Hort Americas

Feb 13, 2025 | hortamericas.com | Chris Higgins

When it comes to seed germination, several environmental factors come into play, with light, water, oxygen, and temperature being the most crucial. While light can have varying effects stimulating, inhibiting, or remaining neutral certain plants specifically rely on it for successful germination. Some notable species requiring light include ageratum, begonia, browallia, coleus, geranium, impatiens, lettuce, nicotiana, petunia, and snapdragon.

Oct 10, 2024 | hortamericas.com | David Kuack

Opel Growers in Hudsonville, Mich., specializes in the production of over 1,000 perennial varieties along with woody ornamentals, annuals, ornamental grasses, succulents, and herbs. Its finished crops are marketed in a variety of container sizes to independent garden centers and landscaper wholesalers. Three years ago, Paul Pilon, the company’s director of growing, began looking for ways to improve the germination of its seed varieties and the transplant success of its tissue culture plants.

Oct 4, 2024 | hortamericas.com | David Kuack

When business partners Jason Maks and Marshall McDaniel started operating TrueHarvest Farms in 2018, they knew growing leafy greens in Texas would be a challenge. Operating 4¼ acres of greenhouses in Belton, Texas, the company produces a variety of leafy greens, microgreens and herbs that are sold to wholesalers and grocery stores from Alabama to Arizona, including Sprouts Farmers Market, Whole Foods Market, Central Market and United Supermarkets.

Jan 29, 2024 | hortamericas.com | David Kuack

A U.S. greenhouse grower in the Midwest was able to increase its yields of ‘Macxize’ tomatoes-on-the-vine crops by 17 percent by combining intracanopy LED lighting with high pressure sodium top lighting. Photos courtesy of Hort AmericasBy David KuackA critical factor in growing greenhouse vegetables is ensuring the crops are produced in an environment that not only maximizes yields, but consistently produces predictable yields.