GrowerTalks - Green Profit - Inside Grower

02/26/2025

PERENNIAL PULSE E-NEWS IS OUT! Reinstating AHS Heat Zones & Transplanting Guidelines - read & subscribe at https://www.growertalks.com/Newsletters/View/?article=4837 - topics include What's Happening Here? | A Heated Conversation | AHS Heat Zone Recap | Heat Zones for Perennials | Heat Zone Book | A Collective Effort | The Answer is ... | Transplanting Plugs & Liners

02/25/2025

BLOOM BEAT E-NEWS FOR CUT FLOWER FARMERS IS OUT! End-of-Feb Farm Report + Marigolds for Thrips Control + More - read & subscribe at https://www.greenprofit.com/Newsletters/View/?article=4835 - topics include February Farm Update | New Gardener Survey Results | USDA, EPA Budget Cuts | Marigolds to Battle Thrips | Balancing Gratitude

02/24/2025

There's a web-exclusive article at Inside-Grower.com that's a must-read for anyone in greenhouse, garden center or CEA industries. In Reducing the Risk by Traci Dooley, there are five key trends that will affect your agribusiness risks and coverage in 2025, along with practical steps you can take to reduce risks and manage your policy expenses.

https://www.inside-grower.com/Article/?srch=1&articleID=27227

Excerpt: An increase in the frequency of severe weather events, reduced market capacity, higher labor, material, and equipment costs, and unusually high jury awards are all causing insurance premiums to rise across industries. For horticultural businesses, as the cost and frequency of your risk increases, your insurance must account for them to help keep your livelihood protected.

Understanding these changes will help you make informed strategic decisions, including how best to mitigate your total risk to help offset several of these costs in the coming year.

02/23/2025

The first PlantCon Orlando is happening, and Bossman Chris Beytes was there to witness the mayhem. “I’ve never seen so much excitement surrounding plants!” He reports. He’s also never seen a plant show where you could get a tattoo. (Or $7k Jordans!) Read all about his adventures in his next Acres Online.

02/21/2025

It’s cold out there for many of us - but you can warm up quick with a trip to the Gardens at Ball (last July) and join editors Chris and Jen for a look at the hottest new varieties in bloom during the annual customer day event! https://youtu.be/dKFBzORWbEQ?si=P_e9CFzkaX422v6v

02/19/2025

Did you know Ball Publishing offers 10 e-newsletters laser focused on different segments of horticulture? - Sign up for any (or all) at https://www.growertalks.com/Newsletters/

02/18/2025

INSIDE GROWER E-NEWS IS OUT! CEA Short Course; 80 Acres Farm buys Plantae; Robot Bees - read & subscribe at https://www.inside-grower.com/Newsletters/View/?article=4828 - topics include CEA Short Course | Sollum Scholarships | 80 Acres Buys Plantae | MIT Robot Bees

02/17/2025

Join GrowerTalks editor Jennifer Zurko for a video tour of the new Dramm facility in Wisconsin! Get an inside look at how Dramm’s watering products are made and hear about ways the new plant benefits growers and retailers using (and selling) the company’s cutting edge products. https://youtu.be/x_W46_Ev8Z8?si=TJ3_SmdQLAnmpvjx

02/17/2025

Surfactants and wetting agents ... what's the difference? Get the scoop from Ball technical services specialist Dr. Josh Henry in the current issue of GrowerTalks: https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=27210

Here's an excerpt but click the link above for the full story.

The terms “surfactant” and “wetting agent” are often used interchangeably in commercial greenhouse production. Wetting agents and surfactants have many similarities, each playing a role in how water interacts with a plant or the substrate. But there are distinct and important differences between the two products.

Surfactants are a type of adjuvant that help improve spray application coverage in several ways, such as wetting, spreading and sticking. Some surfactants also aid in vegetative propagation by evenly distributing water across the leaf and preventing desiccation.

Wetting agents often include surfactants in their formulation, but they are specifically used to improve substrate moisture management.

02/13/2025

More from GrowerTalks editor Jennifer Zurko's visit to Dramm's new facility in Wisconsin: The timing of the new facility was ideal, too. Just in Rain Wands alone, Dramm produces over 750,000 a year and January 2024 was the biggest shipping month in the company’s over-80-year history. Now, they have the space to handle any level of supply and demand.

02/12/2025

GrowerTalks editor Jennifer Zurko took a road trip to visit Dramm in Manitowoc, WI last week! You've got to check out Dramm’s brand new facility, which was completed about 3 years ago after they outgrew their original location on the other side of town.

After looking at other properties in the area, they decided on a 16-acre lot in a business park next to a pond and restoration area. It offered Dramm a chance to build their new facility from scratch and leaves some room for future expansion, too.

Along with 14,000 sq. ft. of brand-new office space, Dramm now has 84,000 sq. ft. of warehouse and factory space to assemble, package and ship all of their water-focused products—everything from their popular Rain Wands and irrigation tools to water testing and sanitation equipment.

When we visited, the construction of a new R&D greenhouse was just completed and they were preparing for the irrigation testing projects that they’ll be conducting with young and finished plants this spring. They’ll also be growing their own plants to put in the landscape and containers around the property.

02/11/2025

What's Trending Now? PDSI's Screen Play Ilex!

Need a great screening plant? Look no further—hear more about Screen Play Ilex from Kip McConnell, vice president of business development for Plant Development Services, Inc.

Need a great screening plant? Look no further—hear more about Screen Play Ilex from Kip McConnell, vice president of business development for Plant Developme...

02/07/2025

TECH ON DEMAND E-NEWS IS OUT! Tech on Instagram; PGR Application Tips; Black Root Rot; Succulent Prop - read & subscribe at https://www.growertalks.com/Newsletters/View/?article=4818 - topics include | Nick's Tip: PGR Planning (pt. 2) | e-GRO on Black Root Rot | Perennial Pitfalls Video | Succulent Propagation BMPs

02/06/2025

Editor Chris Beytes spotted some interesting vehicles at last week!

02/05/2025

Editor Chris Beytes was at the show in last week! What were the container color and texture trends at ? Black, white a gray remain staples; earth-tones; pastels; some metallics; a return of terra cotta; as well as splashes of vivid color.

02/05/2025

So many fantastic articles in this month’s issue of GrowerTalks! A cover story on risk management when shipping biocontrol agents, thrips parvispinus control with biologicals, dealing w broad mites, cuttings dips, bulb mites and so much more! Find links to the February issues of GrowerTalks and Green Profit in bio.

02/05/2025

If it's not already on your desk, any day now, you'll receive the February issue of GrowerTalks and Green Profit Magazine. This month, GrowerTalks is focused on pest control with a cover story by Suzanne Wainwright-Evans and Maria Diaz discussing ways to overcome challenges related to shipping biological control agents (good bugs). Read the full story at https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=27205

02/04/2025

Did you know today (Feb. 4) is National H**p Day? Inside Grower Magazine covers the h**p and cannabis industry and recently shared this article about storing h**p and cannabis cuttings in more efficient ways—leading to higher yields. Check out Cutting Storage: A Useful Space & Time Management Tool from February 2024: https://www.inside-grower.com/Article/?srch=1&articleID=26647&highlight=h**p

The authors from Clemson University explained the standard procedures for the cannabis industry are to grow large stock (mother) plants and harvest a relatively low number of very large cuttings while focusing production efficiencies on techniques to maximize bud and cannabinoid yield. They proposed that there’s significant financial benefit from streamlining production during stock plant production and propagation.