Christopher J. Currey

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Articles

Tips for fast finishing

Nov 13, 2024 | greenhousemag.com | Christopher J. Currey

"Time is money! Money is time!” I am not sure to whom to attribute this quote, but it is certainly apropos in the greenhouse world — especially in spring! The spring bedding plant season is the most valuable time in the greenhouse, as it represents the majority of greenhouse crop sales. One of the characteristics of spring that makes it so challenging is how quickly the season goes. Given this crazy production schedule, are there places we can find to shave off a little time?
A need for feed

Sep 14, 2024 | greenhousemag.com | Christopher J. Currey

Insufficient fertilization can lead to several problems both during and after liner production. First and most straightforward, insufficient nutrients (and principally nitrogen) results in slow growth and underdeveloped liners, delaying crop time and/or resulting in poor quality liners. Low fertilizer concentrations also mean low concentrations of each individual nutrient in the fertilizer.
Fertilizing foliage

Aug 24, 2024 | greenhousemag.com | Christopher J. Currey

With the increasing popularity in foliage crops, have you reconsidered your fertilization approach? While there are certainly similarities to well-established practices in floriculture crop production, there are some key differences as well. Let’s take a look at how to adjust more traditional flowering crops’ fertilization plan to better suit containerized foliage plants. One of the most fundamental questions is how much fertilizer, or what concentration, should be applied to foliage plants.
Managing light for rooting cuttings

Oct 23, 2023 | greenhousemag.com | Christopher J. Currey

Understand the correct photosynthetic light needed during each of the four stages to produce high-quality liners. Rooting cuttings to produce high-quality liners as efficiently as possible should be every propagator’s goal. While poinsettias are rooted during the summer when light is not a limiting factor in greenhouse crop production, cuttings are regularly rooted during light-limiting times of the year.
Summer is the perfect time for spring cleaning

Jul 18, 2023 | greenhousemag.com | Christopher J. Currey

For many ornamental greenhouse crop producers, summer finally provides the time to do some much-needed spring cleaning around the greenhouse.
Cultivar Selection Is Key to Radish Production

Jul 5, 2023 | greenhousegrower.com | Christopher J. Currey

Note: This article, part one of a four-part series on hydroponic radish production, written by the team of Christopher J. Currey, Robert Muniz II, Ryan Niepegan, and Peter Konjoian. Currey is an associate professor, Muniz II is a former undergraduate research assistant, and Niepegan is a graduate research assistant, all in the Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University. Konjoian is a horticultural consultant with Konjoian’s Horticulture Education Services, Inc.
Fertilizing North American Native Prairie Plants

Apr 17, 2023 | greenhousegrower.com | Christopher J. Currey

North American native prairie plants are no stranger to our greenhouses and gardens. There are several species of prairie plants we now may refer to as native plants that have already been identified and brought into horticulture due to their great ornamental potential, such as Liatris and Baptisia. However, there is increasing interest in North American native prairie plants for ornamental horticulture for other reasons.
Irrigate for success

Feb 13, 2023 | producegrower.com | Christopher J. Currey

When people think of hydroponic crop production, irrigation is not the first thing that comes to mind. After all, the hydroponic production systems take care of that, right? Well, sort of. When it comes to recirculating water culture systems such as nutrient-film technique (NFT) and deep-water culture (DWC) or deep-flow technique (DFT) systems, the continually circulating nutrient solution really does take care of keeping crops irrigated.
Getting started with plant growth retardants

Feb 10, 2023 | greenhousemag.com | Christopher J. Currey

Production pointers Plant growth regulators are intimidating for some growers to use, but by following the proper steps, they can be highly effective tool. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are one of the most ubiquitous tools for producing ornamental plants in the greenhouse. However, PGRs are not as widely accepted as, say, fertilizing plants. Part of this is by necessity.