GH - July 2020

Exceptionnelles in Quebec

BY MELHEM SAWAYA

TINEKE GOEBERTUS

DR. MOHYUDDIN MIRZA

Photo by Westwood Greenhouses

FROM THE EDITOR

GRETA CHIU | @GreenhouseCan

Growing new roots

What do greenhouse succession and rootzone management have in common? If done correctly, both ensure a strong, healthy outcome.

According to the Canadian Agricultural Human Resources Council (CAHRC), “three of every four businesses will change hands in the next ten years when Canada’s producers and farm owners retire.” They go on to cite research stating that as few as one in three familyowned businesses survive the transition, regardless of whether the business is succeeded by children or sold to someone outside of the family. “One of the major reasons for this failure is a lack of planning.”

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has a do’s and don’ts fact sheet on farm succession planning (http:// www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/busdev/ facts/08-043.htm). Two items on the checklist are particularly important for the foundations of the planning process:

• “Do think of succession planning as a process rather than an event. It takes time and effort.”

• “Do start planning now. The earlier planning begins, the greater the number of options.”

low social status. On the other hand, young entrepreneurs wishing to succeed in agricultural and food value chains face numerous challenges, in particular inadequate access to land, credit and markets.”

The food service industry also has low returns, high risks and requires much hard work, yet people actively pursue it. Some even leave their careers to do so. Perhaps it’s also a matter of public perception. Has COVID-19 shifted attitudes around agriculture? With heightened mainstream media coverage on the food supply chain and labour shortages, food security is taking centre stage and gardeners are taking an interest in growing food in their backyards. Provinces have established job portals to connect those looking for jobs with agricultural employers. Granted, skilled and unskilled employees make a big difference. Is it time for educational institutions, industry and the public service to join forces and give agriculture a rebrand?

Working with family isn’t easy. There’s history and emotion, as well as a potential generational gap in differing opinions. Interestingly, in an abstract from the Committee on World Food Security (of the Food and Agricultural Organization), “generation gap” is defined a little differently, pointing to the void left by aging farmers and the lack of interested young people to fill it. What’s stopping them? It says, “Young people are reluctant to consider agriculture as a viable livelihood option and associate it with low returns, hard work and

Perhaps this year’s Top 4 Under 40 winners could be a source of inspiration. They may have inherited the farm, but their passions and ambitions have made them worthy successors and led them to expand their respective operations to a whole new level.

GROWER DAY GOES VIRTUAL

Mark your calendars for August 12, 2020, because Greenhouse Canada’s 25th annual Grower Day has gone virtual. We’ll be combining the originally scheduled East and West programs to a shortened online experience, with plenty of concurrent sessions to choose from. Sign up for our enewsletter to get the latest information on this year’s Grower Day program.

Greenhouse producers win in CPMA showcase

Two greenhouse producers took home Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) awards this year in the annual new products showcase.

The Packaging Innovation Award went to Mucci Farms for their Paper Top Seal. This new recyclable top not only reduces plastic use, but complements their existing, recyclable packaging.

Mastronardi Produce won in the newly renamed Best Snackable Product category for their SUNSET

Honey Bombs Golden Cherry Tomatoes-on-the-Vine. Said to be ‘sweet-like-honey’ with the perfect crunch, Honey Bombs are the latest addition to their lineup of on-the-vine snacking tomatoes. This category was previously known as the ‘Freggie-Approved Product’.

The virtual showcase featured 56 products from 44 companies. The next CPMA Convention and Trade Show takes place March 2-4, 2021, in Vancouver, B.C.

2020 CGC PIVOTS TO VIRTUAL PROGRAM

The Canadian Greenhouse Conference (CGC) announced its decision to cancel their trade show component and offer a select number of virtual speaker sessions this fall.

“The cancellation of the physical conference is disappointing but it had become apparent that the CGC would not be able to provide the robust conference experience that growers, exhibitors and speakers

had come to expect over the show’s 40-year history nor could we assure a healthy and safe environment,” explained CGC Board Chair, Steve Droog. Originally planned for October 7 and 8, 2020 at the Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls, Ontario, organizers have decided to table the majority of their speaker sessions for 2020, due to factors resulting from the COVID-19 global

Nature Fresh brings ATM on-site

To make banking more accessible for its employees, Nature Fresh Farms worked with BMO to bring ATM access on-site for cash or to complete simple, every day banking transactions.

This has helped to reduce or eliminate employees’ essential trips to the bank. The new ATM was very well-received, with employees happy to have a more convenient means of completing financial transactions. With such positive feedback, the ATM will remain on the premises for the foreseeable future.

To make essential services more accessible to their employees and minimize any additional risks from off-site traveling, the company also improved access to groceries and prepared foods by bringing approved vendors on-site and allowing representatives from financial institutions to come help workers send home money transfers.

pandemic.

While not a replacement for the 2020 conference, the virtual program, slated for the original conference dates, will provide support for growers and the industry with timely, innovative information.

This year’s conference theme “Beyond 2020” is all the more appropriate as the CGC looks forward to hosting members of the greenhouse community

in person again in 2021. More details to come in Greenhouse Canada’s September CGC preview issue. For commercial growers of crops produced in a controlled environment, the conference attracts growers from across North America, gathers experts from around the world and showcases innovative production techniques, research, products and technology.

BY THE NUMBERS

Sales from 2018 to 2019

Greenhouse flowers and plant (re)sales rose +0.7%.

Of this:

Greenhouse vegetable and fruit sales rose +5.0%

SOURCE: STATISTICS CANADA, 2020

TOP ANNUALS named for 2020/21 in Canada

Breeders highlighted the top five among their newest introductions, tailored for the Canadian market.

BY GRETA CHIU

With the 2020 California Spring Trials cancelled due to regulations around COVID-19, Greenhouse Canada invited some of North America’s ornamental breeders to share their favourite new annuals for the 2020/21 season. Based on their knowledge of the Canadian market and climate, interviewees thoughtfully whittled down the choices to their top five.

BALL FLORAPLANT, SELECTA ONE, BALL INGENUITY, PANAMERICAN SEED

Bee’s Knees Petunia: Diverging from the more mellow-coloured yellow petunias released in the last few years, Ball FloraPlant emerges with the intense,

lasting yellow of Bee’s Knees. “Growers have avoided yellow petunias in particular because of an issue with fading – they [tend to be] really light in colour and more susceptible to disease,” says Allan van Staalduinen, sales representative at Ball Seed. And Bee’s Knees is here to change that. With well-branched structure and blooms all summer long, it’s an ideal addition to landscape, mixed containers and hanging baskets. Feedback from growers has been excellent in colour and performance, says van Staalduinen. “This one is very strong in propagation.”

Phlox Gisele: If there’s one genus that deserves a little more love, it’s phlox. “Phlox is really underused by growers and in the Canadian landscape,” says van

Staalduinen. “It’s an item we don’t grow enough of.” Heat-tolerant with summerlong blooms, Gisele from Selecta One is an ideal candidate for landscape and container use. Joining the series for 2021 are two new colours: an intense red and a deep purple. “When the consumer gets out into their garden, they’re going to see really good performance.”

Petunia Headliner: Two new colours have joined Night Sky in the Headliner series from Selecta One: Electric Purple Sky and Crystal Sky. Both offer the same wonder-inducing, starry appearance in a stronger, more stable pattern. “Night Sky petunia is one of the most photographed flowers on social media,” says van Staalduinen. “It’s exciting to see the new colours….

BEE’S KNEES

they match the series very well.” With vivid hues and a mounded habit, the newcomers are ideal for hanging baskets and mixed containers.

Camellia Brew-tea-ful: And now for something different. New Camellia Brew-tea-ful from Ball Ingenuity allows consumers to grow, dry and enjoy their own tea leaves whether from their patio or in the garden. “We’ve seen a big explosion in vegetables and herbs this year. People are looking to grow their own food, and this tea plant would be an interesting addition,” says van Staalduinen. Reaching approximately 12 to 15 inches high, this Camellia sinensis can be planted in the spring and harvested all through the summer.

Beacon Rose: For 2021, vivid new colour ‘Rose’ joins the downy mildew-resistant Beacon series from PanAmerican Seed. “I know consumers have been waiting for impatiens to come back into garden centres,” says van Staalduinen. For years, the genus had been largely removed from the market due to impatiens downy mildew (IDW) – until now. First introduced in 2019 and available in garden centres this year, Beacon shows natural resistance to IDM without the use of fungicides. “It really is a breeding breakthrough.” Though van Staalduinen isn’t sure how many made it home to consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic, he’s seen strong positive response at the grower and retail levels and predicts a strong preference towards IDW-resistant impatiens going forward.

PROVEN WINNERS

Begonia Double Delight: This series easily took the top spot on Glenn

Andersen’s list of favourite new releases from Proven Winners. Available in Blush Rose and Primrose, Double Delight begonia boasts large, fully double flowers and a mounding, trailing habit. “They have a citrus scent that’s unique for this type of begonia,” says Andersen, owner of Nordic Nurseries in Abbotsford, BC. Very well-branched with loads of early blooms, Double Delight performs well in full sun or part shade. “We do a lot of begonias and this is a standout – very different from everything else. It’ll grow great anywhere in Canada.” While begonias have traditionally been a shade-loving plant, new genetics such as Double Delight can thrive in the hot sun. Ideal for containers and landscape.

Royal Velvet Improved: One of Nordic Nurseries’ best sellers, Royal Velvet has been placed among their top five for the past 10 years – which made Proven Winners’ decision to improve it all the more difficult. “You don’t want to replace a bestseller unless you know it’s an improvement. And this really is an improvement,” says Andersen. The deeper, richer purple-blue colour holds its own under high light and heat, while

its perfected mounding habit grows symmetrically with fuller branches. For Nordic Nurseries, this improved Royal Velvet might even take Bubblegum’s top spot in the near future, he says.

Superbells Coral Sun: With coral pink surrounding a bright yellow centre, this unique new addition to the Superbells family is a joy to behold. “It’s just a vibrant, happy colour,” says Andersen. “The new Superbells are all bred for that really good habit where it will mound but also trail over the edge – just perfect for containers and baskets.” Andersen predicts that Coral Sun will be within their top five selling Superbells products within one to two years. “We have about 30 of them, ...and this is as good as the best of them in habit.”

Euryops High Noon: While Euryops have been around the block, the original ones had a leggy habit and didn’t tend to flower well in the heat of the sun. But Proven Winners turned that all around with High Noon. “This one has a really good branching habit, flowers early and at double the size of the older Euryops,” says Andersen. Plus, it’s drought-tolerant and holds up in the sun, perfect for hot, sunny dry spots in the garden. “I was a bit hesitant at first because I know what the old Euryops are like, but I think this is going to be something that will catch on once people try it.”

10. Lantana Luscious Royale Red Zone: It’s no secret that lantanas like the heat, but this one has stood out in

some of the hottest trials in Florida. The tidy, mounding upright habit is perfect, says Andersen. “It grows on its own and makes a stunning plant that is easy to look after.” Flowers start deep red with orange centres, turning into a bright red as they mature. Being sterile, Red Zone flowers heavily even in western Canada, says Andersen. Like many other lantanas, it is well-loved by pollinators and attracts a multitude of bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

SYNGENTA

Mojo interspecific geranium: When Mojo was first introduced last year in a rich dark red, it became Syngenta’s first interspecific geranium series that featured dark green foliage – a favoured look for many, says Terry Talsma, Syngenta’s Canadian business manager. For 2021, four new colours join the Mojo series: Cranberry Splash, Orange, Salmon and White. The colour palette is also more vibrant, he adds, in addition to active branching. “The first flush will have far more flowers and the backup buds will be very voluminous.” Ideal for medium-sized pots or larger, it’s also great for landscape where Mojo’s interspecific breeding brings heat tolerance and flower power, as well as a more upright habit compared with Calliope, which offers a more mounding habit.

Rosalie zonal geranium: Resembling double rosebud flowers, Rosalie looks similar to a true, soft pink English rose. “Definitely one of a kind,” says Talsma. Each umble is made up of more than a

dozen double flowers, bringing a novel look to geranium programs. Its compact nature may not overtake the landscape, but it’s perfect for window boxes and small pots. Available in one elegant colour for 2021: Antique Rose.

Itsy petunia: Where others went big, Syngenta went small. True to its name, this new petunia boasts small flowers that make up for their size in volume. “If you can picture calibrachoa,… Itsy is even smaller than that,” says Talsma, who describes it as a continuous carpet of electric-like colours. With a controlled mounding, semi-trailing habit and good vigour, Itsy is suitable for landscape and containers and available in an eyecatching magenta for 2021.

FotoFinish spreading petunia: A spreading petunia from seed, FotoFinish was bred for early, uniform bloom times, with well-matched habit and timing. “If someone is looking for spreading petunia from seed in a black pot program, then this should be Plan

A,” says Talsma. Mounding, branching and free-flowering means fewer PGRs and fast garden fill. Its earliness to flower makes it easy to grow – and quickly. “You could sow it and….have a uniform, finished crop in 10 weeks,” he says. “Growers can bench run them and not have to cherry pick the colours. The habit and timing are perfectly matched.”

Imara XDR impatiens – New mixes: To highlight the nine distinct colours available in their previously introduced Imara XDR series, Syngenta is releasing five new mixes made up of this IDMresistant offering in different colour combinations. Dubbed ‘Hot!,’ ‘Pastel,’ ‘ProFormula,’ ‘Rosy,’ and ‘Tango,’ each mix offers a different feel to suit the consumer while simplifying the process for growers. “My favourite is the Rosy mix,” says Talsma, who explains how the pink is unique for the class. Also in the Rosy mix is purple improved, white, violet and rose, showing a distinctive palette across the colour range.

GREEN FUSE

Begonia Rex Bewitched: Highly recognized for their unique and varied Begonia Rex program, Green Fuse first introduced the Bewitched series in 2019 with limited colours. A dissected leaf rex begonia with strong vigour and heavy branching, the breeder has added

four new colours for 2021 in cherry, pink, lavender and silver. “This is a series that I really recommend for people who are just now starting to do Rex Begonias,” says Jim Devereux, vice-president of Green Fuse Botanicals. “We rejuvenate our stock every six months out of our Costa Rican facility to ensure their cleanliness.” Compared to a traditional Rex Begonia which can take 12 to 14 weeks, Bewitched finishes in eight to nine weeks for six-inch pots.

Begonia Rex Curly: This whimsical snail- or escargot-type is one of the most popular leaf shapes for Rex begonias. For 2021, Green Fuse is releasing four colours: white, chocolate, cherry and peppermint. “These Curlys also have the same vigour as the Bewitched – a really strong plant, so you can finish them pretty quick,” says Devereux. Once at home with consumers, Rex begonias can hold for two to three months without needing any water or light. They’re rhizomatous, storing their water before slowly using it as the plant needs, he says. They’ve also seen a big uptake in begonias as a poinsettia substitute for the holidays.

Ipomoea Sweet Georgia Series

Improved: Green Fuse decided to revamp the entire Sweet Georgia series three years ago, improving uniformity among the different colours. Releasing

all nine varieties at once for 2021, the series features a wide variety of shapes and colours along with two bicolour leaf types – the lime green and chartreuse of ‘Green Splash’, as well as the purple and green of ‘Purple Splash’. The spacing between leaves was also improved, measuring no more than a quarter inch for growth into a large, full and bushy plant. Though Ipomoea is typically more of a shade crop, this series is very sun-tolerant. “I’ve never seen it scald,” says Devereux.

Vinca Quasar: Rather than going with seed, Green Fuse backbred to create a vegetative vinca. That creates the foundations for good garden vigour associated with disease tolerance and uniformity, says Devereux. They also sought out colours that were unique to vincas, including one called ‘Deep Space Blue’ which alternates between shades of purple, deep blue and black. Another is ‘Target Orange,’ the first ever orange vinca with a dark eye, while ‘Plum Swirl’ mixes up shades of red and redpurple, all in the same flower. Flowers are 30 to 100 per cent larger than those of the average vinca.

Windchimes

As Devereux explains, traditional fuchsia tends to have long, flowering arms, low heat tolerance and long-day requirements

that would reduce the sales window in most parts of Canada. With Windchimes Basket, they changed all of that. This daylength neutral series has good heat tolerance and strong basal branching for fewer spatial problems, all while still offering the large flowers of traditional fuchsia. Good for baskets and mixed containers.

DANZIGER

Harmony Colorfall New Guinea impatiens: A traditional New Guinea impatiens, Harmony Colorfall doesn’t just offer big blooms and shade tolerance, but a trailing habit as well. “A lot of people try to put regular New Guineas into the hanging basket, and it looks good when they first ship it to the store,” says Lisa Heredia, who oversees marketing and key accounts for Danziger in North America. “[But] then what happens? It turns into this little tree.” Shipped as a tidy ball, Colorfall cascades neatly over the basket edge as it grows. Danziger is currently trialling this series as a one-stick for hanging baskets, which could reduce input costs for growers. Offered in four different colours, Heredia’s favourite is neon red, which produces a unique, almost shimmery quality.

Sol Luna hybrid impatiens: For consumers with less gardening experience, this interspecific compact series fits in sun or shade, holding onto its colour under the bright sun. “It has a really nice habit,” says Heredia, “but at the same time, its controlled growth means it’s going to behave for the growers in the greenhouse.” Good for quarts, Sol Luna will grow to fill out larger 6” pots. Uniformity tends to be a struggle with any kind of impatiens program, she says, which is why consistency among the colours was

Fuchsia

Basket:

an important feature for them. Offered in four colours: Tropical Punch, Pink, Candy Apple and Dark Lavender.

Osticade Osteospermum ecklonis: Bred in Israel, this Osteospermum can be grown and produced alongside other annuals in the warm section of a greenhouse, without the need for cold treatment. Its semi-trailing habit makes it well-suited for patio pots and hanging baskets. “It holds the flowers tight to the foliage, so you don’t have these long, messy blooms,” says Heredia. Of the four existing colours in this series, it’s the new bright Yellow that’s caught everyone’s eye at trials.

plants, Danziger narrowed down their selection to three, creating a new series of early blooming, speckled petunias called Splash Dance. “First we selected for habit, then we trialled them to make sure they would hold their bloom patterns and …speckling in the heat,” says Heredia. While maintaining their patterns, the three colours – Bolero Blue, Purple Polka and Magenta Mambo – all change to different amounts of speckling with temperature, offering a selfevolving look in consumer gardens.

Capella hybrid petunia: “When we were selecting for Capella, the key feature that we were seeking was controlled growth, which meant it didn’t need a lot of PGRs, if any… but that it also performed well in propagation and continued to grow at home for the consumer,” says Heredia. In fact, they call it the perfect petunia for its tidy form in the greenhouse and continued growth in the garden. Among the new colours they’ve launched for 2021, two stand out in particular: the novelty patterned bicolour Cherry Vanilla and Salmon, a hue that has been a goal for many breeders after all genetically modified orange/ salmon petunias were pulled from the market in 2017.

variegated foliage for movement and texture using trendy and earthy colours. “We need items like Coleus Le Freak that can [not only] go in sun or shade, and take the wind, the rain, and the heat, but [also] create movement and texture in gardens and combination planters,” says Diane Surette, general manager for Dümmen Orange in Canada. The multifunctional variety will also be part of the breeder’s Garden Party collection of mixes.

Petunia Durabloom: A brand new category for the breeder, this interspecific hybrid petunia stands up to the widely variable Canadian landscape, emanating both beauty and strength in seven different colours. “The cold spring of the Maritimes that goes into June and July, the extreme heat and humidity of Quebec and Ontario, the dryness of the Prairies, the rain and the wind in BC – it’s the perfect Canadian petunia,” says Surette. Durabloom’s root structure allows for a more durable plant, helping it handle the summer heat and drought. Its thick petals stand up to summer rains and stay full of colour in the Canadian landscape.

Garden Party Aria Habanera: With many Canadian consumers who have little time or space, large combination planters have become a substitute for the backyard garden, says Surette. Featuring new Aria Angelonia, Dümmen Orange is introducing four new mixes in the Garden Party Aria collection. Each containing four different annuals, Garden Party combinations are designed to mix well in habit, style and performance, making it easy for growers and consumers alike. The Garden Party Aria Habanera mix in particular offers

Splash Dance hybrid petunia: After trialing over 30 different patterns and

DÜMMEN ORANGE

Coleus Le Freak: Channeling a fun yet chill 70’s vibe, this standalone Coleus from Dümmen Orange features feathery,

a spicy, colourful style with Angelonia Aria Blue, Geranium Savannah Oh So Orange, Calibrachoa Aloha Nani Calibash and Lobularia YOLO Lavender.

Geranium Big EEZE Watermelon: Named for its flower size and ease of growing, this interspecific geranium conveys a true zonal look while maintaining the heat tolerance of its ivy geranium genetics. New for 2021

is ‘Watermelon,’ a vivid pink hue reminiscent of the height of summer.

New Guinea Impatiens Roller Coaster Series: “The roller coaster series is my favorite,” says Surette. “When I see Roller Coaster, I think of beauty – Frank Sinatra summer nights on the patio.” The name comes from its appearance, a New Guinea impatiens with large double flowers and ruffled margins going up

and down like the tracks of a roller coaster. Frilly and fun, the Magnumsized doubles garner a three dimensional effect in the garden and on the retail bench. For 2021, Dümmen Orange has added new white and pastel colours, trendy and on-point for moon gardening on summer nights.

All images are courtesy of the respective breeder.

Beyond 2020

19 Consequences of viciously impeded development

Smart business practices could help an operation weather through uncertain times.

BY MELHEM SAWAYA

Every year, the month of July is the best time for most greenhouses to reflect on the year passed and adjust for the coming year. That is especially true for this year.

As I write this article on May 25, 2020, things are looking much better for the greenhouse ornamental industry compared to just three weeks ago. Whether independent or box store, both types of garden centers are open to the public with social distancing enforced. Even with controlled numbers of customers and access to merchandise, product is disappearing faster than any other time that I have seen in my 42 years in the greenhouse business.

The question now is, if a disease makes the consumer appreciate the beauty, benefits and psychological power of plants and gardening, why then can we not keep up the momentum, even without a pandemic?

Obviously, COVID-19 has caused irreparable damage and losses to many growers. Others were not as severely hurt, and a few ended up doing

ABOVE

better than in previous years. The difference was partly in the crop grown.

If you were growing Easter lily, you did not have a chance of making good on it. A solid percentage of Easter lily crop usually goes to fundraisers and churches; both were cancelled with the implementation of social distancing.

Pot mums were a little better, but with stores especially in the States giving most of their attention to food supplies and toilet paper, plants in general were not a priority for them. Because pot mum numbers are usually high for Easter, even a 30 per cent loss translated to a large dollar amount for many growers.

For the few growers who grew hydrangea, they were lucky and somehow were able to sell most of their crop.

Early spring crops were sold if the grower initiated alternative channels such as curbside pick up or promotions via social media.

The input cost was high for this hanging basket system, but installing it was an excellent decision overall for more efficient product movement and irrigation.

ALL PHOTOS: M. SAWAYA.

The hanger on the left required an extra input cost of $2.25 for plant material, but the resulting product was not that much better than the one on the right.

Then garden centers opened, and many new ways of marketing plants were already in progress. This exposed plants to both old and new customers, and the spring crop moved steadily even when the weather was not cooperative.

Here are 19 consequences of viciously impeded development (acronym: COVID), whether during a pandemic or not, as well as what practices can cushion the negative impact and improve profits in normal years.

1. For growers who were running behind in their planting schedules, when COVID-19 hit, many of their employees decided to stay home either for fear of the disease, the government incentive to stay home and get paid, or both. Many of the growers had to reach out to family members for help. Getting things done on time is a must, not a choice.

2. Employee evaluations should reflect their actions this year or in any year. Reward the ones who stood by your side and are doing a great job and they will stay. Labour turnover is one of the top reasons for profit shrinkage in any industry.

3. Give higher positions and higher pay

to the responsible and deserving, particularly, if you want to keep these employees, or else they will be looking somewhere else for a job. Saving money by not acknowledging what your employees deserve is the beginning of the end for your business.

4. Advertise for new positions when needed within the company first before reaching out to outsiders. You know your employees and the employees know what to expect. These are the two main ingredients for successfully filling a work position.

5. Employees who do not show interest in their job or try to advance their knowledge do not deserve any significant raises other than for cost of living. But most importantly, let them know what your decision is based on.

6. With fears of the sales season going later than normal this year, growers in general grew their crops on the cooler side. This translated to the best crops I have ever seen, with the largest and most number of flowers; a practical and effective procedure came out of COVID-19.

7. Certain production techniques that were applied this year due to

COVID-19 proved to be highly effective, like the use of ethrel for delaying flowering. Though we used to calculate 9 weeks from the last treatment to flowering, this year we pushed the envelope to 6 weeks, and it saved many crops from diseases by minimizing old flowers. Note that too many applications of ethrel will lead to more compact plants, so be cautious of using this with other PGRs.

8. Greenhouses that could keep up with the work using the limited labour available were the operations that had a high level of effective mechanization. Mechanization is only effective when you simplify product offerings (e.g. varieties, pot sizes).

9. Many growers do not overproduce in their available growing area, and it paid off this year more so than other years. No extra work was needed to respace or extra time spent maintaining crowded plants, leading to efficient product preparation for shipping. The quality was superb. I worked with many growers who thought packing the greenhouse would translate into more profit.

Sometimes it’s best to simplify the product as much as possible. Choose a cultivar that will bring consumer success and optimize production practices around it.

We cut production volume by 20 per cent, and the profit margin went up by 20 per cent. This was due to fewer unnecessary labour costs, better quality of plants, and a higher average price per unit because there was no price reduction for later products.

10. Simplify the product mix. Consumers are getting confused with so many. Grow cultivars of the same genus. Pick the best cultivar that will make the consumer successful and produce it in the best way possible. This year, where the consumer’s fast turnaround in stores is the most limiting factor for sales volume per day, simplicity is king.

11. Do not wait for your customer to tell you what cultivar and amount to grow. Approach them with a plan based on facts of the best cultivars, pot sizes, amounts, and times to sell. If you do not reach out to your customer with information, then the programs will be forced on you, which is a lose-lose situation most of the time.

12. Many growers work on the programs together with their customers, which is the best strategy. They visit

trials, discuss what they see and come up with a program that is workable for everyone. I have seen programs suggested to buyers by breeders, which then the growers must produce – some turn out to be the biggest disasters. Most of these programs are supposed to be exclusive to one customer.

13. Never rush to new varieties; try them out and compare them to the older ones. When you know how to grow the new varieties and you see that they are indeed better, then drop the old variety. In my experience, the number one factor for shrinkage in the greenhouse is adopting new varieties before trialing them on a small scale.

14. COVID-19 forced growers to go after different outlets for their products, like curbside pickup, selling online, using social media to advertise their product, and setting up shop in front of their greenhouses. These means will not take the place of large outlets, but they moved a good volume of plants and are alternatives that are here to stay.

15. Buyers who took advantage of the scary COVID-19 situation and

dropped the price before shipping will have a more difficult time finding enough suppliers next season. Growers must make a certain margin to survive, and when their cost has gone through the roof and the buyer drops the price for no reason, then there is no choice but to move the product elsewhere.

16. COVID-19 could be the reason for better spring product sales, which will make some growers want to expand their facilities right away. Be cautious here because product demand is only one factor to consider. Sometimes expansion creates many other expenses that are not proportional to the dollars generated from extra sales, like more trucks, carts, utility services and most importantly, qualified staff. Expansion is great when all of these factors are taken into consideration.

17. July is a great month for evaluating your business and deciding on future directions. Crops, expansion, working less, delegating more responsibilities to others, mechanization, costing your product – COVID-19 has made us think about these issues more seriously.

18. Every person needs a certain level of stress just to survive. Without it, we are dead. Manageable stress gives us a great sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that drives us to achieve more and take on a higher level of stress. The key word here is ‘manageable’, and if that is not possible, then we must try to reduce the causes of our stress. COVID-19 pushed stress to much higher levels

19. Last but not least, the people who go through situations like COVID-19 and see the positives in all this share the attitude of Helen Keller. Many of her inspirational quotes are from actual situations that she lived and thrived through. Here are two of my favourites:

“A bend in the road is not the end of the road...unless you fail to make the turn.” “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” ~ Helen Keller

Melhem Sawaya of Focus Greenhouse Management is a consultant and research coordinator to the horticultural industry, mel@focusgreenhousemanagement.com.

ENZA ZADEN PIVOTS EAZYLEAF® FOR INDOOR FUTURE

Enza Zaden is slicing its way into the booming market for leafy greens in glasshouses and plant factories, leveraging decades of experience breeding indoors for fruiting crops like tomatoes and peppers.

Eazyleaf range has delivered benefits across the supply chain for open-field lettuce with high yields, a diversity of upright shapes that are easy to harvest, and leaves that fall into beautiful uniform pieces when cut.

But there are increasing opportunities for Eazyleaf in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) as well, with attractive lettuce varieties that lend themselves to the automated harvesting and hydroponic systems often found in indoor farming settings.

Kees Rodenburg, senior sales representative for heated crops at Enza Zaden USA, says the growing adoption of indoor farming has been driven by a preference for freshness and reducing food miles.

“In the U.S. we have a traditional situation here whereby the majority of the leafy greens are grown in the West, but a large chunk of that is consumed in the East,” he says.

“This is because the climate is ideal for outdoor growing in Arizona and California, but consumers are also starting to prefer locally grown if it’s offered.”

Exploring indoor growing to meet local demand

Enza Zaden USA’s Eazyleaf lettuce has traditionally been oriented towards growers on the West Coast who produce in open fields, and this will continue to be the case. But Rodenburg believes the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) trend will eventually capture some of that seed market.

“This is how we see the future unfolding, so we decided to redirect our resources towards that,” he says.

“We built a more extensive facility in Holland for breeding specifically for indoors, where we can experiment with different light intensities and recipes.

“We want these new crosses to be exposed to the latest environments indoors with LED. We need to mimic that.”

Rodenburg explains when this trend was in its early stages, growers mostly opted to use the same genetic materials that were planted for outdoor crops. “Sometimes that worked for growers, but a lot of times it didn’t because the environment isn’t the same and growers started running into issues,” he shared.

“We are at the forefront of adapting lettuce genetics to indoors, as there are not that many seed companies who are active in indoor

breeding. This is not only for leafy greens but also for fruit crops like bell peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes which we have been specialists in for years.”

Indoor growing creates opportunity for longer shelf life

Anh Nguyen, Portfolio Manager at Enza Zaden, notes the breeding process involves selecting and screening the best Eazyleaf varieties that will be suitable for hydroponics indoors.

“Our Eazyleaf portfolio shelf life has on average 15 days or three weeks, depending on the variety, ” she says. “Eazyleaf production for the U.S. is far away from those big cities, and that means it already takes more than 3 days from harvesting to the shelf due to transportation.

“But if it’s produced in indoor glasshouses that are right next to the supermarket, then you have extended shelf life of the products. I strongly believe Eazyleaf is suitable for indoor production.”

One-cut concept for upright leaves

The attractive shelf life proposition of Eazyleaf is partly due to the smaller cutting surface on the stems, as part of what Nguyen describes as a one-cut concept.

“Processors require the product to be strong against browning when cut, and that’s why in our breeding direction we focus on the small cutting surface,” she says.

Another aspect that lends itself to vertical farming is the upright shape and 3D structure of Eazyleaf, making it ideal for automated harvesting and processing.

“I see a huge benefit for indoor growing because it’s designed for automatic harvesting and automatic packing, and that’s more important for indoor because people increasingly don’t want to cut the lettuce themselves anymore.”

Consumers also prefer the extra crunch of the leaves, whose structure contributes to shelf life and freshness.

“A handful of flat leaves stuck on top of each other are more prone to issues than lettuce with loft and texture, to keep the salad more airy so when you open the bag it pops out.,” says Rodenburg.

Indoor growing means less human interference

Growing indoors means there is very little human interference and no need for washing the leaves.

“Without much human interference, we can automatically seed Eazyleaf, grow it and harvest it straight from the harvester into a bag or a box or a clamshell as a cut product.

“People don’t touch the product during the

growing process, which allows for an opportunity to start advertising and educate consumers that washing is not a required for indoor grown lettuce.,” he says.

Testing light stress

One challenge on the indoor front has been achieving the rich red colors found in some varieties within the Eazyleaf portfolio, which tinge that way partly because of the stress of UV light.

“If you bring your product indoors and there’s less stress, the environment is more ideal for growing and because of that the plant is not showing its true color,” says Rodenburg.

“ There is a lot to be learned in terms of the kind of light spectrum you can use, the kind of light intensities, and we’re looking at stressing the plant indoors for that effect.”

Rodenburg expects it won’t be long before this technical challenge will be overcome.

“We foresee in the near future a really nice range of all different kinds of leaf types and color ranges between lighter green, darker green, and lighter red and dark red, to make individual packages appealing with beautiful mixes of different lettuce types,” he says.

Eazyleaf, an explosion of colors and types.

Eazyleaf shapes including Oakleaf, Tango, Incised, Little Gem and Romaine, in variants of green and red, create an instantly appealing salad for consumers, who enjoy the loft, texture, variety and ease of preparation from bagged mixes or whole-head packaging. As new varieties are commercialized each year, the potential for even more intriguing mixes continues. Eazyleaf’s adaptability beyond large commercial operations to include small farm and greenhouse growth across North America is also establishing Eazyleaf varieties as key leafy players in the expanding ‘locally grown’ food trend.

Redefining the C.E.A. industry

1) Enza Zaden [εn ˌ za zædn] noun

i. An entrepreneurial culture has defined Enza Zaden since our early days as a vegetable breeding pioneer. Our breeding teams deliver innovative leafy varieties to Controlled Environment Agriculture (C.E.A.) growers.

ii. Enza Zaden introduces Cristabel – a new frilled ice lettuce variety that will add crisp to your salad bowls.

Healthy roots from start to finish

A means of supplying water and fertilizer to plants, roots need to function at their best.

BY TINEKE GOEBERTUS

Ensuring the success of a year-round vegetable crop means making sure that the roots are in excellent shape from start to finish. This is not as easy as it may sound, because throughout the season there are many different growing situations to be dealt with.

One of the most important things you should realize is that the above ground parts of your plants need water and CO2 to function well; however, their below ground parts, the roots, require oxygen to function optimally.

Roots not only anchor your plants; they are the only means of supplying water and fertilizer to the leaves, stems and fruit. The better shape your roots are in, the better your plants will thrive, and the more, larger-sized fruit they’ll produce from start to finish. It is up to you to create the ideal conditions for the roots of your plants. By the time summer comes around, your crop should have a full-grown root system. One kilogram of roots requires at least 200 mg of oxygen per hour, and the root tips use even more. The water you are

ABOVE

feeding is, at most, saturated with 9 mg of oxygen per liter. When feeding 1 liter per m2 per hour, the additional 191 mg of oxygen required (calculated from 200 mg minus 9 mg) should be present in the root area itself. Being short of oxygen will result in part of the roots dying.

This is where it gets tricky; you’ll have to feed enough water for your plants and at the same time make sure there is enough oxygen present around the roots. To complicate matters, as of the second half of July, the days will get noticeably shorter and the humidity inside and outside of your greenhouse will be higher.

That is why it is so important that you know your irrigation system well, keep it clean, and measure every day!

THE AMOUNT – MEASURE YOUR WATER

You should measure the following every day:

• the amount of water fed to the plants

• the amount of drain water

These two measurements check that your

This is what good roots look like – white with fuzzy root hairs. For year-round success, root health must be maintained from start to finish.

plants are receiving an adequate amount of water in relation to their size, fruit load, and weather conditions.

Under the same conditions, plants require the same amount of water. Water uptake is very closely correlated to the radiation it receives, as the water is mostly used for transpiration to cool the plants.

Your objective should be to feed enough water for your plants’ needs, and NOT to have a lot of drain per se. The only reason a certain drain percentage is required, is to compensate for the unevenness of your watering system, your greenhouse climate, possibly the ground profile and your plants. For example, when growing on gutters with a clean irrigation system, you don’t require the same drain percentage as your neighbour who is growing on a bad ground profile and not such a great irrigation system.

That’s why some growers can operate with only 25 per cent drain and others require 50 per cent to ensure that their plants receive enough water.

TIMING – CHECK YOUR GRAPHS

Aside from the correct amount, it is even more important to water at a time when the plant requires water. Don’t start too early and don’t continue too late.

The humidity deficit (HD) in the greenhouse is a great tool to use. Only when the HD in the morning starts increasing should you start with watering. As soon as the HD in the late afternoon recovers (decreases), you should stop watering.

Obviously, there should be a correlation between the amount of irrigation water and the radiation sum; not only by the end of

the day, but also throughout the day. After all, it does not help when you feed too much water in the morning and not enough in the afternoon. Your plants would still be overwatered in the morning (leaving too little oxygen around the roots) and be short of water in the afternoon (not enough for the plant). Both of these situations could lead to disease, such as blossom end rot.

Drain percentage per cycle also provides good insight on irrigation distribution over the day. The drain percentage should come down gradually in the last two to three cycles.

Note: the use of a roof cover, a shade screen or a misting system will all have their effect in the water usage of your plants. Make sure to properly correct for this.

THE SUBSTRATE – SOME TOOLS

To promote healthy roots, it’s important that you consider the following factors:

Type: The substrate you use makes a difference in the watering strategy. Cocopeat will become more wet towards the end of the season than rockwool. This should be reflected in the start time, but especially in the stop time of the irrigation. With cocopeat, you should stop earlier in the day compared to rockwool.

Bag volume: Obviously, a smaller volume dries up faster, BUT it also saturates faster than a larger volume when watering. As previously discussed, under the same climate conditions, your plants will require the same amount of water regardless of the substrate volume your plants are growing in. Typically, with larger substrate volumes, you start watering later and quit earlier.

Drain holes: The only way for the drain water to leave the bags is via the drain holes. When you start feeding more and more water per hour, it is important that the capacity of the drain holes is big enough to allow the excess water to leave the bags as soon as possible. If not, the bags will be too wet. And where there is water, there is no oxygen.

Profile: It is undesirable for your bags to sit in puddles of water. Not only will this hamper the ability of excess water to leave the bags at a quick enough pace, they are also a breeding ground for fungi and insects.

Opening the top: One of the reasons why plastic bags on cocopeat are initially oversized is to leave room for the cocopeat and the roots to expand during the growing season. But with a good rooting system, the bags will “fill up” before summer and will therefore contain less and less oxygen. That is why you should open the tops of the bags in June at the latest. Bags with a pre-cut perforation between the plant holes are commercially available. This makes it easier to get the job done without slicing the roots with your knife.

Remember, roots require oxygen all of the time, but your plants only require water for a certain amount of time.

When...

• you cater the watering to the needs of your plants;

• you make sure that the amount of drain water is not excessive; and

• you allow the drain water to leave the root zone asap ...your roots will thank you, and this will result in a resilient crop with good production to the very end.

Tineke Goebertus is a greenhouse consultant in BC with Vortus Greenhouse Consultants Inc. She can be reached at vortus@shaw.ca.

Top 4 Under 40: Class of 2020

This year’s young greenhouse stars have taken their family farms to new heights.

BY GRETA CHIU

Growers shoulder a lot of responsibility and more so than what their titles may suggest – a fact that is made evident by Greenhouse Canada’s Top 4 Under 40 winners this year. Knowing horticulture like the back of their hand, each award winner may have inherited the family farm, but they’ve expanded, upgraded and revamped it, taking the operation to a whole new level. Meet this year’s winners from coast to coast.

MICHAEL VAN DEN HOEK

LOWLAND GARDENS

GREAT VILLAGE, NS

Growing up on the family nursery in Great Village, Nova Scotia, Michael van den Hoek’s passion for the greenhouse industry came at a very young age.

“Many of my earliest memories are from being with my parents in the greenhouse – watering, deadheading marigolds for wholesale orders, mixing soil and putting together tray inserts before school,” recalls van den Hoek, who is now coowner of Lowland Gardens.

ABOVE

Initially leaving to pursue a neuroscience program at Dalhousie University, he later became a designated accountant when plans for a career in research didn’t pan out. “I worked and lived in Halifax for the better part of a decade, but still came back almost every year to help out on weekends or whenever possible in the family business during the busy season.” But after his first child was born, van den Hoek decided to choose a more family-oriented life and returned to his horticultural roots full-time in 2016.

“My wife and I always joke about how my mid-life crisis came incredibly early. Not wanting to become the cliché corporate absentee father, we packed up and moved back to the village where I was born and started working with the family business in earnest.”

Started by van den Hoek’s parents Tony and Gerrie in 1985, Lowland Gardens is recognized for their quality products, friendly service and engaging atmosphere. “Michael complements Lowland’s success by always being on the lookout for new

Michael van den Hoek

PHOTO

types of plants and different varieties for his customers,” says Krista Vroegh, who serves on the board of Greenhouse Nova Scotia (GNS) alongside van den Hoek. “According to his customers, he comes up with some of the best displays: fun, colourful and innovative!”

Serving as a board member and vicepresident of GNS, van den Hoek has spent countless hours advocating for and promoting the industry ever since, says Vroegh. While looking up COVID-19 regulations this year, he made sure that other growers in Nova Scotia were aware of the criteria for greenhouses and garden centres. As for their own business, van den Hoek initiated Lowland’s new online store, promoted curbside pick-up, and created new ways for social distancing within their operations.

When asked about what motivates him to succeed, van den Hoek says it’s about making a difference in people’s lives. “There is just something incredibly gratifying about watching something sprout or grow, knowing it was planted either by your own hands or with your guidance. There is a pride that comes from watching the excited looks on customers’ faces when they leave your store with a massive, well-branched hanging basket that is as beautiful as it can be, because you managed to time your pinching of the crop just right.”

RACHEL GONDOSCH

WESTWOOD GREENHOUSES

NEW HAMBURG, ON

“One of the first memories I have from being a child is working in our family greenhouse,” says Rachel Gondosch, head grower of Westwood Greenhouses in New Hamburg, Ont. “While most kids would go home after school and play, my siblings and I would go straight to the greenhouse… Although it wasn’t always fun in the moment, I look back and am thankful for the work ethic that it created in me.”

Supporting her family’s businesses, Gondosch started as an assistant grower at Westwood before taking on the position of head grower at her family’s second operation, Colour Paradise Greenhouses in Mannheim, Ont. Returning to Westwood in 2016, Gondosch stepped into the shoes left by her father, John Numan, who passed away from cancer three years ago. “I owe most of what I know to [him],” she says. “He taught me how to analyze a plant to know what it needs, and I am honoured to follow in his footsteps and run his greenhouse operation.”

Two years ago, Gondosch converted a third of their greenhouse space for organic vegetable and herb transplants to great success. She now manages 2.5 acres of spring bedding plants and vegetable transplants in 29 hoop houses.

As head grower, Gondosch trains and oversees a team of assistant growers from seeding to shipping, but she’s also hands-on. Irrigation and fertilization, scheduling crops and biologicals, and

scouting for pests, for instance – she’s actively involved in all aspects of crop production, yet still manages their finances and handles all cross-border and organic certifications. At Colour Paradise and Westwood, she helped install and set up heating/cooling schedules as well as automated watering systems through Argus controls.

Greenhouse consultant Melhem Sawaya describes Gondosch as being one of the most thorough and detailoriented people he knows and in everything she does. “She does not accept anything other than perfection,” he says. “As a grower, every task is taken very seriously and completed on time, which makes up 70 per cent of a successful grower.”

But in addition to excelling at her duties, Gondosch’s passion for growing is unmistakable. “Most people are excited to get out and plant in their gardens every spring, and I am lucky enough to have this as my career! Everyday I walk into the greenhouses and am surrounded by the warmth and beauty of the plants around me,” she says. “Watching a seed turn into a vibrant plant, ready to bring joy to someone else, is extremely rewarding.”

KEITH VIS

SUNSHINE GREENHOUSES LTD. REDCLIFF, AB

Keith Vis was first introduced to the greenhouse industry at the age of four. Originally from Thunder Bay, Ont., Vis and his siblings moved out to Redcliff, Alta. where their parents had bought a greenhouse.

Rachel Gondosch

Keith Vis (left) and family.

PHOTO CREDIT: WESTWOOD GREENHOUSES.

PHOTO CREDIT: SUNSHINE GREENHOUSES.

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With formal training in hand from Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU), Corne and Paul joined the family business full-time in 2008. Their first project was to manage a newly built grading and packing line, which was set up as an independent business unit. From driving the forklift to handling all of the paperwork and payroll, the pair took advantage of this opportunity and learned how to run a successful business, says Gary Jones, a faculty member and the cousins’ former

instructor at KPU. In 2016, the various divisions – Sunnyside Greenhouses, Sunny Bay Greenhouses and Sunnyside Grading –were brought under one name. Corne, Paul, Jos and Bram now share ownership of Sunnyside Produce Ltd.

“The past three years have been a transitional time with our parents slowly retiring and handing over more responsibilities,” says Paul. In 2018, the cousins took charge of a new 15-acre build. Tasked with designing the greenhouse, they were also responsible for a number of critical areas including city permits, foreign labour housing applications, building spaces and more. Undaunted, the enterprising pair have another 15-acre build planned for 2020 while juggling the business’ day-to-day operations. Corne manages human resources, foreign labour and accounting, while Paul focuses on their packing house operation and transitioning their machinery towards specialty peppers. “We enjoy the variety that working in the greenhouse industry brings,” says Paul. “Every day brings a new challenge, and no year is the same as the one before.”

Keen on sharing their passion for the greenhouse sector, the cousins regularly open their doors to educational visits from universities and researchers, as well as school-aged students as part of Greenhouse Veggie Days organized by the BC Greenhouse Growers’ Association and BC Agriculture in the Classroom. “That is an enormous amount of preparation and clean up work, which they undertake enthusiastically – typical of their desire to bring new people into the industry they love,” says Jones. “With these two business-minded under-40’s at the helm, who knows what the 70 acres and 10 million kg’s may turn into over the next five years?”

HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS PRODUCTION

Corne and Paul Moerman

PHOTO CREDIT: SUNNYSIDE PRODUCE.

INTERPRETING summer EC readings

Managing electrical conductivity in the summer – a case study in tomatoes.

BY DR. MOHYUDDIN MIRZA

COVID-19 has changed the way I do extension and diagnostics. Visiting greenhouses is almost impossible, so the use of digital methods has increased. However, when somebody sends photos to me, the answer is often not a simple ‘yes,’ it is a deficiency, toxicity or other reasons.

In this case study, the grower sent photos and mentioned leaf symptoms, which can be described as scorching, magnesium deficiency, mosaic, and puckering (see photo). The cluster set also had very weak, very pale flowers. Did you know that tomato plants produce three sets of leaves and one cluster per week? Under optimum light and temperature conditions, I have seen two leaves and one cluster as well. It all depends on plant energy balance. I asked the grower to send me information on feed and leach EC, the past week’s day and night temperatures, any sprays, and any other facts relating to location. It was pointed out that symptoms are more prevalent on the south side compared to the north side of the greenhouse. After a few more emails, I finally received the data on pH, EC, light, average temperatures, sprays and any other foliar applications.

It took two days to get the data summarized (see table on the right). This means that the grower was not keeping regular data and it had to be “dug out” for those days when symptoms appeared.

temperature is higher. As a result, plants take up more water for cooling and nutrients build up in the growing medium. Many growers put two drippers per plant on the south side.

ENSURING ACCURATE EC MEASUREMENTS

I think every grower should have a good quality pH and EC meter that is calibrated and maintained regularly. I have seen batteries that are not replaced in time, which may give incorrect readings. If you have a meter, then you must use it every day or at least every other day. EC is not just a reading of the electrical conductivity of a solution, it is a good tool for managing the fertility of your crops.

Many problems can be solved if regular data is recorded and monitored along with plant growth. Growers must also

The day and night temperatures and 24-hour averages were within the 18.5°C to 21°C range. I concluded that the EC was high in relation to light intensity and therefore created water stress related to high osmotic pressure. The roots’ uptake of water could not keep up with the transpiration demands of the leaves. We ruled out possible magnesium deficiency after reviewing the fertilizer program.

In this case study, the grower saw leaf symptoms like the photo above, accompanied by data on EC, pH and light levels summarized here.

Looking at the data, leach EC was higher on the south side of the greenhouse compared to the north side, even though the same nutrient solution was used. This happens because of relatively higher light levels on the south side of the greenhouse, and thus more water is transpired and the leaf

understand the “language” of the plants. Plants can tell you a lot of things, but you must be able to understand what they are trying to tell you. Happy plants vs. not-so-happy plants – we should be able to see it and comprehend it.

Simply stated, EC measures how well a liquid or fluid is conducting electrical current and is commonly reported in

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units such as Siemens, milliSiemens, millimhos, and micromhos/cm. All it is is a number, and we interpret what this number means – low, medium, or high – in relation to the crop and stage of growth.

WHY IS EC USEFUL?

Electrical conductivity measurements are very useful in greenhouse production, because:

• We can measure the EC of a solution easily and quickly using

affordable sensors.

• The EC is proportional to the total amount of fertilizer salts present in a solution. It is important to note that EC indicates the total amount of fertilizer ions (nitrogen, phosphorus, and so on) but does not differentiate between them.

• EC is not a substitute for conducting a full nutrient analysis to understand what is happening inside the plant.

• EC values can be used to create

stress on the plants to steer them in a vegetative or generative direction.

ARE THERE RECOMMENDED EC VALUES?

Recommended EC values change primarily with light conditions. The rule of thumb is, the higher the light, the lower the EC of the feed and leach solution. As an example with tomatoes, EC values for seedlings without supplemental light early in the season can be as high as 6 mmhos/cm. This is achieved by using potassium sulfate. This results in a very compact plant and better energy balance. If higher EC values are not used in growing seedlings, then under low light conditions, the seedling can stretch and result in a very weak plant.

Once the seedlings are planted in the greenhouse, then the EC of the feed solution is slowly brought down. Once the first fruit starts sizing up, then the EC values should be closer to 3.0 mmhos.

HOW TO INCREASE OR DECREASE EC

It is very important to remember how we increase or decrease EC in feed solutions. To decrease EC, most growers do it by increasing the injector dilution ratio. For example, if your standard ratio is 1:100, then the dial is set at 1:128 to dilute the nutrients, and thus EC goes down. The problem is that all the microelements will also be reduced and sometimes significantly. One element in particular is molybdenum. It is already in the smallest amounts and calculated to provide adequate levels at 1:100. When diluted to 1:128 it is reduced to deficient levels. Be aware of this point when reducing the EC.

To increase EC, my recommendation is to use potassium sulfate. Potassium is easily absorbed and stored in cells, and sulfates are highly leachable.

Going back to the original case study, I recommended that the grower start applying pH-adjusted water between noon and 4 pm when light levels are very high. Increasing overall leach percentage is also an option.

Take care this year. You are providing a valuable service in delivering fresh vegetables to consumers, and each kg/m2 is important.

Mohyuddin Mirza, PhD, is an industry consultant in Alberta. He can be reached at drmirzaconsultants@gmail.com

Thank you to our 2020 Event Sponsors Focus Greenouse Management Inc., AMA, Ball flora plant, Ball Superior, Benary, Berger, C French Ltd., Colonial, Concept Plastic, Darwin, DummenOrange, Ed Sobkowich Greenhouses, Express Seed, Florist Holland, George Sant and Sons, Green Fuse, Greenhouse Canada, JVK, Linwell Gardens, MGS/Plant Products, Orchard Park, PanAm, Proven Winners, Pottery Extravaganza, Sakata, Selecta, Sonnyside Flowers, Syngenta Flowers, Vacform, Vanden Bussche Irrigation

LES EXCEPTIONNELLES garner love at first sight

The public and experts have spoken. 11 varieties were named in the 2020 edition of Quebec’s Les Exceptionnelles program. Find out which made the cut.

BY ANNIE CHAMPAGNE

Decorative foliage, spectacular flowers and stunning vegetables: the 2020 selection of Les Exceptionnelles is a sight to behold! Whether you’re looking for volume, good varieties for a pollinator garden, or adding to your repertoire of mixed containers, this selection has it all.

The vegetable selection continues to flourish in 2020. In addition to the eight award-winning annuals, there are three winning vegetables chosen by experts. These varieties, some of which are created and distributed by small Quebec seed companies, will enrich the yard or balcony of many gardeners who grow their own vegetables and herbs at home.

For the past 15 years, Les Exceptionnelles has been Quebec’s

horticultural evaluation program. It is unique because it calls on the public to vote for their favourite plants. In 2019, more than 1.2 million visitors were once again able to admire the plants on trial in three major gardens: the Montreal Botanical Garden, the Roger-Van den Hende University Garden in Quebec City and the Daniel A. Séguin Garden in Saint-Hyacinthe. The varieties submitted were also rigorously evaluated for their general appearance, floridity, visual impact and resistance to insects and diseases. The winners gathered maximum public votes for their beauty, outstanding performance and ease of culture. These public choices were then evaluated by a selection committee made up of horticultural

experts and industry representatives to ensure technical performance and sufficient supply.

Let’s discover this year’s 11 winners.

ANNUALS

1. Artemisia mauiensis Makana Silver: This perennial plant, a Hawaiian shrub, should be grown as an annual in our climates, as it is hardy only in zones 9 to 11. Makana Silver is prized for its decorative silver-grey to silver-white, finely chiselled and silky foliage. Its leaves are very indented, somewhat like a fern. Its foliage is fragrant. It is suitable for container and soil cultivation in full sun and well-drained soil.

2. Begonia Viking XL Red on Chocolate: The Viking series is a group of hybrids that includes very large begonias. Viking XL Red on Chocolate has dark bronze foliage; its main attraction. In addition, it is covered with very bright red flowers. This selection is suitable for both container cultivation and landscaping, both in the sun and in semi-shade. However, its foliage will be darker in the sun. A 2019 All-America Selections winner.

3. Calibrachoa Superbells Watermelon Punch: Superbells Watermelon Punch is the latest addition to the highperformance Superbells series, with its tireless flowering of large, bicolour pink coral flowers and a blackish eye. Its flowers are highly prized by hummingbirds. No need to remove unsightly flowers, which fall off when they fade. To be grown in the sun.

4. Isotoma axillaris Patti’s Pink: In bloom, Patti’s Pink offers a multitude of pleasantly fragrant, star-shaped pink flowers that dot its beautiful dark green, slender and finely cut foliage. This little-known plant is easy to grow in fertile, cool soil. It is superb in landscape and is also very decorative in container arrangements.

5. Lantana camara Hot Blooded Red: The Hot Blooded Red cultivar is sterile, so it constantly produces clusters of medium-sized red flowers with orange tones for an uninterrupted show all summer long. The foliage gives off a

peppery scent like all its congeners. A must for those who want to attract pollinators and especially butterflies.

6. Nemesia fruticans Aromance Pink: In the sun, the foliage of the Aromance Pink cultivar disappears, without interruption, under a cloud of small, very delicate and very fragrant flowers gathered in bunches, which look like small orchid flowers. This plant is ideal for the edges of flowerbeds or to garnish container arrangements.

7. Petunia Shortcake Blueberry: The single flowers are marked by a purplish star on a white background without many variations in consistency. The plant forms a dense, drooping tuft, a cascade of flowers that are tightly packed together. The contrasting, vivid flowers of this cultivar bring a lot of dynamism to a hanging basket, a flowering pot and even to the edge of a flowerbed.

8. Solenostemon scutellarioides

Colorblaze Wicked Witch: This coleus is spectacular with its velvety burgundy,

almost chocolate leaves with delicately hemmed chartreuse borders. This cultivar is resistant to mildew. Colorblaze Wicked Witch can be grown in both sun and shade, but it is in the sun that it shows its best colours.

VEGETABLES

9. ‘Casperita’ pumpkin: This mini pumpkin is deeply ribbed and its white flesh is thick and soft. Its flavour is sweet. This pumpkin has a genetic tolerance to powdery mildew and is grown in full sun in rich but well-drained soil. It can be cultivated vertically in small spaces such as balconies.

10. ‘Green Doctor’s Frosted’ tomato: This cultivar is a cherry-type tomato. It produces bunches of six to ten small, bright green berries with transparent skin. The fruits being greenish, they escape the attention of squirrels, which is much appreciated by gardeners who are caught with this problem. The flesh is juicy and sweet, almost like candy.

11. ‘Slim Jim’ eggplant: The foliage of this eggplant, marked with purple or dark purple, makes it both ornamental and productive. This cultivar produces clusters of elongated, light purple fruit with a very thin skin. The sweet flavour of the flesh is highly appreciated. It is a winning plant grown in containers on a terrace, balcony or in the garden. Due to the special circumstances this year, you won’t be able to visit the

program’s three assessment gardens. Instead, we will post pictures and videos of the plants on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ LesExceptionnelles.ca. This way, you will still be able to see the plants and vote for your favourites! As usual, winners for next year will be determined at the end of the season and announced this fall. Maybe one of your favourites will make the cut!

Annie Champagne is the project manager for Les Exceptionnelles at Québec Vert (formerly FIHOQ, the Fédération interdisciplinaire de l’horticulture ornementale du Québec). She can be reached at annie.champagne@quebecvert.com.

WOOD CONTENT rises steadily in soilless media

Wood fibres and products aren’t just here to stay, but rising steadily in proportion within soilless mixes. How high can it go, and is it sustainable?

BY GRETA CHIU

Wood fibre isn’t the new kid on the block anymore.

As a component in growing media, wood fibre first emerged in Europe around the late 1970s, says North Carolina State University researcher Dr. Brian Jackson, who reveals that over 40 different wood fibre products have been developed since. But it wasn’t until 2005 that interest in wood fibre really picked up in North America.

“It truly has been remarkable to see where we are today,” Jackson says. Building a comprehensive research program almost entirely around this topic, he’s observed a steady rise in interest among growers, not only in the adoption of wood fibres, but in raising the proportion of wood content in mixes as well. This, he attributes to a number of key factors.

The first is what he calls the domino effect. Some of North America’s largest growers trialled these materials early on, and now have several years of success to show for it. “That gives other growers the confidence to try it,” he says.

The second factor is information. Whether communicated through trade publications, grower meetings or conference presentations, an expanding resource of readily accessible knowledge has coincided with the growing interest in wood fibres – each undoubtedly fuelling the other. Jackson says he has received phone calls and emails from over 140 individuals and substrate manufacturers from 13 countries on five continents, just in the past year alone.

WHAT STARTED ACROSS THE POND

For Europe, it was a different story. Rather than replacing perlite, growers were searching for a peat alternative.

“Places where they have used a lot of peat traditionally from Germany, the UK, Ireland – those areas were quickly becoming depleted because of the way that they harvest,” explains Jennifer Neujahr, director of horticulture at Profile Products. Tasked by European blenders to develop a wood-based peat alternative, the substrate manufacturer responded by introducing their HydraFiber wood fibre product around 10 years ago. At the time, European producers faced mounting pressure from retailers and consumers to dial back on peat content for sustainability reasons. It wasn’t long before North American blenders and growers showed interest in their product, just not for the same reasons.

Out of all the reasons however, cost is perhaps the number one driving factor. “Many, if not most of all wood products offer… a very competitive [or] cheaper alternative to traditional materials,” Jackson says. Compared to peat and perlite, wood has the potential to be more easily sourced and transported. While the vast majority of peat originates from Canada, perlite is primarily imported from Greece and the islands surrounding it. “That’s one of the reasons why perlite is the most expensive component in growing media.” By comparison, wood offers the properties of perlite at a fraction of the cost.

Canadian growers are happy with their peat, says Neujahr. The majority of their North American customers use their wood fibre products to replace perlite or coir – both of which can sometimes be difficult to source or lack consistency between batches. “Many of our growers were using the Cornell recipes, which were peat-lite in nature. Since our start, most of our customers have now evolved their blends to 70 per cent peat, 30 per cent HydraFiber. They’re taking away a bit of peat, coir or bark – it really depends on the customer and what their pain point is.”

NOT ALL WOOD PRODUCTS ARE EQUAL

One of the key advantages for using engineered wood fibre material is consistency. Whether it’s pH, EC, water retention or other properties, a factory-made product is more likely to deliver a consistent product time-after-time. However, the wood fibre

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With differing physical and chemical properties, wood fibre can behave very differently compared to peat.

ALL PHOTOS: PROFILE PRODUCTS.

must be engineered for that to hold true.

“The commercial suppliers, both in North America and in Europe…go through extensive quality control and quality assurance programs, similar to peat materials,” Jackson says, meaning the product is highly consistent from batch to batch, shipment to shipment. But like many other manufactured goods, not all wood products are created equal.

“There are about five different methods of making wood substrate products. Three are dominant,” he says. Of the three, two require the use of high precision machinery amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment costs. “It’s a very detailed, very specific process for how to engineer wood products into substrate material.”

One of the primary goals of Jackson’s research program at NCSU is to understand the different wood fibreprocessing techniques and to characterize the properties of those resulting products. “To date, I have acquired over two dozen wood products from around the world.”

Slight differences in processing can lead to different particle sizes, shapes and properties of the final product, so it’s critical that growers work with the manufacturer to figure out best practices for their product.

As to which products are superior, it really comes down to how the growers use them. “A good grower can take any wood material, as long as it’s not toxic, make it work well by modifying their production practices….I do not think one commercial product is at all superior to another.”

But one thing is for certain. Without the right experience or equipment, growers or independent wood manufacturers looking to create this wood fibre themselves could end up with

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Wood fibre is being incorporated to a greater degree in peat blends.

a subpar, or even deadly, product.

“Sawdust coming from a lumber mill … may be ‘commercial’ from a definition standpoint, but it’s not an engineered substrate material,” Jackson explains. Experienced commercial wood fibre manufacturers will remove inherent toxicities from fresh wood. Contained in freshly cut trees, compounds such as those responsible for the smell of pine can inhibit the growth of young seedlings and herbaceous plants. Growers or inexperienced manufacturers who make their own wood fibres with techniques that do not reduce those toxins could potentially lead to stunted crops.

The source of wood should be the same stock normally used for pulp or paper. “Materials from pruning, commercial waste, storm debris, lumber material for instance, those different wood types may not yield a consistent product,” Jackson explains. Treated, kiln-dried wood or other wood waste could harbour heavy metals or other unfavourable substances, making them unsuitable for growing media.

Currently, Jackson’s research team is tackling the topic of wood toxicity removal and how growers could use less costly equipment (hammer mills) to create suitable wood substrate products. Once accomplished, he expects the results will enable growers to collaborate on making wood products themselves during the off-season.

FINDING THE RIGHT PROPORTIONS

Private R&D lines can create custom blends for growers interested in trialling with their own products and in their own facilities. For Profile Products, each trial typically lasts for one and a half seasons, allowing them time to replicate results from the first season. “Every one of us has been taught in our horticulture classes that your mix is a peat-perlite base mix. Moving away from something that you’ve been taught is a big step,” says Neujahr, which is why their technical team works with the grower to determine the best inclusion rates to use and how.

Partnering with AgroNomix, they produced a specialized piece of equipment that will help fluff out their highly compressed wood fibre product,

allowing for more uniform blending with the base media of the substrate. For growers who are hesitant to acquire a new piece of machinery, the company has since released alternative products in skyscraper tower bale forms that are less compressed, but can be broken apart by a front end loader and are more easily flowable out of a hopper.

Aside from equipment, the education piece has been an important aspect of their service, says Neujahr. Proper watering technique is one of them. “Because HydraFiber has more water holding capacity, our customers typically tell us that they have to be more mindful of their watering. Some folks water less, some folks don’t change a thing, but they notice that their soil stays wet longer.” Neujahr has also found that their growers typically change up their irrigation strategy to be less frequent in the early part of the production season. “Then as the days get long and the temperatures warm up, they go back to their normal irrigation schedule.”

Because the wood fibre itself is fluffier than what growers may be used to, Neujahr says they work with growers to adjust their pot filling strategy. “Our product tends to dump out of hoppers rather than flow out of [them], so it takes a little bit of adjusting. Once you figure it out, typically you don’t have to adjust again.” To date, their growers have successfully incorporated wood fibre products from as little as 15 per cent, to as high as 100 per cent of their growing media.

Given the differing physical and chemical natures of wood fiber products, wood fibre mixes will not act in the same ways as those made with peat. As

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Growers are encouraged to conduct trials before switching mixes.

research reveals, the high air porosity and water retention – two advantages commonly touted for this type of substrate – can mean quicker surface drying even with sufficient water in the container, for instance. But once those quirks are mastered during trialling, growers may notice some advantages to incorporating wood fibres.

With their wood fibre product, Neujahr says their growers typically see better root development due to its higher water holding capacity and airspace. “Sometime they can see their liner crop time being sped up…better root penetration, less disease pressure, [and] better overall production results.”

THE FUTURE OF WOOD

15 years ago, Jackson’s PhD work and other horticultural research teams were exploring the possibility of growing entirely in wood substrates. Though relevant, the wood products used back then are not those offered today. Now, wood fibres are being added as a percentage of the substrate at 20 to 40 per cent.

Driven by grower success, economic advantages and a growing market presence, the future looks to be pushing wood fibre content higher and higher, but Jackson cautions against going too high too quickly. While he doesn’t see wood fibre replacing peat in North America, he’s noticed that peat producers are incorporating more of this substrate material into soilless peat mixes.

“Wood isn’t necessarily a threat, but it’s something that could be looked at as a marriage,” he says. “The future of wood and peat [together] will offer some exciting, new and highly innovative substrates for any grower using any type of growing system.” The same may not be true for perlite, however. “Unlike any other substrate additive or aggregate in the past that has been offered as an alternative to perlite, wood is different. I don’t think growers who switch from perlite to wood products will ever go back to using perlite.”

While some advocating against wood substrates may predict the decline of wood fibres or loss of market share to other materials, Jackson disagrees. “We are fortunate to have some of the greatest forest resources on earth,” he says. With Canada and the United States being two of the four most highly forested countries in the world, there are enough wood resources to handle horticulture’s needs for the foreseeable future.

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INSIDE VIEW

GARY JONES | Gary.Jones@kpu.ca

Learning in a post-COVID world

It’s time again to celebrate our ‘Top 4 Under 40’ –recognizing the best and the brightest in greenhouse horticulture. ‘Inside View’ previously looked at some of the virtues of these new industry leaders, who are invariably seen as being passionate, hardworking and innovative thinkers. At the other end of the career timeline, for those who’ve been in the industry somewhat longer, these industry stalwarts often demonstrate other great character traits: “Collaborative. Untiring. Tenacious. These are some of the adjectives that Brian Gilroy, president, Canadian Horticultural Council used to describe the four award winners at the 98th annual general meeting in Ottawa [March11].”1

All of these are soft skills – not something that can be taught really. Encouraged, nurtured, developed, yes, for sure. But not really ‘taught’, unless instilled by parents at a young age. When you’re hiring, you probably interview and ask questions to explore if an applicant demonstrates these skills that will help new employees ‘fit in’ and add value to your workplace. You’ll also probably be asking some questions to identify essential technical skills and workplace knowledge; those things that can typically be taught and learned.

We’re moving toward a ‘Post-COVID’ workplace. Or at the very least, a ‘managed COVID’ workplace. Likely a very different workplace. For new industry entrants, there may

have been. Or highlight that you just don’t have that one special tool needed. No matter how good though, they are often not as good as being shown in person by the mechanic, plumber or IT guru.

Last fall, I decided it was time I learned to do something completely different to my ‘norm’ to try to keep the grey matter working. So I picked up a musical instrument and joined a small beginners’ band. It’s great fun. It’s also really difficult. Really, really difficult. But the learning is made easier by having the teacher say ‘no, you need to adjust your fingers like this’, and then physically leaning in to adjust the way I hold the instrument. Being part of a physical group is also great for motivation and encouragement. The teacher works hard at making us practise during the week, as long as we practise correctly. I used to think that ‘practice makes perfect’, but she tells us that “practice makes permanent”2. She’s right – it’s really hard to change a bad habit, even after just a few weeks.

I’m not saying that distance or online learning is totally bad. There are some great situations where it is fabulous. But as I ponder the next generation of ‘Top 4 Under 40’ growers, I wonder how they are best going to learn, and just as importantly practise, the technical skills required, say, to twist a tomato plant, harvest a gerbera flower or accurately space out potted crops on a bench.

...there may well be much less hands-on practical training...

well be much less hands-on practical training in formal settings with class sizes of 20, 30, 40 students possibly unlikely. Schools and postsecondaries are having much discussion about ‘synchronous’ and ‘asynchronous’ online or distance delivery of instruction. And why not. After all, I bet you’ve all had something to do that you’ve not done before – fix that ‘thingy-mu-bob’ on the car, figure out some awkward piece of plumbing, do something on your computer or on your smart phone – and often times the first thing you do is check out YouTube for a six-minute clip that tells and shows you everything you need to know. Sometimes, these clips are great and are just what you need. Often times, they miss out on that one vital piece of information that would have made all the difference to how easy the job should

It goes without saying that our latest crop of winners (and all the nominees) have all kinds of technical and soft skills in abundance.

Likely learned hands-on from other people and practised (with adjustments) for years. In this new age of ‘Teams’, ‘Zoom’ and ‘Moodle’ remote learning, I wonder what the hands-on people connection is going to look like for our industry training. I think it’s going to need more, not less, connection and commitment to learning. To all the Top 4 Under 40’s, I hope you’re ready to do your bit of mentoring.

1 Karen Davidson, “Long-time leaders are honoured”, The Grower, April 2020.

2 Geeta Das, personal communication.

Gary Jones is a faculty member in the School of Horticulture at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Langley, BC. He sits on several industry committees and welcomes comments at Gary.Jones@kpu.ca.

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