Safety in the greenhouse, whether it’s safe handling of crop protection materials or preventing slips and falls, is an important but sometimes overlooked concept. During Cultivate’25, a group of growers will come together for a panel discussion on why adopting a safety-first mindset is essential to protecting employees and ensuring smooth, productive operations. In this episode, I talked to two of these growers – Katie Jent of Metrolina Greenhouses and Lyndsey Zinni of Millcreek Gardens – as wel...
Jun 20, 2025•23 min•Ep. 53
Greenhouse Grower Editor Brian Sparks attended California Spring Trials for the first time this year. In this episode, he shares insights on some of his favorite new plants and series, how breeders continue to innovate, and more.
Jun 13, 2025•25 min•Ep. 52
Laura Barth is the research coordinator at American Floral Endowment (AFE), which has been monitoring the impacts of federal funding cuts on horticulture research. In this episode, I talk to Laura about the uncertainties being felt at many institutions, how American Floral Endowment can be a funding resource for research, how the AFE endowment works, and AFE’s upcoming Rise to Support fundraising campaign. Here’s our conversation.
May 22, 2025•16 min•Ep. 51
This is the 50th episode of the Greenhouse Grower to Grower podcast, and in recognition of that milestone, we want to share some of our favorite insights and perspectives from the conversations we’ve had since launching this podcast.
May 08, 2025•50 min•Ep. 50
This year’s Southern Garden Tour takes place June 3-5, and features plant trials at Young’s Plant Farm in Alabama, the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, and Metrolina Greenhouses’ North Carolina facilities. This past week, I had a great conversation with the trial managers at each location: Dr. Mark Yelanich, Director of R&D at Metrolina, Penny Merritt-Price, Product Development Manager at Young’s Plant Farm, and John Ruter, Director of the Trial Gardens at the University of Georgia....
Apr 24, 2025•31 min•Ep. 49
Earlier this month, we learned that the Hoffmann Family of Companies, a family-owned private equity firm, was acquiring N.G. Heimos Greenhouses, a family-run growing operation based in Illinois and one of the nation’s largest poinsettia growers. I caught up with Bernie Heimos, President of N.G. Heimos, and David Hoffmann, Founder and Chairman of HF Companies, to learn more about the purchase makes sense for both companies, and why it makes N.G. Heimos well-positioned for a bright future in the f...
Apr 11, 2025•24 min•Ep. 48
In this episode of Greenhouse Grower, you can learn more about California Spring Trials, Greenhouse Grower’s Top 100 program, and how to nominate a grower for our Medal of Excellence awards. Plus, get a recap of the 10th annual BioSolutions Conference.
Mar 28, 2025•27 min•Ep. 47
Ken Littrell grew up on a family farm, and since then he’s worked in and out of floriculture, including spending time with some of the industry’s leading growing operations. He specializes in leadership development, change management, and how to build a better team through transparency and communication. In my recent conversation with Ken, we talked about everything from how to keep your team motivated and mission-focused during the busy spring season, to how the best leaders lead by example. He...
Mar 13, 2025•56 min•Ep. 46
Jazmin Albarran is the Executive Director of Seed Your Future, an organization focused on educating young people about plants, as well as developing the next generation of industry leaders. I recently caught up with Jazmin to learn more about how Seed Your Future has evolved since its formation in 2014, and in particular in the last four years under her leadership, and what it is in the works for 2025. Here’s my conversation.
Feb 28, 2025•27 min•Ep. 45
The current chaos around the nation’s immigration policy is creating high levels of uncertainty for employees and employers alike. The green industry relies on immigrant labor to fill critical roles responsible for planting, growing, cultivating, harvesting, packaging, and shipping plant products to clients and customers alike. Many of the supporting inputs, tools, and services to the industry also rely on this labor force. With all the uncertainty, what should employers do? In this episode of G...
Feb 21, 2025•35 min•Ep. 44
There’s probably no one more knowledgeable on the ins and outs of biological products and how they work in the greenhouse than Suzanne Wainwright-Evans, also known as The Buglady. Suzanne has offered her insights and advice at several industry conferences and workshops, and she’s also written articles for trade publications such as Greenhouse Grower. She provides hands-on training for growers as well as garden retailers, and she does it all through her business, Buglady Consulting, which she sta...
Feb 14, 2025•53 min•Ep. 43
Jason Wenninger of Ebert’s Greenhouse in Ixonia, WI, was a finalist for Greenhouse Grower’s Head Grower of the Year award in 2024. When I reached out to Jason about being a guest on this podcast, I should not have been surprised when he asked if his whole growing team could be included. I learned quickly why he wanted this. During our conversation, it became clear that despite their different responsibilities in the greenhouse, they had two main goals: One, to work together as a cohesive team, a...
Jan 31, 2025•57 min•Ep. 42
Dr. Allan Armitage is a familiar name to many in the greenhouse industry. He’s been a professor, trial manager, consultant, and so much more. He’s written several books that highlight his love of plants, he takes plant lovers on virtual garden tours on his Facebook page, and he’s been a Greenhouse Grower contributing editor, columnist, and advisor for more than 40 years. But he’s never been a podcast guest – until now. I recently sat down with Allan for an in-depth conversation about how he deve...
Jan 17, 2025•43 min•Ep. 41
Hoffman Nursery is headed into 2025 with a few changes in leadership. Second-generation family member David Hoffman takes the reins as CEO of Hoffman Nursery, and he’s joined by Craig Reynolds, who was promoted to Chief Operating Officer. These leadership changes come at a pivotal time as Hoffman Nursery continues to strengthen its position as an industry leader, focusing on expanding its product offerings, embracing sustainable practices, and maintaining strong customer relationships. I caught ...
Jan 03, 2025•28 min•Ep. 40
The Firefly bioluminescent petunia has captured attention both inside and outside the floriculture industry for its ability to bring natural illumination into homes and gardens. But where did it come from, how is it changing the game in plant genetics research, and perhaps most importantly, when and how will growers and consumers be able to find it? In this episode, I talk to the team at Rooted in Solutions, the exclusive licensed distributor of the plant in North America through a partnership w...
Dec 20, 2024•40 min•Ep. 39
Steve Costa, the president of Headstart Nursery in Gilroy, CA, is a proud graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. So proud, in fact, that he recently provided a sizable donation to support the restoration of the school’s Horticulture Greenhouse Complex and further its learn-by-doing approach to agricultural education. In this episode, I talk to Steve about the importance of fostering the next generation of growers, as well as how Headstart Nursery has become a leader in transplant production. Here...
Dec 06, 2024•35 min•Ep. 38
Growers in the floriculture industry face many challenges when it comes to retaining key talent and building the next generation of industry leaders. The same holds true for both university Extension and the supplier community, two critical segments of the greenhouse market. In this episode of Greenhouse Grower to Grower, I talk to Melinda Knuth of North Carolina State University, and Brian Schulker of Jiffy Group, about a range of topics, including how researchers, manufacturers, and growers ca...
Nov 22, 2024•47 min•Ep. 37
The cover story of Greenhouse Grower’s November issue provides a closer look at Kind Earth Growers, a wholesale plant nursery in Ottsville, Pennsylvania, that offers more than 215 species of seed-grown native perennials and aquatic plants under 20,000 square feet of controlled-environment production. In this episode of Greenhouse Grower to Grower, you can hear my full conversation with Kind Earth owner John Mark Courtney and learn more about how his passion for native plants led to the launch of...
Nov 07, 2024•33 min•Ep. 36
The Garden Media Group released its official 2025 trends report in early September. In this episode, I sat down with Katie Dubow, president of Garden Media Group, to get a first-hand look at what’s in this year’s report, and how you as a grower, or if you’re in another segment of the industry, can respond. Here’s our conversation.
Oct 11, 2024•47 min•Ep. 35
Lauren Kirchner left Waller, Texas when she was 18 to pursue a career in marketing and finance. She never thought she’d return to join her parents in running Spring Creek Growers, but that’s exactly what happened. Over the last couple of years, Lauren worked with her parents on an ownership transition at Spring Creek, and that was quickly followed by perhaps an even bigger challenge: a deadly tornado that came through the area earlier this year. Not only did Spring Creek come out of that stronge...
Sep 27, 2024•45 min•Ep. 34
Last week’s episode of Greenhouse Grower to Grower was part one of my conversation with Tom Costamagna of Young’s Plant Farm, Greenhouse Grower’s 2024 Head Grower of the Year. Please check it out if you have not already. In this episode, I continue my conversation with Tom, where we talk about the tools he uses to solve problems in the greenhouse, how he works with the ownership and growing teams at Young’s Plant Farm, and more. Please enjoy the rest of our conversation.
Sep 20, 2024•29 min•Ep. 33
Earlier this year during Cultivate’24, our team at Greenhouse Grower presented our Head Grower of the Year award to Tom Costamagna of Young’s Plant Farm. Tom has a rich history in floriculture, and following the award presentation, I had an extensive conversation with Tom about everything from his background, to how he thinks outside the box when problem solving, to how his early influences have shaped the type of grower he is today. In this episode of Greenhouse Grower to Grower, you’ll hear pa...
Sep 13, 2024•40 min•Ep. 32
Aren Phillips is a Greenhouse Systems Manager at Walters Gardens in Zeeland, MI. He is a team leader on several projects at Walters Gardens, including sales forecasting, automation, data collection and analytics, and the potential of artificial intelligence. Aren was part of a panel discussion at Cultivate’24 on smart technology adoption, and he will also be presenting at the Great Lakes Expo in December on live labor tracking, streamlining ERP systems implementation, and more. I recently caught...
Aug 30, 2024•37 min•Ep. 31
Josh Smith is Vice President of Kopke’s Greenhouse in Wisconsin. During Cultivate’24, Josh joined Tamara Bartlett of Bartlett Instruments for a discussion on bringing a tech-sector mindset to greenhouse production, and how to eliminate time-consuming tasks and develop SOPs for automating common greenhouse practices. In this episode, Josh talks about his background in technology, how he brings a forward-looking approach to team-building, process management, and strategic and tactical planning, an...
Aug 16, 2024•52 min•Ep. 30
Greenhouse Grower editors Brian Sparks and Julie Hullett were at Cultivate’24 in Columbus, OH, walking the tradeshow floor, attending education sessions, and connecting with friends across the floriculture industry. In this episode, Brian and Julie offer their top takeaways from one of the industry’s largest annual gatherings.
Aug 09, 2024•28 min•Ep. 29
During Cultivate’24 last month, Denise Godfrey of Olive Hill Greenhouses in Fallbrook, CA, participated in a panel discussion on sustainability in floriculture. Denise brought the grower perspective, and she was joined by a group representing all sectors of the industry, including breeding, packaging, benchmarking, and university research. I caught up with Denise after Cultivate to talk more about how Olive Hill approaches sustainability, how they’ve been able to adjust their sustainability stra...
Aug 02, 2024•46 min•Ep. 28
Greenhouse Grower ’s July cover story features a closer look at how university horticulture departments from across the country are attracting new blood to the industry while fostering career development. I had the chance to talk to six department heads about a wide range of topics, and we’re using this podcast as a way to offer extended versions of these conversations. In this episode, I talk to Dr. Desmond Layne, Head and Professor of the Department of Horticulture at Auburn University, about ...
Jul 19, 2024•32 min•Ep. 27
Greenhouse Grower ’s July cover story features a closer look at how university horticulture departments from across the country are attracting new blood to the industry while fostering career development. I had the chance to talk to six department heads about a wide range of topics, and over the next few weeks this podcast will include extended versions of these conversations. In this episode, you’ll first hear from Dr. Justin Moss, Department Head and Professor at Oklahoma State University’s De...
Jul 12, 2024•27 min•Ep. 26
Greenhouse Grower editors Brian Sparks and Julie Hullett revisit the Spring of 2024 and look ahead to Cultivate, including what they’re most looking forward to at this annual horticulture industry gathering.
Jul 05, 2024•36 min•Ep. 25
Greenhouse Grower ’s July cover story will feature a closer look at how university horticulture departments from across the country are attracting new blood to the industry while fostering career development. I had the chance to talk to six department heads about a wide range of topics, and over the next few weeks this podcast will include extended versions of these conversations. In this episode, you’ll first hear from Dr. Doug Karcher, Professor and Chair of Horticulture and Crop Science at Th...
Jun 28, 2024•33 min•Ep. 24
