WisconsinOrnamentals.com

June 14, 2010 Newsletter

In This Issue
Fertilizer Tool
Maximizing PGR's
2010 New Varieties
SnapTags
Customer Loyalty
Disease Management Resource
Silent Salesman
PPA
2010 IGC Show
Quick Links
 
 
 
Join Our List
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Eileen Nelson
UW-Madison Department of Horticulture
608-265-5283 
 Found hanging on the wall an Amish Greenhouse in Monroe County.
 
If folks only knew how many
- minutes of thinking
- hours of planting
- days of sunshine
- weeks of coaxing
- barrels of fuel oil
- pounds of fertilizer
- bushels of rich soil
- gallons of water
- loads of firewood
- inches of backache
it takes to produce these plants
They would gladly pay the price!
 
I'm sure you can think of other additions to this list!
 
Fertilizer Tool
 Source: Greenhouse Grower, June 2010
 

If you have tried to use the fertilizer calculator (FertCALC) from North Carolina State University in the last couple years, you were probably disappointed it no longer worked.

The problem occurred when Microsoft updated Excel. FertCALC was no longer compatible with Excel. Fortunately, a solution has been developed with the support of the Fred C. Gloeckner Foundation. And for those of you who've never used FertCALC, welcome to the newly redesigned application. 

 

 
Link here for directions on how to use FertCALC that you will find at this link.
Maximizing PGR's
  Source: Greenhouse Product News, Erik Runkle, Michigan State
 
Despite the availability of many different plant growth regulators, their spraying methods are generally similar. How can you get the most out of each application?

- Erik Runkle

Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are commonly applied as sprays to inhibit extension growth and produce more compact floriculture crops. There are numerous commercial products available, some containing the same active ingredient, but their applications strategies are, for the most part, similar. Here's a look at some of the strategies and considerations to get the most out of your PGR spray applications.   More. . . . . .

2010 New Varieties
Source:  Greenhouse Grower
 
Information on the many new varieties that were introduced at Spring Trials 2010.  You will find a picture, company source and a brief description of the plant.
MasterTag's SnapTag
Source: Greenhouse Grower
SnapTags
 
MasterTag's SnapTag is two tags in one. One tag is used as a garden marker while the other is used as reference material.
Customer Loyalty Programs - Pros and Cons
 Source: Today's Garden Center
 

A few years ago, customer loyalty programs were all the rage.

If you didn't have one, you knew you needed one as soon as possible. Garden center after garden center jumped on the bandwagon to start their own "garden club" program. All you needed to start a customer loyalty program was a cute name, maybe some key cards or garden bucks and you were off to the races. But, if customer loyalty was the solution it promised to be, a funny thing happened on the way to prosperity. So what went wrong?

Disease Management Resource
 Greenhouse Product News provides what they call a Disease Management Zone.
 
The Disease Management Zone is a resource for your questions about cutting edge techniques for fighting disease within greenhouses. Among these pages are articles, FAQs, products and suppliers, expert advice, definitions and technical information focusing on plant protection. As our zone will be continually updated, we welcome all of your additions and suggestions to keep this information as up-to-date as possible.
Silent Salesman
Source:  Today's Garden Center  
 
From silent salesman to silent teacher, informative signage is a quick and clear way to share vital information with your customers.
 
  You're no stranger to the saying, "Signs are your silent salesmen (or saleswomen)." It's true. Signs alert, attract, influence and, of course, sell. But don't forget about one of the sign's greatest attributes - its ability to teach

Information and care signs aren't intended to replace a knowledgeable salesperson, but they will do an excellent job answering the easy questions and sharing must-know information. If well done, these informative signs can even help free up your busy staff for the more specific plant and product inquiries.

Remember: Don't overwhelm your patrons with too many words. Use bullet points and short phrases that share information customers can't do without. Also, change the border color to differentiate from other signage templates.

Check out these templates to get a better idea of what it takes to create informational signage.

2010 OFA Short Course
July 10-13, 2010 are the dates for this year's OFA short course program.  Registration and Reservations can be made here.
 
What you will find there:
  • 500 companies in a 1,500-booth trade show with products and services to make your business successful
  • 150 speakers from across the world
  • 150 sessions for all segments of the industry
  • Garden Center Live! - A new feature that will provide a creative boost for retailers.
  • Idea exchanges, tours, hands-on workshops
  • New Varieties and New Products displays
  • Project: Green Industry eco-friendly products display
  • OFA Short Course Reception - Back by popular demand!
  • Decorations and inspirations throughout the convention center
  • Florist design contest and design demonstrations
 
Perennial Plant Association Annual Conference
 The 28th Perennial Plant Association Symposium will be held in Portland, Oregon, July 18-24, 2010.  Link here for registration information.
2010 Independent Garden Center Show
This year's Independent Garden Center Show, scheduled to run August 17-19 at downtown Chicago's stunning waterfront Navy Pier facility, will present more vendors and new products specifically targeted for the garden center market than any other show in the world.
 
 
 
Please forward this newsletter on to others. 
 
Thanks. 
Eileen Nelson  ([email protected])
www.WisconsinOrnamentals.com