News

Floriade Holland hosts Garvinea Competition
More than 4,000 students from Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany participated in the Garvinea School Garden Olympics, an international Garvinea breeding contest. The competition started in early February and ended on May 5, 2012 at Floriade 2012 in Venlo, Netherlands. An international jury full of personalities, including Peter Seabrook, a British gardening writer and television broadcaster, determined this year’s winner as the best international Garvinea grower.

Garvinea breeder Florist Holland aims to teach young students the joys of growing plants, collaborating closely with Floriade Kids, the Belgian Countryside Classes and the British initiative Miracle Growers. For three months the students took care of their own plant and learned about plant nutrition, and the importance of water, soil and light. The best plant of each school was selected to be presented by its grower during the finale on May 5. The jury chose one finalist per country and one over-all winner. Stefan Schaab from the Netherlands won the international competition and received the TrowelTrophy.

The Garvineas will be planted in the school gardens where they will flower until frost.

For more: www.garvinea.com
 

****

Syngenta donates plants to local nonprofits
Syngenta Flowers Inc. donated more than 1,000 potted plants valued at $10,000 to four local nonprofit organizations in Greensboro, N.C. 

Friends with Flowers, Greensboro Beautiful, Greensboro Housing Authority and Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro received their first potted plant during a community reception, hosted by Syngenta on April 25 at the Greensboro Coliseum. 

Approximately 1,400 potted plants bred by Syngenta and grown by greenhouse growers were distributed to the community organizations at the close of the event.

For more: www.syngentaflowersinc.com
 

****
 

First North American organization achieves MPS Florimark TraceCert certificate
Kalamazoo Flower Group LLC (KFG) of Galesburg, Mich., is the first organization in North America to achieve the MPS Florimark TraceCert certificate. This certificate requires that the organization fulfill checkpoints regarding freshness of product, inspections and best practices regarding inventory management, storage, distribution and traceability of purchased flowers and plants in the supply chain. KFG joins a list of floral companies from Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Japan and Italy with the Florimark certificate. 

Florimark TraceCert was developed for wholesalers and other traders. KFG is a wholesale bedding plant annual supplier servicing a large number of independent garden centers and big box store customers that span a wide geographic area. The company grows bedding plants, potted annuals and more from more than 150 acres of greenhouses.

For more: www.my-mps.com
 

****
 

Reports of geranium bacterial blight in Wisconsin
The University of Wisconsin Plant Diagnostic Disease Clinic (PDDC) reports that a Minnesota geranium (Pelargonium) supplier has been infected with Xanthomonas. A grower from central Wisconsin sent seven geranium samples of different varieties received from a Minnesotan supplier, and all tested positive for this pathogen. One of the samples appeared to be healthy, but upon close inspection, one leaf appeared water-soaked along the veins and showed up positive for Xanthomonas. 

This pathogen is usually associated with contaminated, fresh or dried leaf material. It can survive on leaf surfaces at low populations and be asymptomatic until environmental conditions suddenly change, the populations suddenly increase and symptoms appear. Symptoms include leaf necrosis and yellow halos.

Overhead irrigation can promote the spread of the pathogen through water droplets. Anything touching contaminated plant debris should be disinfested with 10 percent bleach, 70 percent alcohol or ammonium-containing products. Any infected plants should be discarded and pots should not be reused. 

For more: www.plantpath.wisc.edu/pddc/
 

****
 

Everris Americas acquires manufacturing equipment
Everris Americas, an ICL Specialty Fertilizers company, acquired the manufacturing equipment of X-Calibur Plant Health Co. The purchase includes a fertilizer coating line and associated handling, processing and packaging equipment. The equipment provides Everris with additional manufacturing capabilities to bring its new products to the market faster, including an innovative controlled-release fertilizer technology currently under development by Everris’ Global R&D Center in the Netherlands. 

The new proprietary product will complement its Osmocote and Poly-S controlled release technologies early next year. Everris’ expanded product line of coated components and fertilizers will provide its customers in the ornamental horticulture, turf and specialty agriculture markets with an even broader range of solutions to meet their plant and crop nutritional needs.

For more: www.everris.us.com
 

****
 

Connecticut attempting to approve medical marijuana grower bill
According to the Connecticut Greenhouse Growers Association, the Connecticut House of Representatives passed a medical marijuana bill (H.B. 5389) by the vote of 96-51 and sent it to the senate. If passed, a maximum of 10 growers would be allowed to grow marijuana for medicinal purposes. Producers would be licensed by the Connecticut Consumer Protection Department, have appropriate expertise in agriculture, and pay a one-time license application fee of $25,000. 

For more: www.flowersplantsinct.com/cgga_index.htm
 

****
 

New study reveals home gardening statistics
A new study from local market research firm Scarborough reveals that of the nearly 164 million homeowners in the United States, nearly half (49 percent) gardened in the past 12 months.

Gardening homeowners are 10 percent more likely than all homeowners to be baby boomers (45 to 64 years in age) and 33 percent have at least a college degree. Forty-seven percent of gardening homeowners hold full-time employment, 26 percent have an annual household income of $100,000 or more, and 22 percent are retired.

Gardening homeowners also showed their preferences for other green activities. They are 25 percent more likely to pay more for eco-friendly products and donate money to environmental causes. Gardening homeowners are also 26 percent more likely to buy locally grown food.

They also spend more time online, as 37 percent who have Internet access spend 10 or more hours per week online. Fifty-seven percent engaged in social networking in the past 12 months. 

The top local markets for adult homeowners who have gardened in the past 12 months are Seattle (63 percent are homeowners who have gardened); Portland, Ore. (63 percent); Salt Lake City (62 percent); Milwaukee (58 percent) and Columbus, Ohio (58 percent). The local markets with the lowest penetration of gardeners are St. Louis (43 percent); Mobile, Ala. (40 percent); West Palm Beach, Fla. (40 percent); Miami (38 percent); and Las Vegas (37 percent). 

For more: www.scarborough.com
 

****
 

Rocket Farms donates orchids for Mother’s Day
Rocket Farms donated flowers for the Alliance on Aging’s “I Remember Mama”. This was the second year Rocket Farms donated to the campaign, which sends flowers to women living in assisted-care facilities and nursing homes throughout Monterey County, Calif.

Mother’s Day can be lonely for some women living in nursing homes and assisted-care facilities, and Rocket Farms hopes its orchids provided a little brightness for mothers who may not otherwise be acknowledged on this day.

For more: www.rocketfarms.com
 

****
 

Growers Supply hosts photo contest
Growers Supply, a division of FarmTek, is holding a photo contest for customers to submit photos of the company’s building products from now until June 30. The best submission will receive a $500 gift certificate to the company, and 10 runner ups will each receive a $100 gift certificate. 

Participants may enter the contest by submitting at least three photos of their Growers Supply structure with a 100-word minimum explanation as to what they like about it. Growers Supply is looking for striking images of buildings purchased from the company that show how the structure is being used. Testimonials can explain what the customer likes about the structure, how installation went, how they benefit from using the building, how it impacts the business or home, their experience with ordering from Growers Supply or modifications that have been done. 

For more: www.growerssupply.com/photo