Let's talk poinsettias

A couple weeks ago, we received our first shipment of poinsettias.  The poinsettias come in as unrooted cuttings and we grow them on from there.   Here is a picture of the poinsettias under mist.  The picture is fogging due to the fact that outdoor temps and humidity is around 95 degrees plus and 95 plus humidity.  The roots are starting to develop, so later this week we will begin transplanting.

Also, we started growing a few Gloxinias.  These bell shaped-velvety flowers are spectacular.

It's a buy one get one free sale!

Its time to get the greenhouses cleaned up as 3000 unrooted poinsettia cuttings arrived yesterday afternoon.

Starting tomorrow, any customer that walks in the greenhouses will enjoy a buy one get one free sale.  The greenhouse spring plants need to go.  So if you live in the greater Carlyle area, stop in and buy!  We have a good selection of geraniums, miniature hardy roses, and perennials.

Good Friday Greenhouse Update

Here are a few pictures as of 22-April-2011.  Easter Lily sales were good and could have been better had I timed the crop a few days later.  Hot April weekends matured the lilies faster than necessary, so we lost a few buds.

Lots of color and flowers

As the greenhouse plants mature, the color out there is spectacular.  ... but don't take my word.... look for yourself and see.....

yellow and blue hanging basket

.

Fuschis and white hanging basket

more yellow and blue hanging baskets

yep! you guessed it.  orange and yellow hanging baskets

Here are a few plants that were transplanted last week and this week.  They are sold to a municipal parks department 

and some of their hanging baskets....

our geranimums... can you say over exposed? i know you can.

these are some really pretty pink hydrangeas, i just wish they had more flowers

Custom job for a municipality

I need a greenhouse stretcher.

With Easter being so late this year, the greenhouse is almost completely full and I have a lot more plants coming in.  I think we will have to use the back greenhouse. I would prefer to keep everything in the big houses so we can keep an eye on growing conditions, however, that isn' possible this year.  Here are the latest pictures of the greenhouses.  Notice the Easter Lilies are starting to bloom.  They are a bit ahead of schedule, so I am now cooling that greenhouse down a bit.  The hydrangeas are starting to color up.

Lots of 4.5 inch plants that are pre-sold.

6 pack

and sometimes we grow dandelions...no worries it will get removed prior to shipping

6 inch geraniums are phenomenal

hydrangeas coloring-up

a few early bloomers... they got sold this morning.

We are almost finished with the 6 pack transplanting.  From there it is time for tomato and pepper transplanting.  I still have to sow a few onions.  If you have never tried growing onions from seedlings, you are missing out on some really great sweet tasting onions.  One of our favorites is called Candy.

Punching Plugs - IT'S SPRING!

In this edition of the blog, I am focusing on our transplanting activity.  In the old days, we would sow seeds in a flat.  The seeds would be broadcast in the flat and allowed to germinate. When it was time for transplanting, we would have to take a chunk of seedlings and soil and gently untangle the roots.  Each seedling would have to then be hand dibbled into the pot or cell tray.  Dibbling is punching a hole in soil to allow the roots to enter the soil undamaged.

Back in the early 1990's we transitioned from broadcasting seeds to placing the seed in individual cells.  We have special seed sowing machines that allows us to move efficiently with this process.  Germinating plug seedlings helped speed up the transplanting process, but nothing has sped up the process more than our Punch-n-Grow, transplanter.

The transplanter punches the seedling plug through the bottom of the cell.  The cell bottom has an "X" cut that allows the small plant to move through.  Underneath the plug tray is bedding plant flat.  Our flats have 6-six packed trays.  In other words, we punch 36 plants with each stroke of the Punch n Grow transplanter.  The pictures will show you better than I can explain in words.

here are a few shots of the greenhouses this afternoon

As you can see, I am running out of space. The back greenhouse is going to get utilized this year, where we will grown bedding plant flats.

The easter lilies are maturing right on schedule