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OFA Bulletin Sept/Oct 2009 : Page 1September/October 2009 • Number 917 in greenhouses. Cultural management involves properly implementing irrigation and fertility practices as well as practicing good sanitation. Sanitation, which includes routine removal of plant material, growing medium debris, and weeds, is an important (perhaps the most important) component of any pest management program in greenhouses. Stringent implementation of sanitation practices will help to alleviate problems and prevent outbreaks of pests and diseases. Plant Debris Many plant pathogens (fungi and bacteria) are well suited for survival in plant and growing medium (or soil) debris. Sanitation: Keep It Clean To Keep The “Bugs” Away! C by Raymond Cloyd ultural management is often recommended as the “first line of defense” in avoiding insect, mite, and disease problems For example, the common root rot fungal pathogens such as Rhizoctonia and Pythium will use dead leaves, roots, and other plant debris as a nutrient source. Furthermore, these fungi produce microscopic, thick-walled resting structures that allow them to survive in growing medium particulates (or soil) on the greenhouse floor, shoes, and the tools used by workers. If growing medium (or soil) or plant material debris containing any of these fungi comes into contact with susceptible plant roots, an infection by the disease may occur. As such, it is Continued on page 6 having great looking plants, what more can you do in the spring, and year-round, to better market flowering plants? Color Sells, But What More Can I Do? E by Bridget K. Behe very customer loves to see and buy colorful plants. In fact, they far outsell green plants by leaps and bounds. Besides Try Color Blocking Color blocking was a hot merchandising trend in spring 2009, and you can look for it to grow and build next year. Color blocking (Figure 1 page 9) is grouping plants by their flower color, not by their life cycle (annual, biennial, perennial) or alphabetized Latin name. It is a merchandising technique that groups plants of a similar color (red, white, yellow, orange) on Inside this Edition... Sanitation: Keep It Clean To Keep The “Bugs” Away! 1 Color Sells, But What More Can I Do? Plant Civic Pride and Elevate Your Industry 1 2 Do Cooler Production Temperatures Save Money? 4 OFA Member Spotlight: Kelly Staats 11 Career Management for the Family Business Grower CEO A Declining pH Problem With Geraniums Creating Excellence in Interiorscaping with One Minute Maintenance™ 12 15 20 In-House pH and Electrical Conductivity Measurements in Soilless Substrates Ask the Doctor: “Outside the Chemical Sprayer” Disease Management Trials Perennial Secrets Revealed at the 2009 OFA Perennial Production Conference OFA News 22 26 27 31 one bench. Some retailers even went a step further and painted the display bench with that color. Putting yellow-flowering plants on a bright yellow bench certainly attracts some attention. If you incorporate some empty ceramic containers, elevated so they become a highlight of the display, then you have a compelling display of color. Want to spice it up even more? Why not put complementary colors (opposites on the color wheel) next to Continued on page 9 Publication List |
