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Technology Podcasts

Grow your best crop ever! Cultural and technical information for greenhouse professionals.

Location:

United States

Description:

Grow your best crop ever! Cultural and technical information for greenhouse professionals.

Language:

English


Episodes
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Finishing Amazing Vegetative Coleus ft. Josh Henry

11/27/2024
Ball Technical Services specialist Josh Henry joins host Bill Calkins to take vegetative coleus to the finish line as part of the Tech On Demand series covering crop culture for key annuals and perennials. From transplanting and pinching to selecting media and producing for a range of finished container sizes, there are certainly best practices to follow when growing coleus. Josh covers all of this and more, including nutrition, light, temperature and PGRs to help you create a winning production plan. Then he touches on pest and disease management with an emphasis on reducing risks associated with coleus downy mildew. Resources: VIDEO: https://youtu.be/cVbRSj7K7dM GrowerTalks PGR Guide: https://www.growertalks.com/pdf/PGR_GUIDE_2023-24_Annuals.pdf e-GRO Coleus Disorder Guide: https://www.e-gro.org/pdf/2022-11-06.pdf

Duration:00:13:45

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Vegetative Coleus Propagation BMPs ft. Josh Henry

11/25/2024
Ball Technical Services specialist Josh Henry joins host Bill Calkins to share best management practices for propagating vegetative coleus from unrooted cuttings as part of the Tech On Demand series covering crop culture for key annuals and perennials. From receiving, prioritizing and handling through all stages up until transplant, Josh is going to help you reduce risk and produce top-quality liners. Resources: VIDEO: https://youtu.be/G32TupPcTF4 e-GRO Coleus Disorder Guide: https://www.e-gro.org/pdf/2022-11-06.pdf Avoiding Diseases in Propagation: https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=24435

Duration:00:11:03

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Growing F1 Anemone Gemstone from Seed ft. Bob Croft

11/19/2024
In this comprehensive discussion covering a key cut flower, Ball Seed’s cut flower business manager Joan Mazat and Sakata Seed America’s product technical manager Bob Croft discuss F1 Anemone Gemstone (seed-raised anemone) and share tips and tricks for selecting and producing top-quality crops. Bob shares his experience with this F1 seed series—from germination to transplant and on to finishing and post-harvest care. He helps cut flower growers and flower farmers manage all factors of plant growth (light, water, nutrition, temperature and gas exchange), offers strategies for controlling pests and diseases and explains the benefits of starting anemone from seeds versus corms. RESOURCES: Anemone Gemstone from Sakata: https://sakataornamentals.com/plantname/gemstone/ Ball CutFlowers: https://www.ballseed.com/cutflowers/ Tools from Ball CutFlowers (presentations & literature, market trends, videos, podcasts, Dave’s newsletter, industry resources): https://www.ballseed.com/cutflowers/Resources/

Duration:00:27:52

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Stay Hydrated: The Key to Uniform Rooting of URCs

11/13/2024
Ball Technical Services specialist and culture research manager, Dr. Nathan Jahnke, joins Tech On Demand host Bill Calkins to share research-based best practices for rehydrating unrooted cuttings before sticking. Cuttings can (and will) lose water at multiple points in the supply chain—arriving at greenhouses dehydrated by as much as 20%. As soon as harvest occurs, dehydration begins and although offshore farms have greatly improved harvest and handling processes in recent years, your young plants go through a lot before they land on your benches, ready to grow. Wilted cuttings can negatively impact production from the earliest stages, resulting in shrink and losses. Dr. Jahnke walks growers through potential dehydration points in the supply chain and the challenges that result from dehydrated cuttings before explaining why water loss occurs and some of the ways farms are working to improve cutting hydration and handling. Then he moves quickly into ways growers can rehydrate cuttings before sticking, from good (misting) to better (dipping) to best (fogging) practices. From arrival to inspection and staging, protocols are offered to help production teams manage cuttings effectively. RESOURCES Article: Tech On Demand Best Management Practices for URC Hydration https://ballseed.com/PDF/TechOnDemand-URC-Hydration.pdf Article: Rehydrating Unrooted Cuttings https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=26603 Article: Tips for Rooting Difficult or Slow-to-Root Cuttings https://www.e-gro.org/pdf/2020_904.pdf Article: Swish-Swish—Dipping Unrooted Vegetative Cuttings to Reduce Incoming Pest Populations https://www.e-gro.org/pdf/2024-13-05.pdf Article: Improve Your Success with Unrooted Cuttings https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=24307 Article: Stick & Die—How to Avoid It https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=25582 Article: Tech On Demand Poinsettia URC Action Guide https://ballseed.com/documents/Poinsettia-URC-Shipping-Performance-ActionGuide.pdf Video Playlist: The Importance of Vapor Pressure Deficit https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8NX3KFjAfBn48BahYB5oaQpfb-jRy_3C&si=DXEDmuI0lNLxeq4K Video Playlist: BMPs to Enhance Rooting Uniformity https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8NX3KFjAfBkUFpE72nX37ByIG9mjqg_o&si=giBR0RLmBDPd4cAO

Duration:00:45:10

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Oil-Based Pesticide Solutions ft. Emily from Kemin Industries

10/31/2024
This episode is all about a cutting-edge approach to insect and disease control—the use of botanical oil-based pesticides within IPM programs. Host Bill Calkins is joined by the director of research and development with the crop technologies division at Kemin Industries, Emily Fuerst. Emily is a highly accomplished scientist with more than 15 years’ experience merging science with agricultural insights to drive innovation across product categories and her passion for insects and expertise in the science of essential oils has led to the launch of a wide range of products responding to grower needs and agriculture challenges. In this episode, the conversation starts by getting to know Kemin, a family-owned company operating since the 1960s producing science-based ingredients found in the food we eat and supplements we use, as well as nutrition for healthy livestock, poultry, aquaculture and more. Since about 2018, Kemin has been focusing a lot on our industry, bringing innovative solutions to the greenhouse and nursery markets. As Emily and Bill move into the topic of oil-based biopesticides, you’ll learn why essential oils have the potential to keep pests and diseases under control while minimizing the use of standard chemical pesticides in an IPM program, all supported by scientific trials and success stories. Research and application show these products not only prevent or control greenhouse pests and disease to the same or greater levels compared to conventional chemistries but can be much safer for workers with low to no REI. Some of Kemin’s leading products such as Romivex DIP (contact miticide and insecticide ideal for cuttings dips), PathoCURB (thyme-oil based fungicide and bactericide) and TetraCURB (miticide-insecticide for TSSM and soft-bodied insects) can not only prevent and solve common greenhouse problems but also extend the effectiveness of conventional chemistries when used in IPM programs and rotations. It's truly a fun and informative conversation, so be sure to listen all the way to the end! RESOURCES: Kemin Crop Technologies: https://www.kemin.com/na/en-us/markets/crop-tech Kemin’s Greenhouse & Nursery Products: https://www.kemin.com/na/en-us/markets/crop-tech/greenhousenurserysolutions Kemin Team Blog: https://www.kemin.com/na/en-us/blog/crop-tech LinkedIn—Kemin Crop Technologies: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/kemin-crop-technologies/

Duration:00:30:00

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Finishing Stunning Seed Coleus with Dr. Will Healy

10/24/2024
Retired Ball technical manager Dr. Will Healy joins host Bill Calkins to share protocols for finishing seed-raised coleus as part of the Tech On Demand series covering crop culture for key annuals and perennials. From media selection and nutrition to water, light and temperature, finishing crops requires careful attention to avoid losses and send high quality product out the door on time. Will is going to help reduce your risk in this process.

Duration:00:38:32

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Finishing High Quality Seed Begonias with Dr. Will Healy

10/22/2024
Retired Ball technical manager Dr. Will Healy joins host Bill Calkins to share protocols for finishing seed-raised begonias (semperflorens and interspecific) as part of the Tech On Demand series covering crop culture for key annuals and perennials. From media selection and nutrition to water, light and temperature, finishing crops requires careful attention to avoid losses and send high quality product out the door on time. Will is going to help reduce your risk in this process. VIDEO: Achieving Uniformity in Begonia Germination VIDEO: Training Your Team to Water Properly More Tech On Demand Videos on YouTube

Duration:00:32:19

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All About Sunfinity with Dr. Jamie Gibson

10/8/2024
Syngenta Flowers’ Dr. Jamie Gibson joins host Bill Calkins to discuss just about everything you need to know when producing amazing crops of both Sunfinity Yellow Dark Center (from seeds or plugs) and Sunfinity Double (from unrooted cuttings or liners). This sunflower broke into the industry as a gamechanger not long ago and after multiple years wowing shoppers at retail and in landscape installations, the Syngenta team debuted Double Sunfinity at California Spring Trials this year. Yellow Dark Center and Double are very different crops—from their form (seed vs. vegetative) and how they need to be produced. Dr. Gibson discusses both in detail, including all of the nuances for growers to remember when adding these sunflowers to the mix. Jamie shares research-based tips and tricks for scheduling, culture and production, positioning for optimal sales during three seasons and even gives a sneak peek into what’s coming next in the Sunfinity lineup. The team at Syngenta has conducted extensive research and trials with Sunfinity and you’ll definitely benefit from all of this work, so be sure to listen all the way to the end of this discussion to set your team up for success. RESOURCES: Sunfinity—The Next Generation of Sunflowers: https://www.syngentaflowers-us.com/portfolios/sunfinity Sunfinity Inspiration: https://mysunfinity.com/ GrowerTalks PGR Guide for Annuals: https://www.growertalks.com/pdf/PGR_GUIDE_2023-24_Annuals.pdf

Duration:00:51:02

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Growing Cut Flower Dahlias from URC with Dr. Alicain Carlson

10/1/2024
Syngenta Flowers’ Dr. Alicain Carlson joins host Bill Calkins to discuss some key components of successful cut flower dahlia programs when starting from unrooted cuttings (URCs). Traditionally, most dahlia crops have been started from tubers, which were dug up and stored each year before replanting. Now, with beautiful dahlias available from URC, many growers are taking advantage of the benefits that come from this form of production. When buying from a reputable supplier, these inputs are virus and disease free with excellent uniformity across the crop, as well as simplified scheduling and potential cost savings. Dr. Carlson digs into the pros and cons of stating from URCs, as well as highlighting some key varieties in the Syngenta Flowers portfolio before moving into culture and production strategies. Here's what you’ll learn throughout the discussion: SYNGENTA FLOWERS CUT FLOWER ASSORTMENT & CULTURE GUIDES: https://www.syngentaflowers-us.com/cutflowers

Duration:00:39:11

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Augmentative Biological Control with Dr. Carlos Bográn

9/11/2024
This episode supplements information shared in the past two editions of the GrowerTalks Biosolutions Guide that was released in June 2023 and 2024—a popular grower tool intended to help professional growers stay up to date on the latest research into biosolutions, as well as trialed and tested products and strategies. Many greenhouse owners, growers and IPM managers are moving down the path of softer, more sustainable pest and disease control tactics but continue to use traditional or synthetic chemicals, as well as bio-based products and beneficials or biological control agents. It is this conjunctive approach and the compatibility knowledge required that provides the basis for host Bill Calkins to talk to this episode’s special guest. Dr. Carlos Bográn wrote two well received articles for our first Biosolutions Guide—Using Bioinsecticides in your Greenhouse and Using Bioinsecticides in Conjunction with Biocontrol Agents—and now he joins the podcast to dig much deeper into these topics. Carlos and Bill also discuss high-tech new research findings, different ways to approach pest population management, how the economics of biosolutions has evolved, the current state of the market and new, cutting-edge products becoming available. Resources: GrowerTalks Biosolutions Guide—1st Edition: https://www.growertalks.com/pdf/Biosolutions_Guide_2023.pdf GrowerTalks Biosolutions Guide—2nd Edition: https://www.growertalks.com/pdf/BioSolutions_Guide_0624.pdf OHP, Inc.: https://www.ohp.com/ OHP Regional Technical Sales Managers: https://www.ohp.com/Company/sales_regions.php OHP Literature & Recipes for Success: https://www.ohp.com/Literature/ OHP Chemical Class Chart: https://www.ohp.com/Literature/pdf/OHP_Chemical_Class_Chart.pdf OHP Product Guide: https://www.ohp.com/Literature/pdf/OHP_Chemical_Class_Chart.pdf

Duration:00:40:08

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Perennial Problem Children

8/27/2024
Host Bill Calkins is joined on this Tech On Demand Rewind episode by Darwin Perennials’ General Manager Karl Batschke to take you through some new ways to better produce some of the latest and greatest perennial genetics. But he didn’t talk about the easy ones. Instead, Karl addressed some of the more challenging crops and also newer crops that require different cultural and technical regimes. Let’s call them “Perennial Problem Children”. And like a good guidance counselor, Karl treated each one as an individual and created a custom plan to maximize their potential so you can achieve the results you want—your best crops ever. But since Bill had Karl on the hook for 40 minutes, he asked him plenty of questions about the market for perennials, what he was seeing and hearing in his travels pre-2020 and thoughts and predictions for the future, which since this conversation is almost 6 years old … could be what we’re experiencing today! Darwin Perennials Resources: https://www.darwinperennials.com/

Duration:00:45:57

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Audio Files: Testing Nursery Media

8/13/2024
TESTING NURSERY MEDIA FROM THE AUGUST 2024 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE WRITTEN BY LYNN GRIFFITH NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS EXCERPT: Don’t just grab a containerized plant and call that a sample. We like to think of our potting media and fertilizers being perfectly uniform. The truth is they are not. Take about eight to 10 subsamples for each media sample you wish to collect, whether testing in house or at an outside lab. Insert the soil probe from top to bottom of the soil profile. Give the soil probe a twist with your wrist in order to bite into the soil a little bit, sort of a figure 8. This gives you a nice full profile of soil in the probe. If you just stick the soil into the media and pull it out, you won’t get a full tube of soil, especially if the media is dry. Tap each subsample into the bucket. Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—August 2024: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_24_08/index.aspx

Duration:00:09:01

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Critical Chemistries (Recorded Live at Cultivate ’24) with JC Chong

7/31/2024
Joining host Bill Calkins live on the show floor at American Hort’s Cultivate ’24 event, Dr. JC Chong dives deep into a few new products from SePRO, recent research findings and why some chemistries offer more benefits than meets the eye. JC is the Technical Development Manager at SePRO following an extensive academic career that includes a BS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Arizona, graduate training at the University of Georgia, post-doctoral training at the University of Florida and a professorship at Clemson University. With almost 20 years in the turf and ornamental industry, he’s now leading SePRO’s ornamental R&D program, delivering innovative solutions to complex problems. He’s also the editor of the popular PestTalks e-newsletter and a frequent contributor to GrowerTalks! In this fun and informational episode, JC and Bill chat about the 2024 season, Thrips parvispinus and what pests and diseases are impacting fall annuals, perennials and holiday crops now before moving into some new products SePRO has introduced in the past year. Bill learns a new word, “symbiont”, and the science behind why a PGR like Topflor is showing visible plant quality benefits in production. JC shares some reasons all growers should consider adding the fungicide Obtego to the toolbox and then shares exactly why SePRO’s new StriCore herbicide is a true breakthrough. It’s not often that we see new active ingredients enter the pre-emergent herbicide market, so it makes sense turf and nursery growers are excited about this one. Be sure to listen all the way to the end because when a podcast is recorded face-to-face, you never know what to expect. RESOURCES: SePRO’s Science-Based Solutions: https://www.sepro.com/ SePRO Ornamental Products: https://www.sepro.com/hort Thrips parvispinus Rotation Guide: https://sepro.com/media/3924/thrips-rotation-guide.pdf Topflor PGR: https://sepro.com/hort/topflor-liquid Obtego Fungicide & Plant Symbiont: https://sepro.com/hort/obtego StriCore Herbicide: www.StriCoreHerbicide.com

Duration:00:27:22

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Growing Lisianthus: Everything You Need to Know

7/14/2024
In this comprehensive episode covering a key cut flower, Ball Seed’s cut flower business manager Joan Mazat and Sakata Seed America’s product technical manager Bob Croft join host Bill Calkins to discuss Lisianthus and share tips and tricks for selecting and producing top-quality crops. You’ll quickly realize that Bob has tremendous knowledge about and experience with Lisianthus, as he walks greenhouse growers and flower farmers through the ins and outs of the crop—from site preparation and proper classification/grouping to managing all factors of plant growth (light, water, nutrition, temperature and gas exchange) and controlling pests and diseases. Bob wraps up with harvesting protocols, post-harvest strategies and storage tips before he and Joan share some of their favorite series and why Lisianthus is a cut flower favorite. Resources: Ball Seed Cut Flower Programs: https://www.ballseed.com/cutflowers/ Sakata Cut Flower Technical Sheets: https://sakataornamentals.com/resources/

Duration:00:55:16

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Biosolutions in 2024 (Part Two) ft. Koppert’s Jeremy Webber

7/10/2024
In this conversational Tech On Demand podcast two-part episode, host Bill Calkins and his guest Jeremy Webber cover an extremely popular topic these days, biosolutions, in a way that showcases Jeremy’s experience as a grower and as a trusted biocontrols advisor who’s worked with greenhouses of all sizes (growing a wide range of crops from edibles to ornamentals to cannabis and more) to develop and implement biological crop protection programs. As crop team manager at Koppert US, Jeremy works with experienced teams in the field and in the lab and has a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience in modern integrated pest management (IPM) strategies that he shares over the course of two podcast episodes. Be sure to listen to Part One before hitting play on the second part because they go together. Bill and Jeremy start episode one discussing the history of Koppert and its 50+-year history of innovation, as well as the company’s vision for 100% sustainable agriculture, before moving on to why biosolutions are on just about every greenhouse professional’s mind and why more are considering bios every year. Then Bill jumps into some rapid-fire questions based on discussions with growers and some most asked questions—like when to use bios versus conventional pesticides and how costs line up between the two. Throughout the first part, Jeremy considers why he (as a former grower) feels biological approaches are critical for our industry’s future, the importance of trust when partnering with a biosolutions supplier, some examples of success moving the industry forward and why bios are a sustainable strategy for any greenhouse operation. In the second part, Jeremy and Bill dive into some more tactical topics like “gateway” pests to start approaching with biological controls, some favorite predators, unexpected lessons learned from the cannabis side of the industry and why “trials” is possibly not the best word to use when implementing biosolutions on a small scale. Since Jeremy has plenty of greenhouse production experience, Bill asks him for some absolute no-brainer ways that biocontrol strategies can be implemented into any greenhouse immediately—with just-about-guaranteed results. Before closing, Jeremy and Bill chat a bit about what biosolutions in horticulture will look like in the future and why the market is in the right place at the right time. Jeremy also shares a couple quick tips for application and release best practices for biocontrols from his article in the 2024 GrowerTalks Biosolutions Guide (find a link to the digital version below.) RESOURCES: 2024 GrowerTalks Biosolutions Guide: https://www.growertalks.com/pdf/BioSolutions_Guide_0624.pdf Koppert U.S.: https://www.koppertus.com/ Koppert Consultants & Locations: https://www.koppertus.com/about-koppert/koppert-consultants-and-locations/ Koppert Crop Protection Products: https://www.koppertus.com/crop-protection/

Duration:00:42:35

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Biosolutions in 2024 (Part One) ft. Koppert’s Jeremy Webber

7/9/2024
In this conversational Tech On Demand podcast two-part episode, host Bill Calkins and his guest Jeremy Webber cover an extremely popular topic these days, biosolutions, in a way that showcases Jeremy’s experience as a grower and as a trusted biocontrols advisor who’s worked with greenhouses of all sizes (growing a wide range of crops from edibles to ornamentals to cannabis and more) to develop and implement biological crop protection programs. As crop team manager at Koppert US, Jeremy works with experienced teams in the field and in the lab and has a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience in modern integrated pest management (IPM) strategies that he shares over the course of two podcast episodes. Be sure to listen to Part One before hitting play on the second part because they go together. Bill and Jeremy start episode one discussing the history of Koppert and its 50+-year history of innovation, as well as the company’s vision for 100% sustainable agriculture, before moving on to why biosolutions are on just about every greenhouse professional’s mind and why more are considering bios every year. Then Bill jumps into some rapid-fire questions based on discussions with growers and some most asked questions—like when to use bios versus conventional pesticides and how costs line up between the two. Throughout the first part, Jeremy considers why he (as a former grower) feels biological approaches are critical for our industry’s future, the importance of trust when partnering with a biosolutions supplier, some examples of success moving the industry forward and why bios are a sustainable strategy for any greenhouse operation. In the second part, Jeremy and Bill dive into some more tactical topics like “gateway” pests to start approaching with biological controls, some favorite predators, unexpected lessons learned from the cannabis side of the industry and why “trials” is possibly not the best word to use when implementing biosolutions on a small scale. Since Jeremy has plenty of greenhouse production experience, Bill asks him for some absolute no-brainer ways that biocontrol strategies can be implemented into any greenhouse immediately—with just-about-guaranteed results. Before closing, Jeremy and Bill chat a bit about what biosolutions in horticulture will look like in the future and why the market is in the right place at the right time. Jeremy also shares a couple quick tips for application and release best practices for biocontrols from his article in the 2024 GrowerTalks Biosolutions Guide (find a link to the digital version below.) RESOURCES: 2024 GrowerTalks Biosolutions Guide: https://www.growertalks.com/pdf/BioSolutions_Guide_0624.pdf Koppert U.S.: https://www.koppertus.com/ Koppert Consultants & Locations: https://www.koppertus.com/about-koppert/koppert-consultants-and-locations/ Koppert Crop Protection Products: https://www.koppertus.com/crop-protection/

Duration:00:39:07

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Audio Files: Best Management Practices for Unrooted Cuttings

7/2/2024
BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR UNROOTED CUTTINGS FROM THE NOVEMBER 2022 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE WRITTEN BY JULIE MARTENS FORNEY NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS EXCERPT: When delays are excessive, cuttings experience moisture loss, low carbohydrates and possible pathogen development. In some species, ethylene sensitivity increases as carbohydrate levels drop. If cuttings are stressed due to shipping delays, you might see dropping leaves, leaf yellowing or death, dead growing tips or disease. Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—November 2022: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_22_11/index.aspx

Duration:00:10:22

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Success with Poinsettias (Part 2)

6/26/2024
You may or may not know that before this podcast, Bill Calkins hosted another one called STEM: Insider Tips for Greenhouse Pros and although the technology was different, the topics were important and the guests were top-notch. Every now and then, he’ll jump back in time and re-release a STEM episode. In this Tech On Demand Podcast Rewind, we’re wrapping up a 2-part Rewind miniseries on poinsettias. You’ll recognize the guests—now-retired Ball Seed Technical Manager Dr. Will Healy tackled the early stages of poinsettia production in part one and now we’ll hear from Dr. Todd Cavins (former Ball Seed tech guru, now taking his talents to PanAmerican Seed) to take everyone’s favorite seasonal crop to the finish line. Dr. Todd Cavins is back to finish up our two-part episode on poinsettias. Part 1 kicked off the topic last episode focusing on nutrition, explaining that when it comes to poinsettias, if you have the nutrition right, most of your problems will be greatly reduced. If you haven’t listened to that episode yet, we suggest stopping this one and going back in the archives to Success with Poinsettias (Part 1). If you have listened, great! Todd is going to pick up where Will left off and wrap the topic up by covering tools for height measurement and management, as well as pest monitoring and control strategies. Somewhere around weeks 39 or 40 are critical junctures for this important crop and as Todd tells us, it’s transition and adjustment time and he’s going to share knowledge, tips and tricks to help you make the most of your poinsettia crop, how to use a new graphical tracking tool available from Ball Seed, determining your optimal PGR regime and even some postharvest tricks to maximize sell through at retail. We have a lot to cover this time and Todd certainly lives up to the challenge. Resources: EC Monitor: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VVVEUI?pf_rd_p=2edffb5d-036e-4cd0-bc77-99980e2d4856&pf_rd_r=0BYNK2B0GCMMRYBKW6K9 Selecta One Poinsettia Catalog (Culture Guides on Page 43): https://www.selectanorthamerica.com/documents/SEL_2024_Poinsettia_Catalog_23620850.pdf Ball Seed Poinsettia Growth Tracker Tool: https://www.ballseed.com/CatalogsBrochures/#digital-tools

Duration:00:40:28

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Success with Poinsettias (Part 1)

6/24/2024
You may or may not know that before this podcast, Bill Calkins hosted another one called STEM: Insider Tips for Greenhouse Pros and although the technology was different (old school mic, Skype, all sorts of file converting …) the topics were important and the guests were top-notch. Once every couple weeks, we’ll jump back in time and re-release a STEM episode. In this Tech On Demand Podcast Rewind, we’re kicking off a 2-part Rewind miniseries on poinsettias. You’ll recognize the guests—now-retired Ball Seed Technical Manager Dr. Will Healy tackles the early stages of poinsettia production in this episode and hands it off to Dr. Todd Cavins to finish the crop in part two. In this first part, Dr. Healy takes a deep dive into Nutrition. As he explains, when it comes to poinsettias, if you have the nutrition right, most of your problems will be greatly reduced. We start with an overview of the importance of monitoring EC and pH and quickly get into the nitty gritty details of how to approach feeding your crop, the benefits of front-loading fertilizer and even why withholding feed is a bad strategy. Will does a great job explaining how your feeding decisions impact the EC of the crop, as well as how feed leads to excellent or poor crop presentation at retail. If you are wondering what to do if EC starts to creep up, be sure to listen all the way to the end. We also spend time on pH and what can be gained by staying in the optimal 5.8 to 6.2 range. One of the most applicable parts of this episode is Dr. Healy’s explanation of how to determine crop needs based on the size of leaves on the plant and how you can effectively measure them using your two hands! As we wrap the episode up, Will talks about watering and shares some poinsettia specific watering strategies. As mentioned before, you are going to want to listen this one all the way to the end. And also, share it with your entire poinsettia team because when you’re all on the same page, good things will happen. Resources: EC Monitor: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VVVEUI?pf_rd_p=2edffb5d-036e-4cd0-bc77-99980e2d4856&pf_rd_r=0BYNK2B0GCMMRYBKW6K9 Selecta One Poinsettia Catalog (Culture Guides on Page 43): https://www.selectanorthamerica.com/documents/SEL_2024_Poinsettia_Catalog_23620850.pdf Ball Seed Poinsettia Growth Tracker Tool: https://www.ballseed.com/CatalogsBrochures/#digital-tools

Duration:00:53:31

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Audio Files: How to Deep Clean Your Website

6/13/2024
HOW TO DEEP CLEAN YOUR WEBSITE FROM THE NOVEMBER 2022 ISSUE OF GREEN PROFIT MAGAZINE WRITTEN BY KATIE ELZER-PETERS NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS EXCERPT: … it’s time to deep clean your website and really look hard at what works, what doesn’t, what you never got around to and what needs to change to keep up with new security risks, altered consumer behavior and the prevailing economic winds. Read the digital edition of Green Profit Magazine—November 2022: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gp_22_11/index.aspx

Duration:00:09:07