non-chemical and chemical methods. A new article from Michigan State University provides…

Kenya: KenGen looking to raise funds through green bond

Kenya’s state-owned power producer, KenGen, has announced plans to raise funds from the market later this year and it may opt to issue the country’s first green bond. KenGen has a 1,631-megawatt annual capacity and it supplies 70 percent of Kenya’s electricity. Private investors hold 30 percent of the company while the rest is…

Canada: Talus approved for greenhouse ornamental uses

Flowers Canada Growers announced that Talus Insect Growth Regulator (buprofezin) has been approved for use on greenhouse ornamentals (excluding cut flowers) against…

Uneven seed germination in plug trays

With spring production underway, seedling plug production is in full swing. As with any greenhouse crop, uniformity is key to produce high-quality plants efficiently and economically. For seed-propagated crops, this starts in the plug tray. by Christopher J. Currey - ccurrey@iastate.edu The first step in producing seed-propagated annuals and…

“Every rose has to exude exceptional charm and grace before it achieves our David Austin hallmark"

Juliet (Ausjameson) is one of David Austin’s first cut roses, introduced in 2004. It has subsequently become one the world’s most recognized and iconic wedding flowers. Juliet is also known as the £3 million rose because that’s how much it cost David Austin to breed and create this new cut rose over the…

Queen celebrates 10,000+ followers on Instagram

As a grower, you can create the most beautiful flowers, but if the end consumer does not have the information and inspiration of how to use the flowers, your products will never become a success. That's why the Danish breeder Knud Jepsen a/s created an Instagram account for their Queen branded kalanchoes…

Shrub Madness open for voting again

Shrub Madness is Proven Winners' bracket competition that pits shrub against shrub in a no-holds-barred battle for the title of National Champion. Think March's college basketball tournament, but people's votes determine which plant advances through the rounds. The contest runs in prediction mode from Friday, February 15 through Thursday, February 28,…

Australia: Tree Stock Roadshow coming to capital cities

The Tree Stock Roadshow is on its way this March, and is set to take place at production nurseries in Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, Darwin and Sydney. The workshops are an extension of the ‘Evaluation of nursery tree stock parameters’ (NY15001) research project, which was funded by Hort Innovation using nursery levies and…

Denmark: Butterfly Garden goes ahead in sustainability without any plastic waste

The first All Natural paper pots and trays will be put on the market commercially soon by Danish campanula grower Butterfly Garden / Gartneriet Tvillingegaarden. Over the last year, they tested these pots in cultivation as well as in sales and they were so satisfied with the reactions that they will put…

How to grow flowers organically

Organic flowers are used in different ways. Every day, you will find people exchanging flowers. We can all admit that it feels good to receive some flowers from our loved ones. Organic flowers are grown without using any chemicals or pesticides. The main aim of growing them organically is to conserve the environment. When…

UK: Clematis named after Meghan Markle

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has had a flower named after her by the Royal Horticultural Society. 'Meghan' is a new large-flowering clematis that will usually offer two flowering seasons each year - the first being the most prolific in late spring or early summer (around the time of their wedding), but then…

How can you improve profitability?

AmericanHort is launching a new four-part video series: The Industry Insider Report: Garden Retail Profitability . Steve Bailey of Steve Bailey Consulting and the Garden Center Group, an expert on using financial and other data to help improve retail profitability, will share his expertise in managing financial data to…

"New potting machine is start of new generation of machines"

A new generation of machines. That’s how Alessandro Mazzacano proudly describes the new IA3500, that was launched by Urbinati recently. The Italian manufacturer of nursery equipment created a completely electromechanical potting machine. “The machine can be adjusted for local circumstances. This way the…

Kenya: Flower firm hits out at State over VAT refunds, fertiliser shortage

According to Primarosa Flowers Limited managing director Bobby Kamani, delay in VAT refunds will impact earnings of sector players while lack of fertiliser could lead to reduced yields of the top foreign exchange earner. Mr Kamani called for intervention from the government, warning that if the situation persists consumers…

US (PA): Peek inside spring prep at the garden center

Six-packs of pansies will soon be front and center at local garden stores, waiting to become the centerpiece of an early spring container or the colorful edge of a garden bed. To get those flowers ready in time for early planting, workers at Esbenshade’s Garden Centers put the seeds in soil just before Christmas. The…

Is this the world's most expensive and extravagant flower bouquet?

A rose preserved in 24-carat gold, two diamonds, and is glittered with diamond dust - those are the ingredients of what may well be the world's most expensive bouquet. Valentine's Day only comes once a year, so you know you have to go all out for your loved ones when the time comes. Usually people plan home-cooked dinners,…

EPSO organizes fifth international "Fascination of Plants Day"

The fifth international "Fascination of Plants Day" 2019 will take place on May 18, 2019 across the world under the umbrella of the European Plant Science Organisation (EPSO). The goal of this activity is to get as many people as possible around the world fascinated by plants and enthused about the importance of plant…

Kenya: Open Days at WAC International in Naivasha

At the end of this month, WAC International will be having open days at their trial house in Naivasha, Kenya on Thursday February 28 and Friday March 1. "We will be showing all our latest newest selections including the first viewing of the 2019 selection", says Richard McGonnell, Sales Manager at WAC international. For those that may not know…

US (PA): Official FTD World Cup competition schedule announced

FTD World Cup, the world’s most prestigious floral design competition, will be held for the first time in the United States of America since 1985 at the PHS Philadelphia…

Italy: Fifth edition Myplant & Garden taking off

The fourth edition of MyPlant & Garden took off this morning in Polo Rho Fiera di Milano, Italy. It is a meeting point for all the operators in the sector in Italy, and it has also attracted the interest of international exhibitors, buyers and professionals. The trade show will last till February 22.…

US (CA): Second annual “American Tulip Day” brings pop-up garden with 100,000 tulips

Sun Valley Floral Farms based in Arcata, California has partnered with Dutch tulip trade organization iBulb to bring a pop-up garden of 100,000 tulips, still on the bulb, to Union Square in downtown San Francisco, on Saturday, March 2nd 2019. The garden will be free to the public and each visitor will be allowed to pick their…

CAN (ON): Susan Heeman of Heeman's passes away

Heeman's announced the passing of Susan Heeman: "Susan is waltzing in Heaven after being called for a special date with her Valentine. On February 13th, in her 83rd year gracing this world, Susan Heeman left us peacefully surrounded by family at her home. She joined her husband Bill just in time to spend Valentine’s Day…

CAN (QC): Fire destroys flower grower's greenhouses in Laval

A fire ripped through the Laval (Quebec) location of Serres Sylvain Cleroux on Tuesday. The enterprise totals more than 1,000,000 square feet. Based in Laval and Mirabel, the…

American Airlines Cargo appoints new members to management team

American Airlines Cargo has announced the appointment of several new leaders in its organization, some who will be joining the Cargo team for the first time. Cargo senior leadership team Two new additions to the Cargo senior leadership team include Tim Paliganoff, Director of Customer Experience, and Chris Isaac, Director…

DVFlora becomes first Certified American Grown wholesaler

DVFlora, one of the largest floral importers and distributors in the United States, has become the first wholesaler to earn Certified American Grown status. This latest certification of DVFlora by Certified American Grown marks a notable shift from the program’s focus on farm production to now include…

Fibrex Nurseries ‏

It’s oh so quiet... Waiting for spring. pic.twitter.com/iXy3YZfPaf — Fibrex Nurseries (@FibrexNurseries) February 19, 2019

Four thousand tons of flowers carried by Turkish Cargo for Valentine's Day

Turkish Cargo carried flowers to all four sides with its charter flights departing from Nairobi (Kenya) and Quito (Ecuador) to meet the need for Valentine's Day, in addition to its heavily-operated special cargo transportations. The air cargo brand carried nearly 4 thousand tons of flowers between…

More and more Ecuadorian flowers arrive in US by ship

It is often said that sea transport is a good alternative to air transport - it's now becoming a reality for exporters and customers in the USA. The demand has grown sharply, particularly for sea shipments with vacuum coolers. Agroideas, for example, is living proof. During the Valentine's season alone,…

Lazy driver