GrowerTalks

January 2025 Issue

Vol. 88 No. 9

See the Digital Edition

This Month ...

The Challenges of Off-Shore Production

by Jennifer Zurko

NEWSLETTERS

Read and subscribe to a variety of Newsletters tailored to your industry interests.

COVER STORY

The Challenges of Off-Shore Production

Jennifer Zurko

Breeding companies and their production farm partners in Mexico go to great lengths to make sure that you and your customers get all of your geranium cuttings consistently and disease free. And it’s getting much more difficult to do so.

FEATURES

Cultivating the Ideal Culture

Rayne Gibson

Building a positive work culture in the green industry.

Fourth Time’s the Charm

Chris Beytes

Occasionally, GrowerTalks likes to reveal little-known details about the birth, growth or success of a well-known horticultural business. This month, Dümmen Orange North America, which celebrates 25 years in 2025, a period that includes the launches of two innovative products: daylength-neutral petunias and multi-species liners.

Know Your Nitrogen

Josh Henry

We all know nitrogen is one of the most important nutrients for commercial floriculture crop production, but how often do you think about how it’s being used and how it impacts plant growth?

Relearning How to Grow: Substrates

Patrick Veazie & Brian Whipker

With recent challenges in substrate availability growers must modify their watering, fertility and growing practices to optimize plant growth.

Right Plant, Right Time, Right Source

Bill Calkins

Creating and executing your perennial plan requires teamwork from start to finish. Partner with Ball Seed to optimize your assortment and drive success.

Taking Control Early

Troy Buechel

Tips for building strong roots in young plants.

The Root of Long-Term Engagement

Harrison Downing

We continue our series on hiring trends with a deep dive into onboarding a new hire.

What’s Underneath the Surface?

Jennifer Polanz

Researchers are taking a much closer look than they ever have before at the microbial level related to soilless media and the results are fascinating.

CULTURE NOTES

Marigolds: A Versatile Option for Multiple Seasons

Michael Wiebe

While marigolds hold fame among a loyal audience for certain holidays in various times of the year, they’ve seen a recent surge in popularity as decorations for late summer all the way through late fall.

Growers Talk Production

Growers Growing Growers

Stephanie Saccomano

Welcoming new talent is more than hiring someone and tossing them into the deep end.

PEST MANAGEMENT

Cold Chain Management of Biologicals

Heidi Doering

Biologicals should be held at the appropriate temperature, which differs from product to product across a broad range of species.

COLUMNS

Inside Look

The Complications of Instant Gratification

Jennifer Zurko

We are in the age of instant gratification where we can get pretty much anything we want anytime we want it.

Acres & Acres

Welcome to the Future

Chris Beytes

Cars may not yet fly, but time sure does.

Growers Talk Business

The Mission to Reduce Labor Costs

Stan Vander Waal

As business owners, we must consider the financial implications that translate into business viability.

Guest Column

Why Zinnias Have Zing

Lowell Halvorson

Seed-to-retail speed is a major part of zinnias’ popularity. They offer fast turns for firms looking to convert houses to cash in short, swift cycles or tuck a crop into an idle greenhouse.

DEPARTMENTS

JZ on D.C.

Floral Industry Braces for Tariffs

Jennifer Zurko

On November 25, President-elect Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he would sign an executive order on Inauguration Day to put a 25% tariff on products from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10% tariff on imports from China.

GT IN BRIEF

CAST Registration Now Open!

Congrats to FCI founder Debbie Hamrick

Eight AAS Winners for 2025

Grown & Raised in Mexico for Mexico

In Memoriam: Bert R. Hybels

In Memoriam: Jan Hoek

In Memoriam: Richard Lindquist

On The Move

Sakata America Holding Company Unveils New Headquarters

COLUMNISTS

Chris Beytes

Jennifer Zurko

Albert Grimm

Art Parkerson

Paul Pilon

Bill Swanekamp

Amy Morris

Terri McEnaney

Stan Vander Waal

Austin Bryant

Stephanie Saccomano

VIDEOS

Watch More

N.G. Heimos Poinsettia Open House 2024

Caladium bulb harvest at Classic Caladiums

The Robo Cut Autonomous Tissue Culture Propagation Robot

Ball Seed Customer Days 2024!

Critical Chemistries (Recorded Live at Cultivate’24) with JC Chong

What's New From the Cultivate'24 Trade Show

Trending Now: Ball Seed & Philips Lighting Solutions

Trending Now: Floxcor Fungicide from Corteva

Trending Now: PDSI’s Better Boxwood

Darwin Perennials Day 2024

The Best Poinsettia for ... Part 2 - Whites, Novelties, and the Best of All Time

The Best Poinsettia for ... Part 1 - the REDS

Proven Winner Color Choice Shrubs for 2025

Proven Winners Perennials for 2025

Proven Winner Annuals for 2025

CAST 2024: Jaldety

CAST 2024: PRUDAC

CAST 2024: Hishtil

CAST 2024: Cohen

CAST 2024: Benary

CAST 2024: Takii

CAST 2024: Danziger

CAST 2024: HilverdaFlorist

CAST 2024: Syngenta

CAST 2024: Kientzler North America

CAST 2024: Dümmen Orange Perennials

CAST 2024: Dümmen Orange Annuals

CAST 2024: Sakata Seed Annuals

CAST 2024: Schoneveld

CAST 2024: Hem Genetics

CAST 2024: Westhoff

CAST 2024: Green Fuse Botanicals

CAST 2024: Plant Development Services, Inc.

CAST 2024: PlantHaven

CAST 2024: Pacific Plug & Liner

CAST 2024: Beekenkamp

CAST 2024: Suntory

CAST 2024: PanAmerican Seed

CAST 2024: Ball FloraPlant

CAST 2024: Selecta One

CAST 2024: Morel Cyclamen

CAST 2024: Burpee

A Tour of IPM 2024—the World's Largest Horticulture Trade Show

Trending Now: PDSI

Trending Now: Darwin Perennials

Marvin Teaches Us a New Word - Cyathium

Poinsettias are NOT Poisonous! A public service announcement from GrowerTalks magazine

GrowerTalks at the Heimos Poinsettia Open House 2023

TRENDING NOW

Syngenta Ornamentals
Mainspring Xtra

Premier Tech Growers and Consumers
AGTIV FORTIFY, AGTIV DEFEND and AGTIV REACH

Sensaphone
Soil Moisture Sensor

HilverdaFlorist
Garden Gerbera Garvinea Sweet Blaze

Bloomin’ Easy Plants Inc.
Bloombux Blush Rhododendron

Wave
Decades of Color

Nominate a Young Grower Today!

Congrats to the 2024 GrowerTalks/Ball Horticultural Company Young Grower Award winner, Drew Groezinger from Clara Joyce Flowers, Stockton, Illinois!

Do you know of an excellent, hard-working professional under the age of 35? You should nominate them for the 2025 GrowerTalks/Ball Horticultural Company Young Grower Award! For the last 20 years, we’ve recognized young horticulturists for standing out from the crowd in this tough business, who—for whatever noble reasons—have chosen to have a career in this industry.

After three finalists are chosen, each is asked to write guest editorials for the June issue of GrowerTalks, gets a free trip to Cultivate’25 and, while they’re in Columbus, attend a special dinner with Anna Ball and other industry luminaries. The winner is announced at the Unplugged event during Cultivate’25, will be the subject of our September issue cover story and serve as one of our judges for next year’s award.

An extra special thanks goes to Ball Horticultural Company, BASF and AmericanHort for sponsoring this year’s award!