Spring and summer plants have long been (deeply) discounted, and most of the fall stock has passed through your greenhouse doors and is now a distant memory until we cycle back around to fall production next year.

Fall — and the quick breather it provides — represents the perfect time for a respite from the madness of the production cycle, and to take stock of where we’ve been and where we’re headed. It’s also when a lot of horticultural businesses start planning for the next growing season.

In this issue, you’ll find the start of our annual State of the Industry (SOI) report (https://bit.ly/soi-2021). We queried over 100 North American greenhouse owners and operators to get their take on how the last year in horticulture played out and what to expect for next year.

What did they tell us?

Well, I don’t want to spoil it here for you. You’ll just have to read the full report and find out for yourself. But, generally speaking, I think it’s safe to say that the overall state of the horticulture industry as it stands today, is quite strong.

Of course, that doesn’t mean we can take the winter off and rest on all our laurels. There’s still work to be done, as our cover story (https://bit.ly/diverse-perspectives) on the young, all-woman management team at e-commerce powerhouse The Growers Exchange clearly shows.

The SOI data also shows some issues we’ll need to manage through in 2022, including the ever-worsening supply chain difficulties that we’re all saddled with for the time being. I hope you’ve already ordered or picked up your Thanksgiving turkey, because if you believe the tea leaves, those tasty gobblers could be in short supply just as perlite and plastic pots were in 2021.

It’s our hope as a media brand that our SOI efforts will help you plan better and have a third-consecutive wonderful growing season in the months ahead.

Let us know what you think of the SOI by emailing your thoughts over to me at mgrassi@gie.net. We’re open to all new ideas on how we can make this data even more useful to growers.

Thanks, and enjoy the downtime this winter. We’ll be right back into production before you know it!

Photo courtesy of Schultz Garden Center

Greenhouse Management: What has the last year, year-plus been like for your business? And what products have been most popular?

Matthew Schultz: To sum it up in one word — and I’m sure you’ve heard it a lot — it’s been incredible. Furthermore, it’s been crazy. Obviously, in the last year, we’ve seen incredible sales. We could not believe how much we sold through last year and this year; we’ve been doubled up on most of our stuff and sold through all of that as well. We’ve witnessed and benefited [from] the trend of gardening being really popular over the last two years during COVID. And it’s not just one product — we really have sold through everything. The stuff that hasn’t sold are products that came out later or missed the ball and got out too late. Especially last year, we probably could have sold empty boxes to people.

GM: Now that society is, at least a little bit, opening up, what has business been like?

MS: It’s been down a little bit, at least here for us. To look back: The day before the mask mandate was lifted, our parking lot was full. The day after it was lifted, we were empty. It’s pretty much been that way since. That’s been since around mid-way. Right around then, we saw a dramatic decrease in our sales as it looks like people are going to go out more and do things that they couldn’t do a year or so ago. Which is kind of a good thing overall ... One thing I will say is that we haven’t done much in the houseplant category. That’s one thing I think we could do more with and target more of what people are looking for as opposed to various succulents or the one-off plant we bring in.

GM: During COVID, and after, what has the labor situation been like? Did you ever have a need for or have to consider bringing in more labor?

MS: We never really thought of bringing in anybody, especially at that time when COVID was [at] its peak. You can always use more hands, especially during peak season, but we were not even considering it last year. We vaguely talked about it this year, but we really didn’t want to manage having new people and deal with all of the COVID restrictions associated with that. So we decided, at this point, we’ll continue the way we are. Potentially, in the future, we might add some additional hands, but we’ll have to see how it goes for the next year or so. We also of course hope that people will continue to garden. Even if it’s not everyone, there’s hopefully a subset of people who still do. The question is, how many that we gained are going to stay? And how many [customers] got into gardening because they couldn’t do anything else, and did they enjoy it enough to keep doing it? Unfortunately, we don’t have a good enough gauge on that just yet.

Plants need a lot of protection, especially in the early stages of their lives.

Joe Lara, director of marketing at BioWorks, says that plants are extremely vulnerable to root diseases when they’re young, so getting your plants off to a good start is important and improves their overall growth and consistency for the remainder of their lives.

Luckily, growers have options for fighting root diseases. BioWorks offers RootShield PLUS+, an organic biological fungicide that prevents root diseases and promotes healthy root systems. BioWorks has two forms of RootShield PLUS+: a granular form, RootShield PLUS+ Granules, and a wettable powder form, RootShield PLUS+ WP.

With RootShield PLUS+ Granules, growers incorporate the product into the growing media so that it can flourish there and work on the plants’ roots. By doing this, RootShield PLUS+ can grow with the plant and protect it from harm.

RootShield PLUS+ WP, on the other hand, is typically mixed with and dissolved into irrigation water. Lara notes that this wettable powder can sometimes be easier and more flexible for smaller growers who don’t have the technology or ability to incorporate the granular form into their soil mixes. But whichever form you use, Lara says, RootShield PLUS+ will give your plants the protection they need.

What makes plants more susceptible to root diseases in their early stage? Lara says there are several factors, including nutrient deficiency, overwatering, temperature, poor sanitary practices, and the type of cultivar you’re growing. With all these threats, growers need to make sure they get RootShield PLUS+ applied early enough so they give their young plants a fighting chance. If you want the best crops, you have to start out with young, healthy plants.

And RootShield PLUS+ can be used on just about any genus of plant out there. From vegetables to ornamentals to cannabis, RootShield PLUS+ is a universal protector against root diseases. Practically every grower has a plant that can benefit from the use of RootShield PLUS+.

It’s often thought that biological-based products can have a bit of a learning curve for growers who have never used them before. Luckily, BioWorks has support staff and subject experts who are ready to help growers in their journey using biologicals. Everyone at BioWorks is committed to getting their customers what they need. Lara says that “Grower success is our success.” After 25 years of success, BioWorks has developed a reputation among growers as a quality supplier.

If you’ve never used biological products before, there’s never been a better time to start than now. Lara says that in the last 10 to 15 years, there have been a lot of improvements in biological products, and that growers who haven’t utilized them in the recent past should take another look at the ones that are on the market today. “They’re missing out,” he explains.

Photo courtesy of Prospiant

Prospiant, formerly known as Rough Brothers, has taken on a new identity with an updated mission — to embody health, wellness, long-term stability, financial strength and end-to-end expertise in all that it does. But, regardless of the rebrand, Prospiant remains an expert in its commercial greenhouse design and manufacturing roots, as well as the value it offers.

“The best aspect of a Prospiant greenhouse structure is quality,” says Group President Mark Dunson. “Not only are the structures built to last by standing up to nearly any weather condition possible, but the greenhouse structures are designed to maximize agricultural productivity.”

Built with steel columns, trusses and concrete floors, structures at Prospiant are longstanding and carefully crafted based on growers’ needs. Cultivation goals, crop offerings and business objectives are all taken into consideration, as well as site location, climate and more. Other factors include the structures’ difference in size, complexity and required local ordinances, which are all discussed during the initial customer engagement process — a phase Dunson deems necessary.

“We think the first step is to have a rough plan and budget for the project or structure,” he says. “With that plan in mind, information gathering and research will be productive.”

With a wide array of clientele, Dunson says Prospiant can work with growers during any phase of their buying journey — from the beginning stages of planning, architectural and engineering design, permit application and more, and even through the latter stages of expansion.

“We’ll provide tailored support that’s right for them wherever they are in their process. No customer is the same, [and] we really try to understand their needs and help them to make the optimal investment decisions.”

Like most items, structures from Prospiant can last a long time if taken care of. In this case, Dunson says structures can last up to 30 years with consistent inspection and maintenance of the structure and its supporting items. Overall, Dunson says structures from Prospiant are designed to maximize agriculture productivity — an important aspect of success in the industry.

“Agriculture is a competitive business and profit margins are often tight,” he says. “The difference between success and struggle can come from using the best possible cultivation tools to provide the edge for standing apart. Prospiant provides these tools by recognizing the unique situation of each and every customer. Our dedicated team develops greenhouses and integrated growing ecosystems for customers to reach their cultivation goals and to meet the demands of their customers and the market.”