That spring feeling

There’s no feeling quite like sitting out on the porch with a good book on the first truly warm day of spring, or strolling through the neighborhood and taking in the first colorful flowers of the season. Spring is a time of renewal, a time to shake off the winter blues and enter a new season of changes and improvements.

While you may be thinking less about renewal and more about simply making it through the busiest time of the year as best as possible, it’s the perfect time of year to review how well your greenhouse is operating — in real time. Think back to the changes that you’ve made over the past year. Which of these have made this spring season easier on everyone? Are there tweaks that you’ve made recently that have resulted in the daily grind being even more of a grind? Is there an employee that’s truly standing out from the crowd that deserves recognition or a promotion, or someone that may need redirection? Are there ways that you could better streamline your processes next year, based on what you’re seeing now?

Although you may not have the time — or energy — to fully focus on these issues right now, consider jotting down any ideas or thoughts now and filing them away for later contemplation during a quieter time. Oftentimes, we get lost in the chaos and when the dust finally settles, we’ve already forgotten the great ideas or what staff did poorly or well. Drop me a line and let me know how your season is going at kvarga@gie.net

As you’re working in the greenhouse this spring, you may notice that it may be time to replace or upgrade your production equipment or structure. In order to help you determine when and how to do so, we’ve put together the Time to Upgrade Guide. This guide looks at several different categories, such as fans, coverings, lighting and transplanters, and provides tips and direction on when is the right moment to replace them. Check it out here.

May this spring be even better than the last,

Karen E. Varga, Editor

kvarga@gie.net

216-393-0290 | Twitter: @karen_gie