New Flower Grower Research

Posted by
Barbara M. Martin
Jun 12, 2007

New research into growing or producing flowers as greenhouse crops -- and how to keep them healthy by meeting their nutritional and watering needs correctly and efficiently and thereby decrease the need for chemical usage -- is leading scientists to investigate some interesting stuff using high tech techniques and measurement s.

For instance, researchers found that silicon helps to reduce both insect and disease problems in geraniums, begonias, and zinnias. They've also found that adding the beneficial fungus Trichoderma to potting mix reduced Botrytis on begonia leaves better than the typically used fungicide chlorothalonil . Wow.

The Agricultural Research Service recently published an article describing some of the current work and including a couple of great photos -- a hydroponically grown gazania on steroids (no, in reality it's "on" silicon), and a poor zinnia so horrifically mildewed it looks like a ghost. If you've never seen the inside of a chock-full giant commercial grower's factory (aka greenhouse) in early spring, there's a shot of one of those, too.

Read all about it in What Plants REALLY Want from the USDA Agriculture Research Service. Absolutely fascinating.

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