Plug Connection

This is always a nice stop because Plug Connection is always taking chances to bring new and interesting products from the fringe to the mainstream. They told me we will be getting a full catalog for this next year, which will be great as they carry a full product line plus many unique items to fill the box with.
Oxalis Allure
Saw these at the MSU garden in Lansing this past summer and they looked really nice, but I didn't know where we could source them from. They look and perform exactly the same if not a bit better than the PW Charmed series, plus it is a less expensive input too.







Mighty-Mato
Grafted Heirloom Tomato. We were told that this program was in today's issue of the Wall Street Journal... Not to shabby. I am starting to buy the hype. This is a really expensive input at $2+ for a 102 liner. But this gives you all the heirloom varieties with unmatched size, vigor and yield.




PC promised me that they are not using Umpa-Lumpa labor to do these tiny grafts, but I have no clue how anybody could be this delicate. I struggle buttoning the cuffs on my shirts.




Make sure you plant the graft above the soil line!!! Or the scion will send out stem roots and the benefit of the special root stock will be eliminated.
These gallon pots are 5 weeks planted from a 102 liner. With a good marketing message this should be a $12 retail gallon.



Landscape Gerbera Everglades
Not a huge market, but caught my eye.



That's my hand. These flowers are huge!



Food: Blueberry Nutrigrain Bar

Ecke

Our first stop on our first day. Ecke met us with a great assortment of of breakfast treats and big smiles. They changed the layout of their event and focused on lifestyle settings of plantings and it worked very nicely.
In the past two years I haven't got too excited at this stop, but their new Arcadia begonia series was quite impressive. This vegetative series is bred by Benary and looks to be a different take on their Illumination begonia series from seed. The new Arcadia has much larger and more doubled blooms and they seem to be more evenly dispersed throughout the plant as well. The other change is that while it still has a trailing habit, it seems to be better branched and at least at this age of plant growth, not as trailing. This is a good feature as Illuminations are almost impossible to ship on racks, and a bugger for customers to bring home in their car without breaking them either.











The other interesting new item was a coleus with a compact habit called Tempest.



Food: Strawberry Yogurt Parfait, Banana Nut Muffin

Pack Trials 2012

It is that time of year again. I can't believe how quick time flies.

Please check back each day for the next 4 days as I will update that day's visits with pictures and notes.

On this blog I will be focusing on top new products that catch my eye, but by the end of the trip I will have accumulated many hundred of photos. When we meet this summer for booking spring 2013, we can look over all the new intros together then.

Please trust that I will be sharing my honest opinion of the new varieties and not just regurgitating a line of marketing speak. I am well aware that I am held accountable for the recommendations and evaluations that I make.

I will hold final judgment on all these new products until I see them at multiple trials this summer... Anything can look good in California, but if it can hold up to a muggy Midwest summer, that is a completely different achievement.

Enjoy and get excited for 2013!!
Nathan

Detroit Grower Clinic- Videos & Presentations

What a great day!  We had 46 growers in attendance and all four speakers did a wonderful job.

As I promised, I video taped each presentations and uploaded them, so others not able to attend can watch.  Along with the videos to watch, I have posted their presentation slides too.  I think you will want to print them out to follow along with their talk.

Thank you for everyone participating, and I am already thinking about how to make next years clinic ever better.  From a great request, next year I will apply to MDA to try and have this event qualify for spray credits.  Any other ideas for topics or suggestions are appreciated.

Jim Kennedy
Ball FloraPlant- Vegetative Production
Jkennedy@ballhort.com
Presentation Power Point File
Video:
Part 1 of 3
Part 2 of 3
Part 3 of 3

Jerry Gorchels
PanAmerican Seed- Seeded Production
*note*Impatiens Downy Mildew presentation was note videotaped
Jgorchels@panamseed.com
Presentation Power Point File
Video:
Part 1 of 1

Ed Higgins
Ball Mums- Mum Production
Ehiggins@ballhort.com
Presentation Power Point File
Mum Grid Excel File
Celosia extra Power Point File
Video:
Part 1 of 3
Part 2 of 3
Part 3 of 3

Carly Kelly & Huub Kemmere
MGS Horticulture- Biological Controls
 Carly@mgshort.com Huub@mgshort.com
Presentation Power Point File
Video:
Part 1 of 2
Part 2 of 2

Ball Field Days 2012- Save the Date

I showed this save the date at the Grower Clinic last week. I will be mailing this out this spring, but thought I would post this too.

The change for the year's trip is that instead of rushing through the Ball Field Day and arriving late back to Detroit on Friday, we will be staying downtown Chicago night.  That way we will have more time at the trials, and a nice night downtown.  I will be getting some supplier sponsorship for a fun dinner in the city, so the extra half day won't be any extra cost, besides the second room.

Detroit Grower Clinic

I sent out this digital postcard for the Grower Clinic I am hosting on February 8th just two days ago and already have 20 growers signed up.  Actual postcards should be received early next week, sign up quick as the limited space will go fast.  It is free to attend and food is provided.

If you miss this event I will post the speakers presentations to this site.  If I can get geeky enough, I might figure out how to record the talks and post them to this site too.

New Article

Check out my latest article in the December issue of Grower Talks, "Economy of Slow Growth".

http://ballpublishing.com/GrowerTalks/ViewArticle.aspx?articleID=18847&highlight=nathan+lamkey