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Cultivation
Valentine's Day flowers in space
When you’re living and working aboard the International Space Station on Valentine's Day, flower delivery options are slim to none. An astronaut tackled this challenge in 2016 by growing zinnias to create the first-ever floral arrangement in space. Seeds from the flowers grown in the orbiting laboratory have germinated into…
Maria Castellani, Flora Toscana on project SubSed:
“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…
March 13-14, Fredericksburg
US (VA): Conference helps farmers incorporate flowers into their operations
“People don’t often think of farmers growing flowers, but the cut flower industry is significant in Virginia, and is often an excellent source of income for farmers with small acreage,” said Susan Cheek, Virginia State University (VSU) Small Farm Outreach Program (SFOP) agriculture management agent. To meet the demand…
Dehumidification units now available on frames above the crop
Moisture problems in the greenhouse have always existed, but certainly in winter it is a challenge for many growers to dehumidify their greenhouse air. Previously the motto was: the heating high, the screen ajar and the air windows open. But that is not very energy efficient, and a lot of valuable CO2 is…
Charlotte Holde, HortiAdvice on GreenPlan:
"Earn more money with better planning"
Having the right mix of varieties and colors available in due time is a challenge for many pot plant growers. For this reason Horti Advice decided to design a planning program particularly for this group. After several years of developing, using the best knowledge and experience from pot plant growers,…
US (MI): Greenhouse disease and insect management recommendations for 2019
Michigan State University Extension entomology specialist for ornamentals David Smitley has released his “ 2019 Greenhouse Insect Management ” recommendations. These are the recommended products to control thrips, aphids, whiteflies, spider mites, broad and cyclamen mites, fungus gnats, mealybugs and…
Orchids in history
A blast from the past
“It is difficult to realize that one of these tiny plants may well eventually prove to be a champion and worth a small fortune.” Greenhouses filled with orchids as we know them now are actually the result of orchid hunting by curious botanists in the past. One of them is David Sander who is making his appearance in this old…
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…
US: 2019 PGR Guide for Annuals now available for growers
Growers now have access to the latest plant growth regulator (PGR) research and use tips in one handy resource with the release of the 2019-20 PGR Guide for Annuals. “The PGR Guide started as a creative way to bring growers practical, usable information that’s invaluable for their operations,” says Greg Johnson, President,…
US (MI): "Monitor crops for early signs of infestations"
Snowfall throughout December was sparse (to say the least) in southwest Michigan. According to Michigan State University’s Kalamazoo Enviroweather station , the average daily high temperature in the Kalamazoo area was 39 degrees Fahrenheit with an accumulation of 91 degree-days above 32 F from Dec. 1–31,…
Maurice Hartman, Technokas:
Growing demand for Next Generation Growing installations
With the increase in the number of projects and the hiring of several new employees, 2018 was a good year for Technokas. A highlight in 2018 was the completion of the Daylight Greenhouse at Ter Laak Orchids. In addition, more and more growers are using Next Generation Growing installations that were…
"Save labor with Supernova liners"
“Time is money,” says Brian Bourdon, Product Line Manager and Offsite Manager at Four Star. “That’s why Supernova liners can benefit both large and small growers.” The Supernova liners were developed more than 20 years ago in cooperation with researchers at Michigan State University to ensure that small container crops have…
Managing Million Bells: 2019 Updates
It’s that time of year again, when baskets of Million Bells (Calibrachoa) are going up in the greenhouse. Sarah Jandricic and Chevonne Carlow wrote a post in 2017 on how to deal with and prevent some of their most common issues. For the 2019 growing season, they updated the article with some new…
Plants blink: proceeding with caution in sunlight
Like eye’s adjustment to sudden changes in light, plants have sensitive mechanisms to protect their leaves from rapid changes in radiation. Plants have control mechanisms that resemble those in human senses. According to a new Weizmann Institute of Science study, plants adjust photosynthesis to rapid light changes…
Peter Geelen charts the course
A decade of Next Generation Growing in the Netherlands
When looking back at ten years of Next Generation Growing (Het Nieuwe Telen), Peter Geelen explains in an article on Kas als Energiebron (Greenhouse as a Source of Energy), “The image of a grand exploration comes to mind. Only now I realize how impressive this journey is by a large number of ports we…
Chinese moon plant dies
Remember that cotton plant that sprouted after a Chinese space mission had put it on the dark side of the moon? It started growing only yesterday , but today it's already dead. It turned out that the night temperatures were just a bit too chilly at 170 degrees Celsius below zero. Prof Xie Gengxin of Chongqing University, who led the design…
Plant empowerment and data driven growing enjoys worldwide following
From October 2018, LetsGrow.com is in the process of introducing the Growing by Plant Empowerment (GPE) book worldwide. Meanwhile, already about 1000 copies of the book have been sold and distributed. The authors and publisher (LetsGrow.com) celebrated this success just before the Christmas holidays. The…
The amount of light plants can cope with
Is it possible for a plant to be exposed to too much light? Caution is the operative word for potted plants. However, various cut flowers and vegetable crops are able to cope with much more light than currently thought. Provided that the light is properly distributed. Horticultural consultants are regularly asked how much light a…
India: University training youth to cultivate, export flower bulbs
To grow flowers on a commercial scale and reduce their import, the SK University of Agricultural Science and Technology, Kashmir (SKUAST-K) is training and employing youth on farming of minor temperate bulbous crops (flower bulbs matching Kashmir climate). An official of SKUAST-K said the University, under Indian Council…
Innovative design for better pots - Choosing the right pots
Planting in containers allows the grower complete control over the growing conditions of the plant. They can control the nutrient supply to the plant by choosing the right soil. Likewise, they can regulate the amount of sun the plant receives, its water supply, and so on. The most crucial factor in…
Model greenhouse production system for annual plants
In a new study, life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to analyze production system components for a 11.4-cm container of wax begonia in a 12-plant shuttle tray modeled in a gutter-connected, Dutch-style greenhouse with natural ventilation in the northeastern U.S. The global warming potential (GWP) of input products, equipment…
Dennis Tuk, ViVi:
"We can advise in any crop to be micropropagated in a safe way"
Taking cultivation to the next level - whether it's for a tissue culture laboratory or a multi layer grower system. That's what can be done with ViVi, the growing method developed to grow products in the final packing. Recently turn-key projects at Shandong D&F Agriculture and AgriGarden have been…
How to grow Flying Saucers
Coreopsis Walberton’s Flying Saucers is a long-flowering, compact herbaceous perennial that’s been delighting gardeners since its launch in 1997. Wildlife adore the glorious golden-yellow flowers, which put on their show from June all the way through to October. ‘Flying Saucers’ was bred at Walberton Nursery by plant breeder David Tristram. Many years were…
Chris Fifo, Darwin Perennials:
"Fall-planted perennials can result in a better quality finished product"
Chris Fifo, Product Representative at Darwin Perennials, visited several customers last fall who were fall-planting their perennials. "Personally I have always preferred a spring-planted program from either a cold treated liner or an active, first-year flowering plug", he says. "I feel that it’s much…
cooperation Vieverde & Aqua4D
'Mysterious' phenomena disappear thanks to proper earthing
Few things are as transparent, or rather invisible, as various forms of electromagnetic radiation. Still, broadcast towers are controversial, high-voltage cables are suspect, too much UV is harmful, and electro-hypersensitivity is more and more common. It exists, and for most people that is sufficient.…
Books about growing tulips and lilies now in English
The Bollenacademie Foundation has published English-language versions of two of its books about cultivating bulb flowers in the greenhouse: "Forcing Tulips" and "Forcing Lilies". These English versions will allow non-Dutch speakers in the Netherlands and abroad to also be up-to-date on the subject. The…
US (CA): Plants evaluated for low water use performance
As California’s five-year drought continues, the need for low-water-use plants becomes increasingly vital for landscape architects and designers. To that end, the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) Landscape Irrigation Trials is currently evaluating Village…
US: Salinas Valley sees green in cannabis
In the early 20th Century lettuce grown south of San Jose was shipped across the country in refrigerated train cars. That lettuce was hailed as "green gold" in the Salinas…
Plants don't like being touched, scientists find
La Trobe University-led research has found that plants are extremely sensitive to touch and that repeated touching can significantly retard growth. The findings, just published in The Plant Journal, could lead to new approaches to optimising plant growth and productivity – from field-based farming to intensive horticulture production. Research…
"Water situation in England still of concern in east more than west"
Below is a pdf detailing the situation in England. There are projections for next year based on various rainfall levels which should assist growers with crop planning. Water Situation Report November 2018 The situation is covered in more regional detail (including Scotland & Northern Ireland) in the report below. CEH Water…
Successful RZTO cooling pilot conducted on Alstroemeria
Roots Sustainable Agricultural Technologies has presented the floriculture production sector with a successful Root Zone Temperature Optimisation (RZTO) cooling pilot on Alstroemeria (Peruvian Lily). The pilot results showed growth and cultivation of flowers with cooled roots started eight weeks earlier than control…
How IAEA support is benefitting Ghana’s floriculture industry
Ghana and the IAEA have worked together for several years to develop national capacity in plant mutation breeding and tissue culture technology. Through its technical cooperation programme, the IAEA provided fellowships and scientific visits to build capacity, and also trained scientists in the skills…
Ben Geijtenbeek, Syngenta Flowers
"A little heat is good, but it should be controlled"
Winter crops like Primula, Viola, Pansy, Ranunculus and other Biennials and Perennials, face a number of risks this season. Low light levels, cold temperatures and high relative humidity, can lead to damaged leaves and flowers and even to root fungi development. These risks, however, can be minimized with a few steps, says Ben Geijtenbeek,…
Growing recommendations Primula acaulis and Ranunculus Sprinkles
With the holidays coming up, we hear a lot about poinsettias - but there are other plants growing in the greenhouse as well. Schoneveld Breeding has shared some tips about growing their Primula acaulis and Ranunculus Sprinkles. Growing recommendations for Primula acaulis – Paradiso The Primula acaulis Paradiso is growing well. Paradiso…
First bananas harvested from Dutch greenhouse
Researchers from Wageningen University & Research are harvesting the first Dutch bananas this week. Boerenhart, a supplier of fresh and local products will offer the bananas as 'regional product' to restaurants and hospitals in the region of Wageningen. The cultivation took place on two types of…
Australia: Protecting the holy grail of Victorian orchids
At a top-secret location in Victoria, fenced off and well-camouflaged, there grows a plant. It is obviously special. It is rare and beautiful and deeply strange. The secrecy is vital because, were its location known, it would become a tourist attraction – and risk being trampled. Or worse: stolen by illegal wildflower poachers. Scientifically, it…
UK: Fifteen thousand flowers bed in for the winter
At a time when most of us are wrapping up warm in preparation for the winter weather, 15,000 new bulbs are braving the cold at locations across the city, ready to bloom in springtime. The new bulbs have been planted throughout November as part of the Council’s £2.2bn highway maintenance contract, which includes a…
"Controlling soil moisture can remove the need for chemical growth retardants"
Poinsettias, the classic ruby red Christmas plant, are a species that often rely on the use of plant growth retardant (PRG) to ensure they achieve the optimum number and size of bracts at the height of their selling season. With protective environmental legislation threatening to reduce the use of such PGR chemical…
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