The unconventional gardener

There are no blooming marigolds on the ISS

In August this year, astronaut Thomas Pesquet was about to start an experiment on International Space Station (ISS). 'Graines d’Eklo' involved a specially-designed growing capsule, containing its own light source and a growing medium made of coir (coconut fiber) and vermiculite with a slow-release…

A campus garden flourishes with flowers for natural dyes

Cultivating beds of indigo, marigolds, dahlias, hibiscus, and goldenrod, Pratt Institute students are exploring how to make natural dyes from seed to harvest. The Textile Dye Garden was planted in Cannoneer Court on the Brooklyn campus this year, and through workshops and classroom experiences has given…

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'The Poinsettia Grower' of Burlington reflects on four decades of plant care

When you exit a grey November afternoon and step through the door of the greenhouse at Burlington’s Ritter’s Landscape, Home, and Garden Center, you find yourself submerged by a wave of sensory overload. Bright colors fill the room and the memories of past holidays abound. On rows of orderly benches and…

Five tips on managing irrigation reservoirs

Mohammad Yazdi from Ohio State University School of Environment and Natural Resources presents five tips for designing and managing irrigation reservoirs based on his research with James Owen (USDA-ARS), Steve Lyon (OSU), and Sarah White (Clemson University) in a new YouTube video.  The video is hosted by…

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Water management and crop coefficients for pot chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum is one of the most commercialized flower species in Brazil. However, there is little information related to the correct water management of the crop. Thus, the work seeks to determine the crop evapotranspiration (ETc) and obtain the cultural coefficients (Kc) of the pot chrysanthemum, in…

"Applying seaweed extract increases flower production of gerberas"

The experiment was carried out under the shade net house conditions in a private farm located in Al-Diwaniyah city, Al-Qadisiyah, Iraq, to investigate the influence of applying different rates of seaweed extract (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 g/L) on different plant growth parameters and flowers…

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Yunnan, China: Roses capture heart of consumers

In recent years, many new fresh-cut and potted roses on the Yunnan market have captured the hearts of consumers. Most of these new rose varieties come from Yuxi De Ruiter Flower Co., Ltd. Yuxi De Ruiter is a wholly-owned subsidiary of De Ruiter in the Netherlands. It was established in June 2012 and…

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India: Research underway at Thovalai floriculture center for mass cultivation of rare flowers

Researchers at the Floriculture Research Centre of the Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, established in 2008 at Thovalai in Kanyakumari district, are working on cultivating rare flowers, which would be attractive and bring higher revenue to the farmers, the Kanyakumari district collector M Aravind said.…

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India: Recent trends in production of dry flowers and foliages

In the booming floriculture industry in India, there is more and more knowledge about dried flowers arising. Dried flowers provide an excellent opportunity to increase the income of the farmer throughout the year despite bad climate hazards. Dehydration techniques help to maintain the original color and…

Ireland: Ramsgrange herb garden ‘leafs’ green fingered growers wanting more

The South West Wexford Family Resource Centre (SWWFRC) saw a growing interest in community gardens during Covid-19 and decided to start their own Community Herb Garden. It is…

China: Modern and efficient agriculture gives local impulse

In the intelligent greenhouses at Mengchong Modern Agricultural Technology Development Co., Ltd. in Jingang Village, Gaoyou City, Yangzhou., succulents in various shapes are neatly arranged on the steel frame. "We are the largest supplier of succulents in China. The Gaoyou base has a total of 180,000…

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The compositional aspects of edible flowers as an emerging horticultural product

Edible flowers are becoming very popular, as consumers are seeking healthier and more attractive food products that can improve their diet aesthetics and diversify their dietary sources of micronutrients. The great variety of flowers that can be eaten is also associated with high variability in chemical…

"Easy to clean Snapeg drip pin deserves more fame"

To provide growers with new drip tubes when they change crops or set up a new greenhouse, the machines at Power Plastics in Rijnsburg are running at full speed to automatically assemble drip tubes. The machine fully automatedly inserts the pins, microtubes, and drippers into the punched tubing, for which Power…

Wyevale Nurseries launches retail plant collections for 2022

Wyevale Nurseries predict boldly colored, British-grown, and low maintenance plants to be on-trend for 2022, so its plant collections for retailers include options ticking all the boxes. Carol Dickinson, Head of Business Support at Wyevale Nurseries based in Hereford, explains: “Our 2022 promotional…

A little stress ensures more flower bulbs

The research 'Fundamental system leap in flower bulbs' is a PPP and is financed by Top Sector Horticulture & Propagation Materials, KAVB, Anthos, Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Hobaho, Kapiteyn, Prins, Iribov, Dunamo Foundation, Agrifirm-GMN, BQ Support, Greenport Duin & Bollenstreek, Bulb…

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US (CA): American Color is preparing for the holiday flower season

American Colors in Orange County is getting ready to ship out its holiday crop. Despite some issues with supply chain shortages, it has been able to stay on track by ordering far in advance. “As far as supply chain, we do fight it on that and it’s really hard to get our plastics. Obviously, with growing…

North American species of Solidago as source of promising raw plant materials

A review of the role of ornamental horticulture as a vector of phytoinvasions is presented on the example of North American species of Solidago: S. canadensis L., S. gigantea…

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Pennsylvania phasing in ban of invasive Japanese barberry

The PA Department of Agriculture added Japanese Barberry, or Berberis thunbergii, to a list of noxious weeds — plants that cannot be legally sold or cultivated in the state. The popular, non-native, ornamental shrub forms dense, prickly thickets that crowd out plants and disrupt native ecosystems. It is…

Shoot growth and flower bud production of peony plants under subtropical conditions

Peony plants require temperate winter temperatures to break underground bud dormancy and allow shoot emergence and flowering in spring. This study assessed whether artificial…

Photo: Brian Whipker

Ornamental cabbage and kale: tips on enhancing coloration

The coloration of ornamental cabbage and kale is primarily influenced by temperatures below 55F (13C). A few production practices can help enhance the intensity of coloration, but discontinuing fertilization is not one of them. Nighttime temperatures below 55F (13C) are the primary trigger for the…

Credit: Yuxin Wu/Berkeley Lab

New technology sees underground to assess crop roots

For crops or houseplants, shrubs or grasses, the early-warning signs of stress from drought or any other stressor are in the last place anyone ever looks: underground, in the plant’s roots.  Berkeley Lab scientists have developed a new sensing technology to assess crops by 'seeing' into the soil while keeping…

Photo: Brian Whipker

Ornamental cabbage and kale: water stress induces lower leaf loss

Ornamental cabbage and kale, similar to all brassica species, are not tolerant of water stress. Excessive wilting of the plants will result in lower leaf yellow and leaf drop. Maintaining adequate moisture levels is the primary method of avoiding this situation.  Brassica species can tolerate a wide range…

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Screening of different varieties for early and late flowering in China aster

This experiment was carried out from November 2020 to March 2021 at Horticultural Research Field, Department of Horticulture, Prayagraj, in India. The experiment was conducted in Randomized Block Design (RBD), with seven varieties of China aster and each replicated thrice. The varieties were V₁ (Bonita),…

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Unusual leaf spot on poinsettia

A sample of poinsettia with conspicuous leaf spots was received by the Cornell Long Island Horticultural Research and Extension Center (LIHREC) Diagnostic Lab, sent from a greenhouse located in another region. The leaf spots resembled scab, caused by the fungus Sphaceloma poinsettiae. However, sporulation of the fungus…

Photo by Dave Killen

The world’s most expensive spice grows in a greenhouse in North Plains, Oregon

In the green, rolling hills of North Plains, where established family farms increasingly share the land with multimillion-dollar estates, the world’s most expensive spice is being grown inside two nondescript greenhouses. Saffron, also known as red gold, in part because it costs more per ounce than…

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On the classification of a greenhouse environment for roses based on AI-based surrogate models

A precise microclimate control for dynamic climate changes in greenhouses allows the industry and researchers to develop a simple, robust, reliable, and intelligent model. Accordingly, the objective of this investigation was to develop a method that can accurately define the most suitable environment in…

Get it growing: "Yaupon holly good replacement for littleleaf boxwood"

Littleleaf boxwoods have had disease problems that are devastating. The yaupon holly is a good replacement shrub with evergreen leaves and beautiful red berries. In this edition of Get it Growing, LSU AgCenter horticulturist Heather Kirk-Ballard explains how to select and care for your yaupon holly. For more…

Nanhe District in Hebei guides local growers to develop flower planting industry

Nanhe District in Hebei guides local growers to develop the flower planting industry. Workers take care of flowers at a flower planting base in Heyang Town of Nanhe District in Xingtai City, north China's Hebei Province. In recent years, Nanhe District has guided local farmers to meet the demand of the…

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Finding the gene responsible for repressing anthocyanin biosynthesis in color fading petals of chrysanthemum

Flower color is one of the most important traits in ornamental plants. Color fading due to the loss of anthocyanins is a common phenomenon during the flowering process. Here, an R2R3-MYB gene CmMYB21, which was up-regulated in petals during flower color fading process, was isolated from a chrysanthemum…

Effect of different levels of cycocel on the vegetative growth and flowering of Gardenia jasminoides

Gardenia is one of the important indoor plants in the flower market. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of cycocel (0, 1500, 3000, and…

Lighting up the next generation of biostimulants

With its suite of organic biostimulants, Québec-based Ulysse Biotech is helping farmers harness the power of nature to grow healthier, more abundant crops in a more sustainable way. Sollum Technologies is pleased to support its efforts. Global agriculture is facing major challenges in the coming years.…

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US government to publish standard to protect workers from hazardous heat

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it will be publishing an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings. Currently, OSHA does not have a specific standard for hazardous heat…

Researchers develop new robot pollinator to assist in greenhouse

The shortage of natural pollinators, such as bees, is threatening global food production around the world. Researchers at West Virginia University have come up with a plan B to this decline in pollinators by creating a robotic pollinator. A team led by Yu Gu, associate professor in the Department of…

"UK government should harness the power of gardeners in 'building back greener'"

Reacting to the Chancellor’s announcement on funding for new T-levels, James Clark, Director of Policy and Communications at the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA), highlighted the role UK horticulture plays in ‘greening the economy’ and tackling climate change. However, he also warned that the time…

Why roots don’t grow in the shade

When a plant finds itself in too much shade, it redirects its resources to reach for light. Crop yield and root development stall as the plant focuses on growing taller, striving to rise above neighboring plants to access the sun. "Shade avoidance is a vital survival strategy for an organism that depends…

Photo Credit: Alok Pathania

Indian farmers quit maize farming to grow marigold

Around 520 families of the Kellarh Valley in Jammu and Kashmir’s hilly Bhaderwah town have gradually quit maize farming in a span of 12 years and turned to marigold cultivation. According to the villagers, their new "cash crop" is giving them an income five times more than what they used to get from the…

Plant Empowerment publishes third edition of book

‘Plant Empowerment, The Basic Principles’ has sold more than 6,000 copies so far. Therefore, a third edition has now been published.  Third edition publishedPlant Empowerment is a data-driven growing philosophy that aims to facilitate higher yields and better crop quality by focusing on plant balances. At…

"What’s causing unusual growth on my poinsettias?"

Given that poinsettias are propagated during the hottest months of the year and have a very long production time, they are prone to several pathogens, pests, and physiological disorders. Occasionally, greenhouse growers observe irregularities on the leaves or stems of their crops that are not caused by…

Visit Evanthia's helianthus trials

Today, Evanthia lets you tag along with Jos and Leo to check out the Helianthus Trials. They will show you the highlights of the Solano collection and let you have a peek at their notes.  For more information:er informatie:Evanthia Seeds & Plants+31 174-715100E: sales@evanthia.nlwww.evanthia.nl/en

Searching for a (dynamic) light spectrum to grow compact plants

Growers of pot- and bedding plants aim to grow compact and resilient crops, but the use of chemical growth retardants needs to be replaced by alternative methods for growing compact plants. Research has shown that certain light colors have an effect on compactness. Furthermore, not only light colors…

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Taking care of your plant plugs

Of course, ordering new plants is only half the fun. It is important to know how to take care of those plants in order for them to grow to their full potential. Below is a list of tips for making the best of your plant plugs. Unpack your plants as soon as they arrive, even if you do not have time to plant them up straight away –…

Bag End celebrates planting of rare peony

On Oct. 11, Jay King and his wife, Anne, hosted a luncheon at “Bag End” in Cazenovia in celebration of the planting of a rare “Julia Grant” (1939) Saunders peony. King purchased the plant in an American Peony Society (APS) auction this past August. Saunders peonies are the result of the hybridization…

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Hangzhou, China: Flowers for Spring Festival also best-selling for Mid-Autumn Festival

On September 15, the first batch of 420,000 Phalaenopsis cultivated with low-temperature technology bloomed ahead of schedule in the Baisheng Precision International Orchid Modern Agricultural Industrial Park in Shuangpu Town, Hangzhou. The "New Year's Eve flowers", which were originally popular on New…

Photo:Li Hao/GT

Progress seen in efforts to save ‘pandas of the plant world’

There are at least 25,000 species of orchids on Earth, and 8% of all flowering plants are orchids, but some of them are threatened with extinction and have been dubbed the "pandas of the plant world." Zhang Shibao, a researcher from Kunming Institute of Botany under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has…

"Assessing the potential for producing specialty cut flowers for local consumption"

The objective of the study was to determine best production practices for five different specialty cut flower species at an altitude of 7200 ft. Region-specific information about cut flower production is important because of unique environmental conditions. The team grew five specialty cut flower species…

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Former opium area now cultivates marigold flowers

Marigold flowers will now be cultivated in Giddhaur Block of Chatra District, India, once infamous for the cultivation of opium. During the training 55 local farmers received, Scientist Dharma Oraon said that the cultivation of marigold flowers can give many benefits to the farmers as compared to…

Nobel-winning gene-editing technology to make growing an easier, safer, and more profitable

Israeli startup BetterSeeds is licensing the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology from Corteva Agriscience and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, which earned its…

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New way to use ornamentals: an eco-friendly technique to remove synthetic dyes

Phytoremediation emerges as an innovative and eco-friendly technique to remediate textile dyes with the use of various categories of plants. In recent years, ornamental plants emerge as more attractive and effective substitutes in comparison to edible plants for phytoremediation. Regardless of aesthetic…

Belfast is a step closer to planting 1 million daffodils throughout the city

Right now, a paved path that connects Front Street to Main Street in downtown Belfast is bordered by plain grass. Next spring, though, the path will be surrounded by a rippling, golden river of daffodils. That is the vision of Elisabeth Wolfe, a Belfast woman who dreams of planting a million flowers in…

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Influence of plant growth regulators on Callogenesis and on the biomass of cell suspensions in lily

Lily is often described as one of the most widespread, commercial crops in the floriculture industry. Commercially grown cultivars are mostly propagated by bulb scales which is cost-effective and uniform in tissue culture conditions. Plant tissue culture techniques can effectively provide far-reaching…

Research update: reduce waste and increase sustainability in the postharvest process

Success in baking and bartending depends on using the right ingredients in the right proportions. Otherwise, the fallen cake or undrinkable cocktail goes into the trash, as well as all the labor, time and resources that went into making these. The flower world is really no different.  Success depends on choosing…

"Timing is everything when it comes to harvesting garden roses"

What makes garden roses so special? Nature, of course—but also nurture.  Each garden rose variety grown at Alexandra Farms is heir to a long line of ancestor roses, bred over centuries for exquisite color, elegant form and evocative fragrance. But to reach their full potential in a vase or in a bouquet, these…

Belgium: “Our tests of growing flowers in towers have gone surprisingly well”

“This year, we started testing the system for flowers, and we were not expecting the results to be this good,” says David van Steenkiste, founder and CEO of Plant-T. This Belgian company has already been growing herbs and vegetables on their growing towers, as it provides them with many benefits. And…

This Fall, the first stinzen garden will be planted in the US

The Garden Media Group, representing European bulb exporters, are introducing stinzen gardens to the United States. The first large-scale stinzen garden will be planted in mid-October in the Finger Lakes region of New York. In total, 70,500 bulbs will be planted on a quarter of an acre. This naturalized…

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‘It’s hard to see your crop destroyed’

We all have been there: you put all of yourself into a project only to see it wiped out in what feels like seconds. That happened to Kevin Gray, the owner of Hickory Creek Farm in Guilford County, North Carolina. But, instead of giving up, he was even more determined to make this year’s sunflower patch…

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Diversity and selection of the continuous-flowering gene, RoKSN, in rose

Blooming seasonality is an important trait in ornamental plants and was selected by humans. Wild roses flower only in spring whereas most cultivated modern roses can flower continuously. This trait is explained by a mutation of a floral repressor gene, RoKSN, a TFL1 homolog. This work studies the origin,…

Source: Value Maritime

Ship will collect CO2 for greenhouses

Value Maritime has developed an onboard CO₂ Capture and Storage solution for the Maritime Industry. A Capture Module captures CO₂ from the vessel's exhaust and uses the CO₂ to charge a CO₂ Battery; a CO₂ storage facility on which CO₂ can be charged and discharged. The Capture module will be integrated…