There are very few secrets among growers. The majority of green industry representatives are more than willing to divulge information about production processes, marketing techniques or business management help. It’s this propensity to help a fellow grower that inspired the GIE Media Horticulture Group to host Uncensored: Inside the Business of Horticulture last fall in Cleveland, Ohio.
For two days, both nursery and greenhouse growers discussed marketing, finance, automation, labor, water and shipping in a roundtable setting. For complete coverage, read our February issue.
Many topics were covered during the two-day Uncensored event. One hot-button issue was pollinator health. Many of the attendees sell to big-box retailers, and those stores have changed label and production requirements in response to pressure from consumers and bee advocacy groups.
Jim Berry, founder of Texas’ J. Berry Nurseries, stopped using neonics at Home Depot’s request. It has been tougher to control whiteflies without them, he says.
Alice Farris of Ontario’s Woodhill Greenhouses also stopped using neonics, but she believes the Home Depot’s campaign actually communicated a positive message on its tags.
The 1-inch by 4½-inch tag in question contains the following statements on the front: “This plant is protected from problematic aphids, whiteflies, beetles, mealybugs, and other unwanted pests by Neonicotinoids.” The back of the tag reads, “Treated by Neonicotinoids. These pesticides are approved by the EPA.” It also includes a link to the Home Depot’s website for more information.
Berry disagrees with the “positive message” take.
“To me, those tags still say ‘Don’t buy me. I’m covered with poison,’” he says. “It’s forced us to go away from neonics.”
Now that Home Depot and Lowe’s have begun the process of phasing out neonics entirely, many growers are switching to older, less-effective chemistries, according to several growers in attendance. Lloyd Traven is co-owner of Pennsylvania’s Peace Tree Farm, a certified organic greenhouse operation. But he still believes there is a place for neonics, and that a conversation should be had about responsible use.
“In God we trust, but everyone else had better show me some data,” he says. “This is a valuable tool for growers. If it’s used with justification, it’s fine.”
Automate to innovate
Automation was the biggest topic of discussion at Uncensored. At the previous year’s meeting, several growers with automation experience were peppered with questions from their peers who wanted to know how they did it, how it worked, and how much it cost.
“This industry was built on cheap labor and cheap transportation. But we don’t have any of these anymore,” says George Hackney, owner and president of Hackney Nursery, Quincy, Fla.
This year, the discussion was more of a conversation than an interrogation. Almost everyone had automated some aspect of their operation, and they were eager to share the details.
Chad Corso of Corso’s Perennials, Sandusky, Ohio, said his operation was having success with Label Gator – a machine that prints barcodes and labels, allowing the nursery to buy plain pots and print on the fly. Corso’s used to place stickers on pots by hand – a very time-consuming process.
“[Label Gator] cut so much labor, it paid for itself in six months,” he says.
For many growers, the prospect of automating is daunting. But that’s because they’re trying to do too much right away. The nursery and greenhouse operators who had success automating aspects of their operations often started small.
“The trick with automation is how to work it into what you’re doing,” says Steve Black, owner of Raemelton Farm, Adamstown, Md.
During the last two years, Raemelton Farm has implemented an automated irrigation system. The system covers the nursery’s field production with drip tube over the production ground and electric valves out in the field.
Five years ago, the nursery partnered with USDA on a research project with the aim of developing a system of buried moisture sensors in the tree roots as a way to control irrigation on/off events.
The use of a clock-based controller means Raemelton Farm doesn’t have to devote personnel to the menial task of opening and closing valves. The computer handles it automatically.
“There is absolutely no reason to be having one of your really experienced, seasoned, dependable guys sticking his thumb in pots to decide whether to turn the water on or not,” Black says.
With the moisture driven system, the nursery has a set point of 25 percent available water in the soil, and if it goes below that, the system will automatically run then re-measure the soil moisture. When it tops 25 percent, the system stops. If you get rain, the system just doesn’t turn on until the soil moisture dips below that 25 percent mark. And when it does, it only runs enough to reach that mark again.
It took several attempts for the researchers to determine the best spot to measure moisture in the root zone. For most trees, the majority of roots are in the top foot of soil. Even if they have roots deeper than that, all the feeder roots are in that top foot, Black says. After trying 6, 12, 18 and 24 inches as part of the research project, the nursery decided 6 inches is the optimal placement. More consistent irrigation has led to consistent growth, which has its own advantages.
“Any continuous growers, like maples, dogwoods, they never stop flushing growth over the whole summer,” Black says. “Even the trees that only flush once a year like oaks, they’re building carbohydrates all summer long. We add a month and a half of good, solid growing season just by having consistent soil moisture.”
The hardware is made by Decagon Devices, a Pullman, Wa., company that specializes in soil moisture sensors. It can certainly be used to save water, but that’s up to the grower, many of whom are inclined to push plants hard and fast.
“Plant growth rate is nice, the lack of plant stress is nice, but the big value is taking a whole person off the payroll who was opening and closing valves,” Black says.
At his nursery, George Hackney uses spacing robots from Harvest Automation in combination with an AgriNomix TRIKE horticultural forklift.
The Florida nursery uses the forks to pick up scattered Knockout rose containers, then place them where the robots can quickly reconsolidate them.
The nursery had a lengthy trial and error process before they found containers that would work well with the TRIKE and fork system. Nursery Supplies sells a wide-lip container that is easier for the TRIKE to grab and for the robots to pick up.
“It’s not easy and it’s not quick,” he says of the process. “But it beats having people filling wagons, walking them back in and regrouping plants.”
For more best practices from innovative growers, read our February issue.
Photos by Ken Blaze Photography