Greenhouse Management

Upcoming Educational Opportunities

As the holidays approach and poinsettias hit the market, educational events in Ohio hit the ground running! Here are a few opportunities that you might be interested in attending:

50th Annual Ohio Turfgrass Foundation Conference and Show with the OSU Green Industry Short Course

December 5-8, 2016
Greater Columbus Convention Center
Columbus, OH

For 50 years, the OTF Conference & Show has offered quality education close to home. Our partnership with the OSU Green Industry Short Course has strengthened the conference by introducing more opportunities to increase your knowledge of trees and ornamentals. Whether you manage turf, trees or anything in between, the education conference is a can’t miss event for the serious professional.

For details and registration information, please visit: http://www.otfshow.org/home

Midwest Green Industry Xperience (MGIX) 2017 from the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association

January 16-18, 2017
Greater Columbus Convention Center
Columbus, OH

MGIX 2017 features:

  • More than 90 education sessions led by national speakers comprise a wide variety of topics, from business and marketing best practices to design, irrigation, and lighting trends. Educators from The Ohio State University lead 24 sessions focused on horticulture, pest and disease management, and industry research.
  • Pre-conference sessions on Sunday, January 15 include Perennial Plant Association’s Annual P.L.A.N.T. Seminar, Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavement Specialist Course by ICPI, and Landscape Business BootCamp by Greenmark Consulting.

For details and registration information, please visit: www.mgix2017.com

 

A new resource for greenhouse growers to help identify microbe-containing products advertised to enhance growth of Greenhouse Floriculture Crops

Michelle L. Jones and Laura Chapin

Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, The Ohio State University

The production of ornamental and edible crops in commercial greenhouses is high-input specialty crop agriculture. Much of the industry relies on chemical pesticides (insecticides, miticides, fungicides, and bactericides) to control pathogens and insect pests, and intense irrigation and fertilization to insure the production of high quality crops. Consumers are becoming more aware of and concerned about how their purchases impact the environment, and there is increasing market pressure on commercial greenhouses to decrease their chemical usage. Consumer, market, and grower interest in reducing the environmental impact of the greenhouse industry has led many commercial greenhouses to adopt more sustainable growing practices and to pursue sustainable certification. A survey of the industry, funded through a NIFA SCRI planning grant, confirmed that a majority of respondents were interested in using biological products as part of a more sustainable crop production system. While respondents were familiar with the use of natural predators and biopesticides, they were less familiar with the biostimulant class of bioproducts. Biostimulants directly influence plant metabolism and growth. They enhance plant growth and overall plant health by increasing root elongation, nutrient uptake, and stress tolerance.

One barrier identified by Greenhouse industry stakeholders to the use of biostimulants has been the lack of a single, non-bias resource that contains biostimulant products available for use on greenhouse floriculture crops. A database resource was created that includes a compilation of products that (1) contain microorganism(s), (2) are advertised as biostimulants (i.e., enhance plant growth), and (3) can be used in a greenhouse and/or on flowering plants.

To search for microbe-containing biostimulants for greenhouse crops please use the link below to go to the Greenhouse microbe bioproducts database. http://go.osu.edu/MicrobeBioproducts

This resource was developed with the support of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture SCRI Planning Grant – Award # 2015-51181-24284 and the OSU D.C. Kiplinger Floriculture Endowment.  We are continuing to add to and update this resource.  If you have suggestions or product additions please contact Michelle Jones at jones.1968@osu.edu.

Using Ice to Protect Outdoor-Growing Plants against Frosts and Freezes

By Dr. Claudio Pasian, Department of Horticulture and Crop Science

The Ohio State University

In the past few years, I have seen more growers using the outdoors to grow certain container crops that do well in cool environments…please continue reading the entire article here: Using Ice to Protect Outdoor-Growing Plants against Frosts and Freezes.

OSU Bioproducts Information Survey is Now Open!

Do you grow ornamental, fruit, or vegetable plants in a greenhouse, high tunnel or other structure? If so, The Ohio State University would like to invite you to participate in an industry-wide survey on bioproducts at http://go.osu.edu/ghbioproducts.  Your responses will provide valuable input to set research priorities and assist in the development of educational materials on bioproducts for the industry.  The survey will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes of your time.  For additional information, questions, or to receive a printed copy of the survey, please contact Beth Scheckelhoff, OSU Extension Educator for Greenhouse Systems at 419-592-0806 or at Scheckelhoff.11@osu.edu.  The electronic survey can also be accessed with your smartphone or other device here: QR CODE