Avoid losses when holding plants for shipment

Extended periods of cloudy, wet weather can delay shipment of finished plants resulting in crops that are ready for delivery, but retailers aren’t ready to receive them. This problem is amplified for growers who don’t have adequate space for the next crop to be grown. Growers face the dilemma of either holding the plants, hoping to maintain their quality when the weather improves and demand returns, or dump plants to make space for the next crop.
Mich. St. Univ. horticulture professor Erik Runkle offers the following suggestions for holding the crops.
Lowering the production temperature is the most effective holding strategy. Maintain a temperature of 45°F-50°F for cold-tolerant crops and 55°F-60°F for cold-sensitive crops. Irrigate sparingly and maintain good air movement around the plants to help prevent disease problems.
Apply a plant growth regulator as a spray or sprench to prevent plants from stretching under cloudy conditions. For plants destined for the landscape, use spray or light sprench applications. For potted plants, drenches provide a more long-term effect.
If plants must be held for several weeks, consider pinching or cutting the plants back to remove flowers and elongated shoots. This adds to the production cost of the crop since additional labor and time are required. Generally, those crops with short production times are better suited for pinching because their re-bloom time is relatively short.