The 2019 Greenhouse Growers Expo, in partnership with the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable, and Farm Market Expo, will be held Dec. 10-12, 2019, at the Devos Place Conference Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Working side-by-side with the Western Michigan Greenhouse Association and the Metro Detroit Flower Growers Association, the Michigan State University Extension Floriculture and Greenhouse Production Team has developed a program of 15 educational sessions on commercial plant production techniques, pest management and diagnostics, marketing and retail strategies, and MSU research updates. The schedule features presentations by green industry experts, as well as MSU faculty and Extension educators, and has been designed specifically for horticultural professionals and enthusiasts.
Growers of all experience levels will benefit from presentations on commercial plant production techniques. Will Healy, a nationally recognized technical expert from the Ball Horticultural Company, provides a framework for teaching people how to water containerized crops efficiently and effectively. Plant growth regulator (PGR) guru Joyce Latimer from Virginia Tech shares her insights in a two-session series on using PGRs to maximize crop quality. Young plant propagation and handling pointers are presented by John Dole of North Carolina State University and Roberto Lopez from MSU. Sessions include:
- It’s Coming Out of the No$$le
- The PGR Toolbox 1 – Selection and Effective Use of Plant Growth Retardants
- The PGR Toolbox 2 – Using PGRs to Enhance Growth and Quality of Herbaceous Perennials
- Tips for Handling and Propagating Young Plants
The marketing and retail track boasts a robust lineup of industry experts speaking on hot topics that include contemporary container combinations, pricing strategies, social media practices and online retail marketing. Featured speakers include Bridget Behe of MSU, Kari Mazzaferro from Scotts MiracleGro, Ariana Torres from Purdue University and Daedre McGrath and Heidi Lindberg from MSU. Be sure to catch these sessions:
- Online Retail Marketing: Seven Approaches to Boost Sales
- Art and Science of Pricing
- The Shopper’s Journey
- Contemporary Containers: Combining Function and Fab
- Ten Social Media Best Practices to Win More Customers
- Best Performing Annuals and Perennials
Have you ever submitted a sample to a laboratory and wondered if you were doing it right? A panel consisting of Garrett Owen, Laura Miles, Heidi Lindberg and Jeremy Jubenville from MSU will discuss collecting and submitting plant, insect and air samples for diagnostic analysis.
Once you’ve successfully diagnosed a problem, be sure to catch nationally renowned insect and disease management experts Raymond Cloyd from Kanas State University and Mary Hausbeck from MSU. Both experts will be on hand to talk about the fundamentals of systemic insecticides, floriculture disease management and integrating pesticides into biological control programs. These sessions include research-based recommendations and practical advice:
- Understanding the Fundamentals of Systemic Insecticides
- New Solutions for Floriculture Disease Problems
- A Sampler on Sampling
- Integrating Pesticides with Biological Control Agents: Can It Be Done?