Has Spring Sprung?

Greenhouse growers are bustling in the greenhouse busy hitting target dates with their spring crops. As growers hope to be filling semis and making more room for another turn of spring crops they wonder: Has spring really sprung?Michigan is the third largest floriculture producer and generally its growers ship everywhere east of the Rocky Mountains...

Adjuvants and Surfactants for Better Weed Control

Herbicides play a vital role in protecting crops but simply applying them may not always give the best results...

Recycling Containers to Aid Customers

Plant purchasers are increasingly interested in aiding the environment. Many of our behavioral studies ask them what they do or want to do to aid the environment while gardening or landscaping...

We Are Not Robots

Everyone is talking about and using artificial intelligence or AI in different ways, including to help with plant problem diagnoses...

Dahlia: Tuber Formation and Stalled Flowering

Dahlias are photoperiodic plants.  Under long days, the plants produce leaves and flowers.  The challenge with vegetatively propagated dahlias transplanted into the greenhouse in early spring, the days are not long enough until around March 15...

Aphid Control Strategies

Many greenhouse growers are reporting higher aphid infestations early in the crop compared to other years...

Dont Get Burned with Calcium Sprays on Strawberry Plants

Strawberry tip burn is a common disorder, particularly in greenhouse or hydroponic systems, characterized by necrotic, browning, and curling tips on young leaves or fruit calyxes...

New Plant Root Zone Management Book Published

 Plant Root Zone Management2nd Edition Good roots make good shoots was the quote spoken by Dr...

Advice From a Caterpillar

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Root-Zone Heat Matters During Propagation

During seedling and cutting propagation, the most important temperature is often the one many growers are not actively controlling: media temperature...

Preventing Bato Bucket Drain Clogs in Hydroponic Greenhouse Vegetable Production

Root growth into Bato bucket drains is a common and costly maintenance issue in greenhouse hydroponic vegetable production because it can alter the root-zone environment well before canopy symptoms appear...

Preventing Algae Problems in Plug Production

Algae growth on plug trays is a common challenge during bedding plant propagation, particularly under the warm temperatures, frequent misting, and high humidity required for successful germination and seedling establishment...

Spanish Language Resources

Occasionally I am asked for educational materials in Spanish that can be used to train workers, so I have started compiling a list of online resources...

US Consumers Use of Culinary Herbs

A 2023 US marketplace study of 2,446 people addressed how consumers use fresh herbs. US customers were fairly consistent with their purchasing behavior and use of fresh culinary herbs...

Enhance your skills with four MSU greenhouse online courses

Greenhouse growers that are new to the industry or those that are interested in brushing up on their knowledge can now sign up for four self-paced courses in Michigan State University Extension’s Online College of Knowledge greenhouse series: Abiotic Disorders of Greenhouse Crops, Greenhouse and Horticultural Lighting, Biological Control for Greenhouse Growers and Floriculture Root Zone Management...

Diseases of Specialty Cut Flowers Resource Available for FREE

A new guide on diseases of specialty cut flowers has been published by Dr. Francesca Hand, Daniela Gutierrez Yanez, and Ambrosia Ella Havan of the Ornamental Crops Pathology Lab at The Ohio State University...

Calocephalus brownii

Here is a greenhouse view of plants being grown for fall color in Germany.  It is called gitterkraut in German, which translates as latticeweed...

Best Performers at Michigan Trial Gardens

Are you seeking proven performers for the season ahead? Every year, Michigan State University and Michigan's leading young plant producers host a free open house at their trial sites and display gardens for growers, landscapers and retail operators to learn about a wide range of ornamental crops...

A Wrong Turn at Albuquerque

Here in the Northeast US it's not unusual to see insects migrating in from the South each growing season - potato leafhopper and corn earworm are two whose annual arrivals are correlated with strong south/southwesterly fronts...

Managing Heat Stress in Greenhouse Crops and Employees

As summer temperatures soar, heat stress becomes a critical concern inside greenhouses, affecting both crops and employees...

Human-related Branding to Sell Local Produce

Local products generate value for customers. We are all aware of the perceived benefits of increased product quality, taste, unique offerings, and social or experiential opportunities...

Holding Strategies When Spring Weather Is Not Agreeable

Spring bedding plant sales are a weather dependent event. If the weather is rainy or cold, plants that are scheduled to be sold, might need to be held...