Driving spring success with colorful begonias

Photo courtesy of Plantpeddler

A lot has changed at Eisele Greenhouse in Lakeville, Minnesota, since 1908. For one thing, Greg Eisele, who co-owns the business with his son Tim, has expanded the modest greenhouse business started by his great-grandfather into a 65,000-square-foot operation. For another, they’ve welcomed their growing community and added retail sales into what was once a primarily wholesale business.

“When I was much younger, it was almost all wholesale. Now, probably about 60% is retail,” Eisele says. “Back in the old days, it was all about geraniums. My dad and I grew about 80,000 geraniums in 30,00 square feet, and that was about all we did.”

Today, however, Eisele Greenhouses has diversified its offerings and grows everything it sells themselves. That includes bedding plants, annuals and perennials, offered in baskets and pots, with a fall mum crop to round out the season. The bulk of sales — Eisele estimates 85% — happens in spring.

Part of that spring success is thanks to begonia sales. The greenhouse started selling hiemalis begonias in the early 2000s, and the numbers have increased dramatically since then.

“For us, it’s a crop that grows well,” Eisele says. “We don’t grow real warm. We grow cool in the mid-60s. There’s not a lot of extra handling. We don’t pinch them. We don’t use PGRs. We just do a bit of lighting and fertilization, but other than that, it’s a pretty straightforward crop.”

They wouldn’t grow them if they didn’t sell. And the begonias have been selling. But what is it about the plants that are so alluring to customers?

“I think because of the nature of begonias, their bright colors, people’s eyes are drawn to the color of the flowers. You can’t help but notice them,” Eisele says. “And people have success with them, particularly if they are looking for a pop of color in a shady place.”

Eisele Greenhouse sources young plants from Plantpeddler in Cresco, Iowa. And they’re enthusiastic about the experience and expertise they’ve received from the industry’s leader in begonias. Plantpeddler has helped them understand the varieties that work best for their growing methods and clientele. Currently, Eisele grows 10 varieties of the many found in the Plantpeddler catalog.

Eisele says it’s more than just access to a diverse array of plants that makes Plantpeddler a trusted partner. The variety would mean nothing without quality material, at the right time, with good customer service to back it up.

“They are shipped directly on a grower truck to us,” Eisele says. “The product is in a very good shape when it gets to us, and that has been incredibly consistent. They are very responsive. If I have an issue, I can call down there, and they always get back.”

Eisele says that begonias can lead to success — and he suggests working with a company like Plantpeddler to pick out the best varieties. Then, he says, buy a few in and try them out. Once you know how they work best in your greenhouse, it’s all about marketing.

But as Eisele says, “They kind of sell themselves.”