A New School Year….Deja Vu
September 2021 This has indeed been a long year. About 19 months long and still running. I can tell from your emails and voices on the phone that your job description expanded two-fold as you continue to absorb numerous challenges and demands that you never saw coming. With the demands and expectations of the administration, […]
Culture Guide for Poinsettias
Poinsettias are indeed a challenging crop to grow well. Their crop time is relatively long compared to that of many other crops and their selling window is short, usually just a couple weeks. I have always said that poinsettias are the most predictable crop to grow while, at the same time, they are also the […]
Culture Guide for Garden “Hardy” Mums
Garden mums are a popular and relatively easy crop to grow. If grown outdoors, where they do their best, all they ask for is food, water, light, and a bit of supervision. Scheduling:Regardless of when mums are planted, all will initiate flowers with the shortening of days in late July. Garden mums are short-day plants […]
The In’s and Out’s of Watering and How to Best Handle that Pressure by Mike H.
I hope this finds all of you settled in and preparing for the upcoming spring season with your greenhouses and fundraisers. The challenges this year have been incredible in so many ways, especially with all of us still dealing with Covid issues and policies. With the increased demand for horticultural products and plants, there are a lot […]
The Spring, The Bugs, The Persistence by Mike H.
As we approach the end of the calendar year we find ourselves planning and hopefully looking forward to the next growing season and spring fundraiser. Growing successful crops is the result of planning, scheduling, and discipline. While plants are predictable (much of what they do is stored in their genetics) many things surrounding and affecting their cultivation […]
It’s Time for a New Spring by Mike H.
The new school year (for most) is now underway with a wide variety of scenarios unfolding compared to the almost complete shutdown that all experienced as last year ended. Some of you are teaching in-person, some remote, some a unique form of hybrid and many a combination of remote, in-person and/or hybrid! Makes me dizzy […]
Connecting the Dots – Soil, Water, Fertilizer & Nutrition by Mike H.
Throughout my career, I’ve always said that “no two springs are the same”. While indeed correct, this is truly an understatement concerning the spring of 2020. This Covid pandemic has changed us and the way we do things. It will also affect what we do in the future while taking us to a new normal, […]
Spring Time Preparation and Greenhouse Checklist by Mike H.
This is indeed an exciting time of the year! For many of us, winter’s wrath (or at least the worst part of it) is past us, days are longer, birds are singing and the Earth just has a better feel to it. For those of you growing spring crops for fundraisers, depending on your location, […]
Setting The Stage For Spring Production and A Successful Spring Fundraiser by Mike H.
Well, winter is here. The holidays are ahead and a much-deserved break is drawing near. Prior to that break just a bit of extra work, if not already taken care of, will help eliminate some of the stresses prior to and during the next growing season. SETTING THE STAGE FOR SPRING PRODUCTION AND A SUCCESSFUL […]
Simple Checklist For Maintaining Your Greenhouse by Mike H.
A greenhouse is like a piece of equipment that must be kept in the best of condition for: Best growing environment for plants Safety concerns for students and guests Efficiency Taking care of your greenhouse now will pay off in the long run – much like a car. As we enter a slower time of […]