Growing up in the greenhouse, Brian Austin has always been surrounded by plants. By age 6, he was pulling weeds for his dad, who worked as a head grower for many years.

“I had a fascination with plants from a young age,” Austin says. “I loved going into the greenhouse and helping my dad with little jobs on the weekends.”

When his dad opened his own wholesale operation, The Garden Path Greenhouse, in the late 90s, Austin gained experience in various aspects of the business, from planting to watering to driving trucks. To complement his informal growing experience, Austin pursued a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture and Landscape Architecture from Colorado State University, with concentrations in floriculture and nursery management.

“Being exposed to the science of how and why plants grow renewed my passion,” says Austin, who managed the CSU trail garden for a couple seasons. “I fell in love with growing.”

During his last semester of college, Austin started working weekends at Dutch Heritage Gardens in Larkspur, Colorado, located just south of Denver. When he graduated in May 2009, he joined the business full-time as an assistant grower. Then, in 2015, he was promoted to head grower. Now, Austin focuses on finding new ways to improve plant production by empowering his team to innovate.

Learning from new crops

Since 2006, Dutch Heritage Gardens has been producing high-quality bedding plants and potted crops for grocery chains like Kroger. In 2016, the Colorado-based operation recognized a new opportunity to grow young hemp plants for large farms.

“We already had the processes and infrastructure in place to produce large volumes of young plants because we do our own propagation of petunias and geraniums,” Austin says. “There wasn’t a good supply from people growing hemp out of garages and indoor spaces, so it was a natural fit to become a young hemp supplier.”

Austin assumed the transition to hemp would be as easy as growing petunias, but instead he encountered some unexpected rooting challenges.

“We buy all our annual cuttings from big farms, but with hemp, we have to grow the stock plants and then take the cuttings, so we had to set those cuttings up for success,” he says. “Some practices we’ve done to improve our hemp cutting quality include dipping them in certain formulations of rosemary oil, fertilizers and different concentrations of IBA rooting hormone.”

After seeing success with dipped hemp cuttings, Austin’s team began trialing dips for other crops like lotus and poinsettia, while also implementing new sanitation protocols across the operation to ensure plant cleanliness.

By 2019, hemp filled about a quarter of the 9-acre greenhouse facility. “We couldn’t grow enough hemp,” Austin says. “The market was hot.” In 2020, Dutch Heritage increased hemp production to a 50/50 split with its bedding plants. This spring, the company will add another 5 acres of greenhouse space to increase its capacity for both types of crops.

Encouraging new ideas

To maximize limited resources, Austin constantly explores ways to improve efficiencies at Dutch Heritage Gardens.

For example, he developed a program to stick unrooted cuttings directly into final containers — eliminating transplanting without affecting the rooting percentage (which improved in some cases). “That saved us 20% in labor during the spring, which is huge, because our location is so remote that it’s a challenge to get labor here,” he says.

To make the most of the labor he has, Austin taps into his team’s ideas for improving the operation. He regularly walks each section of the greenhouse one-on-one with his two assistant growers and three section growers, giving them the opportunity to propose solutions to the crop issues they’re reporting.

“I don’t want to be the only idea source here. I want them to come up with their own ideas, and know how to go about trialing it to see how it works,” Austin says. “Having the assistant growers conduct the trials gives them a higher sense of purpose. If their trial works out and we implement it into our growing method, they feel like they’ve contributed value — which they have.”

One of his growers is currently trialing different surfactants on poinsettia bracts to find a rate high enough to clean off water spots without causing phytotoxicity. Through these experiments, Austin empowers his team to discover process improvements.

“I’m not just giving orders, but guiding them to make their own educated growing decisions,” he says. “The more they learn, the more they grow; then the more we grow as a team.”

As much as Austin enjoys plants, being a head grower has taught him that cultivating people can be even more fulfilling than growing flowers.

“People take a personal investment of time and emotion, which obviously can be challenging — but that’s also the most rewarding thing (about being a head grower), is seeing people grow and succeed,” he says.

PHOTO © ivector | adobe stock

The damage done by the COVID-19 pandemic is real, far-reaching and yet to fully manifest for many of us. No doubt we have numerous challenges yet to face on the horizon. That said, the surge in public interest in plants and gardening products was welcomed by growers and garden centers alike in 2020. Gardening enthusiasm was a singular bright spot in a very dark landscape.

Many businesses — but not all — saw some of their biggest sales increases in years. It looks like we will potentially face another busy spring in 2021. Unfortunately, the increased demand coupled with supply chain and market volatility — not to mention labor shortages — may make it challenging for growers and retailers to meet plant demand expectations in the new year.

The biggest concerns voiced to me by my clients are how and where they will find the liners or finished plants, or larger trees and shrubs, needed to meet customer demand. Perennial plugs seem to be of particular concern. I expect the consequences of such supply squeezes to come to bear in 2021, potentially dampening the sales boost we saw in 2020. Good pre-planning, assertive marketing and overall flexibility will be required to maintain brand integrity and quality until some market stability either returns, or we all adjust to a new “normal.” The trick is to maintain your brand reputation despite potential volatility.

Transparency

My advice to clients wondering how to prepare for supply challenges is to be upfront with your customers and quickly pivot to provide available alternatives. If you know you are either not going to be able to grow and stock a particular crop — or will only have limited quantities — be transparent about it early on. Truth in advertising is going to be very important with plant supply chains strained.

Book early

If you have not been taking pre-bookings or typically only allow for buying on availability, now would be a good time to consider a pre-season booking or pre-paid order strategy. Consider creating incentives for customers to pre-book or reserve items that will be in limited supply. This is one way to help your top customers feel confident they will have what they need to keep their business flowing this spring. It will also help them adjust and plan their own marketing; and reinforce your brand loyalty.

Market alternatives

Once you have gotten the hard truths out of the way, spend extra time and effort marketing what you will have. Customers will want to quickly move on from the negative to the positives and what you can do to help them keep their business flowing as seamlessly as possible.

Pre-selling your product will also help you more quickly pivot your seasonal marketing to promote remaining available items you can offer as alternatives. This will be especially helpful to landscapers who may need to change up standard color and perennial installations, and will need quick access to suggested substitutions.

Price points

Increase your prices but take care not to gouge. Supply and demand can certainly drive the market and there is no reason you should not improve your margins and profit on high-demand items. But resist the urge to go overboard on your price increases.

Trust is a key factor in maintaining your brand integrity and customer relationships. Artificially overinflated prices can backfire, hurting both your brand and the industry as a whole.

My advice to clients wondering how to prepare for supply challenges is to be upfront with your customers and quickly pivot to provide available alternatives.

Plant and gardening consumers are already hearing the message through the media that they should expect dramatically inflated plant pricing due supply strains. On the one hand, this is not the message we want customers to latch on to, as it could keep them from diving into as many gardening projects this spring. On the other hand, we do need consumers to become emotionally comfortable with somewhat higher plant prices as many growers are long overdue for better margins.

Consider how you will address this in any consumer-facing marketing you do, or work with your retail and landscape customers to provide better marketing messages of value.

Don’t slip

Be sure to keep an eye on quality. Limited supply and high demand may have you pushing crops out the door before they are ready or up to your normal standards. You may even feel forced to purchase plants or products you feel are substandard just to meet demand. Take care not to allow your quality to slip during this time. Again, your brand integrity relies on your customers trust in consistency and quality.

Ultimately, now is not the time to take your foot off the gas, even with potential shortages. You just may have to take a few turns off your normal route to navigate what could be both a strained and successful spring season.

Photo ©Halfpoint, Adobe Stock

Here we are having moved past November into 2021. Poinsettia shipping has been ongoing for weeks now. We are all hoping that the branches stay strong and do not split, that the cyathia stay attach and don’t drop, and that those bracts stay looking good.

Now, we find ourselves on the cusp of the busy spring production season. Are we ready for that yet? If not, we should celebrate the holidays and the New Year before worrying too much about the future.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It’s a day to enjoy family, a fine meal and some purposeful reflection on what we are thankful for, all of which I think are ingredients for a great day. And, I think this may be an especially good year to reflect on the things that we are thankful for.

Normally this column is focused on technical tips for growing greenhouse crops. But I want to take the column this month — and especially considering the the past year — to take a break from the technical side of production and focus on a different, but absolutely essential, aspect of greenhouse crop production: you.

I want to thank you for all that you do to support the greenhouse industry. It doesn’t matter if you are in the greenhouse manning a hose or in the front office crunching numbers on a computer. It doesn’t matter if you are on the sales team or the maintenance team. It doesn’t matter if you are a supplier of fertilizer, substrate and pesticides, or a broker of plants. Your contributions to greenhouse crop production matter, and they have a positive impact.

I don’t think I am alone in saying that this year has been a challenging one for all of us. COVID-19 has turned many aspects of our lives upside-down, inside-out, and all around. The virus outbreak has caused many of us to have a more inward-facing approach to our lives. Working from home, teaching kids at home, “stay-cationing” at home, (insert verb here) at home — whether by necessity and/or choice, we have found ourselves spending more time at home.

Once the weather finally got nice enough to get outside this past spring, one of the first things I did was work with my twin 4-year old daughters to build them their own garden.

We pounded wooden stakes into the ground and looped twine through holes to make a fence, complete with a makeshift gate of scrap wood. When it came time to plant, we let the girls pick out some annuals for their garden. They insisted they plant them with absolutely no help from dad or mom — and of course we were smart enough to know when not to argue with a pair of 4-year olds (though, admittedly, they could have used our advice about removing the container prior to planting). And throughout the summer they each used their own watering can to water their plants.

Now, we find ourselves on the cusp of the busy spring production season. Are we ready for that yet? If not, we should celebrate the holidays and the New Year before worrying too much about the future.

While this anecdote is specific and personal to me, I know that I am not the only one with a story like this or something similar. As I looked around my block, or in my neighborhood on walks, you could see the positive impact greenhouse crops were having on people.

Part of this renewed inward focus gave people the time and desire to either explore or reconnect with plants. It was evident in old garden beds that were renovated or new ones installed, in the numerous containers of veggies growing on patios or the chicken-wired-rabbit-proofed gardens in the backyard. And again, it was thanks to you that this was possible.

Your efforts — whether it was covering an extra shift over the weekend for somebody who had gotten sick, trying to source a product on the phone with kids on laptops in the living room instead of the classroom, putting together orders for retail customers to pick up curbside or anything else — your direct efforts resulted in healthy plants that provided relief and respite for people during a stressful time.

Your hard work and dedication to our industry during these trying times has absolutely been essential. And I am thankful for you.

The Society of American Florists is on a mission to debunk poinsettia toxicity this holiday season. Per an announcement released by the SAF, many consumers (namely, pet owners and parents of young children) shy away from it because of the belief that it can endanger a loved one.

AmericanHort released the following statement after the Department of Transportation issued an Interim Final Rule announcing that horticulture is specifically included in the definition of agricultural commodity as it pertains to transportation:

“We are very pleased with the clarification of the agricultural commodity definition,” said Tal Coley, director of government affairs. “Plants are highly perishable products in transit. Officials at FMCSA, with assistance from USDA, got this right and should be commended. This is a sound government measure that will provide clarity to commercial drivers in our industry and enforcement officers alike. We would also like to thank Rep. Austin Scott and Rep. Kurt Schrader on their bipartisan efforts to elevate this issue in Congress.”

The Cresco, Iowa-based grower hosted its annual poinsettia variety day on Dec. 3, featuring 144 commercial and pre-release poinsettia varieties.

“The Poinsettia trial and Variety Day event emphasizes our commitment to industry by showcasing genetics under northern USA growing conditions,” Plantpeddler President Mike Gooder said. “It is important to do a poinsettia production trial as a way for the industry and our growers to see how varieties perform in real world greenhouse conditions.”