Great expectations

Today’s big-box stores wield tremendous buying power in the greenhouse ornamental market. As consumers become more discerning and retailers more demanding, ornamental growers are under increasing pressure to deliver plants with optimum size, shape and quality at competitive prices.

Fortunately, greenhouse growers can call on a growing number of plant growth regulators (PGRs) to help them manage growth and maximize profits.

When working with big-box stores, you have to first look at their influence in the market.

“Big retailers are certainly getting bigger in terms of their overall influence in the marketplace,” says Brian Whipker, professor, floriculture extension and research, North Carolina State University. “The big chains demand that ornamental growers meet their rigid specifications or risk losing their business. So it’s important for growers to use PGRs on most varieties to control the height and architecture of their plants.”

Kevin Forney, technical services manager for Fine Americas Inc. says this is critical.

“Simply put, retailers don’t want noticeable variations in size, shape and color in the plants they receive,” he says. “The reason is fairly clear: consumers tend to ‘pick through’ displays and leave less desirable plants behind. In many cases, those plants never make it out of the store and often end up in a dumpster as shrinkage.”

PGRs become critical to reducing that shrinkage.

“Retailers want a specific plant with a specific look to it,” says Sarah Lehning, nursery manager at Speedling Inc. in Blairsville, Ga. “PGRs allow us to push fertilizer rates and produce fuller, greener plants while keeping them short and compact. They’re critical in our plug production in many cases, allowing us to deliver a high degree of uniformity and consumer appeal.”

Whipker says PGR use varies somewhat from region to region.

“With our weather in the Southeast, we incorporate PGRs as an integral part of our best practices for ornamental production,” he says. “Even in Northern growing areas, studies seem to indicate that PGRs can be more economical than temperature control alone in managing plant growth and development.”

Forney says that many large growers incorporate PGRs in their recipes to bring a higher level of precision to their production programs.

“We have some customers who use growth charts to accurately predict plant height throughout the growing cycle based on their PGR applications,” he says. “By incorporating PGRs into their overall production program, they have a high level of confidence in their ability to deliver precisely what their big box customers want, when they want it.”

And it doesn’t have to cost a lot either. The introduction of newer PGRs, such as Configure and Augeo, has given growers more options for controlling the architecture of their plants, according to Whipker. In addition, the popularity of off-patent products have made PGRs more affordable for most growers. He also said Ancymidol (Abide and A-Rest) is one product that’s come down significantly in price over the past few years since the introduction of Abide.

He added that low-dose applications of certain PGRs have proven to be an economical means of limiting growth once a crop has reached desired height.

“Growers can get their plants up to a specified height, then use low doses of PGRs to maintain them at that height until they’re ready to ship,” he says. “It’s one way growers can meet customer expectations without sacrificing profitability.”

University studies show that the benefits of PGRs far outweigh the cost.

“Our research shows that a small investment in PGRs can reduce water and nutrient requirements,” Whipker says. “With PGRs, growers can cut their water and fertilizer use by up to 20 percent while producing plants with more consistent height, shape and overall quality.”

Furthermore, PGRs can reduce plant spacing in the greenhouse by 15 to 20 percent, allowing more plants per square foot and lower overall fixed production costs. According to Whipker, this benefit of lower fixed costs alone can deliver a 10 times payback on a grower’s PGR investment.

In addition to the cost savings and production efficiencies afforded by PGRs, these important production tools can pay off in greater customer satisfaction and higher net profits.

“Our experience has shown that growers who judiciously incorporate PGRs into their production programs typically see higher levels of customer satisfaction, fewer complaints and improved net profits,” says Fine Americas President Greg Johnson. “PGRs allow growers to bring out the best in their plants for a modest investment.”

It may seem like an added expense, but Whipker disagrees.

“We always say PGRs don’t cost money, they make you money,” he says. “I believe that’s truer now than ever before.”

Steve Engle is president of Engle Creative Solutions LLC. Reach him at steve@engle-creative.com.