Photo courtesy of David Torrence

Greenhouse Management: What has it been like putting together a poinsettia trial in 2020?

Amy Morris: It’s been a little different and a little challenging. I am really surprised at the amount of people that are actually coming. Many people have said ‘thank you’ for spreading it out over a couple of days. Instead of the one normal day, we spread it over three different days. My goal was to keep it under 50 people a day. We have 2 acres of room in there and that seems like a lot, but with social distancing, I felt that it was really important to keep it as spaced out as possible ... We also aren’t letting people walk through the greenhouses. We used to have the talks in the dock area and visitors could basically do whatever they wanted. This year, everything is 100% kept in the garden area. We do not want anyone to come in and make unnecessary contact with our employees.

GM: With the COVID element, how did you weigh trying to do this event in person and get the benefit of having people review the plants in person while still managing health concerns?

AM: Our industry — we all miss each other. Networking is so critical. And we are going to do the best we can to have a poinsettia trial with a virtual aspect. Breeders will be filming themselves and we’ll be putting them online so if anyone can’t attend, we will at least have a filmed portion that people can go through and people can listen about each variety. The other thing that’s different is that I proposed that each breeder has its own house. Ball has its own house, Syngenta has its own house, Dummen and so on. That way, a group can walk through one breeder, see all of those varieties and then go to the next breeder.

GM: What does the slate of poinsettia offerings look like this year? 

AM: Red is always going to be the most dominant. But, I have to admit, there is a lot of drive for color selection this year. Oranges are popping up. Some of our breeders are really doing a fantastic job on these new oranges and I’m really excited for people to see that. There’s a lot of nice new whites in the pipeline ... Another thing I’ve noticed is a few burgundy [options] coming down that look much stronger and have no delaying on them. That’s all really exciting. Breeders are trying to breed for that nicer pink that’s not salmon, but it’s more of a true pink. 

In a matter of three months, Claire Baglien realized the pandemic was going to put her next career step on hold.

Photo courtesy of Claire Baglien

In January, Baglien was accepted into the Conway School, a graduate program in Massachusetts. She graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in food justice and sustainability and had been working various green industry jobs ever since. These jobs included a role as the urban agriculture programs specialist for the city of Minneapolis, which just ended at the end of August.

The timing was going to be perfect: She’d end her stint with the Homegrown Minneapolis program and travel out east to live in Massachusetts. But as the COVID-19 pandemic progressed, she grew concerned about moving out. So, too, did some of Baglien’s classmates, who eventually learned that their program had been postponed until next fall.

“I’m trying to see this as an opportunity to be flexible, and hopefully there are things that come out of this that I wouldn’t have planned on or expected otherwise,” Baglien says. “I’m trying to explore other facets of the landscaping industry, whether that’s finding part-time greenhouse work or other things.”

Of course, there’s still some disappointment. Roughly 18 students get accepted into the Conway School each year, so Baglien was about to receive in-depth education that would’ve taken her career to the next level.

But she’s taken comfort in knowing she’s not alone. Her future classmates all joined a group call after the decision was announced to postpone, and she found her concerns about doing in-person education had been echoed by her peers. The school ultimately decided that, after trying it out in the spring as a last resort for its 2019-20 students, online learning wasn’t an option. Baglien says she’s okay with that.

“I appreciated the opportunity to hear what other people were feeling. I think (the school) did a really great job processing what this looks like for everyone,” she says. “People were coming in from out of state, and so many people just felt like that’s just not going to happen with the pandemic. Ultimately, you can’t really learn landscape design online.”

Baglien says she’ll be there next year, but in the interim, she’s going to continue working about 30 hours a week at a local landscaping company. She’s still looking for work once the Minnesota snow comes in during the winter, but it’s at this company where she’s learning about the labor that goes into the design work she aspires to do in the future. Though she’s not taking any formal classes, she’s even learned some masonry since starting the part-time work.

“I think that’s really valuable,” she says. “If my goal is to be a designer, I need to understand how those designs are implemented on the ground.”

Baglien says her interest in horticulture began as an interest in climate activism in high school, and since then, she’s dedicated herself to designing environmentally responsible landscapes. After working in an urban garden, she says she realized the connection between climate change and sustainability.

Though it’s been a winding path to get here – a path that only continues to grow unclear amidst the pandemic – Baglien says she feels confident this is the industry for her.

“Doing work that was tangible really spoke to me. Since then, I’ve been looking for ways to not be in an office,” she says. “I love building something with (clients) who have dreamed about their landscapes for 20 years.”

A workstation is an area where an employee does a series of repetitive tasks; for example, transplanting, potting, patching, or preparing cuttings. The layout of this area can have a large influence on the efficiency of the work that is accomplished.

Basic principles of workstation design and layout have been developed based on time and motion studies, and these have been applied to many industrial operations and tasks. These same principles can be used to improve many of the tasks associated with growing plants and often results in a 20-30% reduction in time.

Design considerations

Include these in any workstation design:

• Worktable
• Incoming materials (prefilled containers, transplants, tags, cuttings to be graded, etc.)
• Location of transplanted container (cart, conveyor)
• Space for the worker
• Container for waste material
• Tools

A drawing should be made on graph paper to scale to develop the best layout. It should include the location of the worker, materials and tools.

The following basic principles should be followed:

Workstation height

The best table height is elbow height. Adjustment should be provided for different-sized workers. It is best to provide for both standing and sitting positions as greater efficiency is achieved when workers change positions.

Elbow height should be measured in the standing position. Height adjustment in the chair or stool can bring the worker up to the standing height level. Comfortable chairs with back support and footrests will create less fatigue.

Hand and arm motion

Where possible, both hands should always operate as mirror images and both be working. Holding something in one hand while the other hand is performing a task is not very productive. If reaching for plants or other things, the distance should be the same for both hands.

Continuous or curved motions are the most natural and productive. Start-and-stop motions require more energy and time. Try to avoid lifting and instead, slide the flats.

The reach from the normal arm rest position should be limited to a 24-inch radius to the side and front for women and a 27-inch radius for men. The main assembly area is best positioned within 16 inches to 18 inches of the resting elbow position.

Workspace

A space of 3 feet by 3 feet is normal for the worker, unless a wider work area is needed. Space to the rear should be left for movement of carts.

Adequate lighting over the work area will increase efficiency and reduce eye strain. It should be located above the workstation so as not to create shadows. A level of 40- to 60 foot-candles is necessary. Glare from lights and windows should be avoided.

Location of materials

Locate materials as close to the work area as possible. The farther you have to reach for something, the more time it takes. Walking 10 feet to get, pick up, or set down a flat will add two to three cents to the production cost of the flat.

Tipping the flat toward the transplanter can reduce the distance by as much as 10 inches. Plugs should be dislodged to effect easier removal. Locating a dibble board in a permanent holder so the worker does not have to look to retrieve it is also advised.

Prefilled containers from the flat or pot filler are best conveyed to the work area. A belt conveyor with an accumulating station works best. Gravity should be used wherever possible.

A conveyor located to the back of the workstation is best for sending a transplanted container on its way to the greenhouse. The flat or pot is just pushed onto the conveyor. Alternate locations are underneath the workstation bench or behind the worker. This involves moving or turning which takes more time. If carts are used, they should be located as close as possible to each worker.

Inexpensive fixtures or brackets can be installed to hold materials in position while they are being worked on. This frees up one hand that would normally be required for support.

The bottome line? Putting the above principles into practice in your operation can help reduce worker fatigue and increase production output throughout your greenhouse.

The author is an agricultural engineer, an emeritus extension professor at the University of Connecticut and a regular contributor Greenhouse Management. He is an author, consultant and certified technical service provider doing greenhouse energy audits for USDA grant programs in New England. Reach him at jbartok@rcn.com