Advertise on podcast: Greenhouse Grower to Grower

The Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association has many missions, but they essentially boil down to two goals: building a long-term future for the peat industry through research-supported innovation, and providing clarity about peatland restoration, sustainability, and supply chain management. I recently had the chance to talk about these topics and more with the team at CSPMA. Check out my conversation with Executive Director Asha Hingorani, Vice President of Science and Research Partnerships Stephanie Boudreau, and Communications and Sustainability Manager Charleen McCartney.

Every greenhouse operation regardless of size strives to become more efficient, and in most cases this includes a strategic approach to technology implementation. The question is, how do you determine the right time to make those decisions? While the answer may be different for every company, there are certainly perspectives you can learn from. In this episode of the podcast, we talk to Lloyd Traven of Peace Tree Farm in Pennsylvania, and Evan Jones of Spring Creek Growers in Texas, about these topics and more. Here’s our conversation.

Earlier this month Willoway Nurseries, a Greenhouse Grower Top 100 Grower based in Northeast Ohio, acquired Decker’s Nursery, another Ohio-based multi-generational operation specializing in container production, propagation, and grafting and liner production. In this episode of the podcast, I talk to Tom Demaline, CEO of Willoway Nurseries, about how the acquisition will help guide Willoway down its own new path, while maintaining the Decker legacy of high-quality plant material. Here’s our conversation.

Last month, Zoltan Kovacs was named the new Director of ThinkPlants, a collaborative network and cooperative for plant breeders, young plant growers, and retailers. His past experience in growing and managing perennials brands prepared him well for his new role, and in a recent conversation, we talked about where the perennials market is headed. But the discussion started with his initial journey from growing up in Communist Hungary to becoming an exchange student, which led to his first industry job at a garden center.

Kamron Newberry is the Regulatory and Trade Policy Coordinator for AmericanHort, which means he does a lot of work behind the scenes monitoring the constant shifts in trade and tariff policies that have become a defining pillar of the Trump administration. In my recent conversation with Kamron, we talk about how growers can make sure they have the information they need as they plan for the coming year, and we also discuss how AmericanHort tracks plant movement across the border and the phytosanitary issues that come with that.

It was great to have Dr. Allan Armitage back for this week’s episode of the podcast. We caught up to talk about award-winning plants, field trials, how fall is performing at garden centers in his area, and the challenges we need to address as an industry as we plan for 2027. But the conversation started about the seemingly infinite number of ways we communicate today.

Scott Murphy is the founder and CEO of Greensource, an online selling platform for buyers and sellers within the horticulture industry to help as a sales tool for companies looking to reach a wider customer base. Buyers can search a live catalog, while sellers manage product availability, and all orders are managed end to end. I recently talked to Scott about his background in both plants and technology, how Greensource works, and how today’s industry trends are helping to drive the future of floriculture. Here’s our conversation.

In this episode, Greenhouse Grower Editor Brian Sparks highlights recent horticulture headlines you may have missed.

Over the past couple years, Energy Resources Integration has led a research project with CALNEXT, a California electric emerging technology program, and technology supplier Microclimates. The Smart Controls for Data-Driven Indoor Agriculture Field Evaluation tests automated, integrated, and intelligent hardware and software in commercial greenhouses to uncover ways to save energy with lighting, HVAC, and irrigation control systems. In this episode of the Greenhouse Grower to Grower podcast, I caught up with Gretchen Schimelpfenig of Energy Resources Integration, and Neda Vaseghi, Co-founder and CEO of Microclimates, to talk about how the biggest benefits greenhouse growers will see from this research. Here’s our conversation.

Chris Rocheleau is the General Manager of Foremost Company’s 20-acre Phoenix Foliage farm in Winter Garden, Florida. He has more than 20 years of experience in the horticulture industry, with a focus on high-quality production of foliage plants, consumer trends, and more. I recently caught up with Chris to talk about how the foliage and tropical plant market has evolved, the key trends driving the industry’s future, and more. Here’s our conversation.

AmericanHort’s Plug and Cutting Conference is an every-other-year event that dives deep into young plant production, and is a must-attend gathering for anyone involved in this part of the supply chain. In this week’s episode, I’m joined by Rachel Rawls and Alejandra Feliciano from AmericanHort, as well as Ivan Tchakarov and Juan Ponce of Metrolina Greenhouses, to talk about this year’s program and what attendees can expect to learn. And because the conference will be held in Philadelphia, we also talk about history. And cheesesteaks. Here’s our conversation.

What better way to commemorate the 100th episode of the Greenhouse Grower to Grower podcast than by checking in with our very first guest, Abe Van Wingerden of Metrolina Greenhouses? In this episode, Abe looks back at lessons learned from this past spring, how the company is expanding to keep up with consumer demand, and the key factors that will determine its success moving forward. Here’s our conversation.

One of the many panel discussions that took place at Cultivate last month revolved around the topic of succession planning. I was in attendance for that discussion, and it was honestly so compelling that I left the room with a long list of questions that remained unanswered. So I invited the panelists to join me on the podcast for a follow-up discussion. In this episode, I’m joined by Karin Walters of Walters Gardens, Keith Berns of Berns Garden Center and Landscaping, and Robert Saunders of Saunders Brothers. We talked about everything from how the business transition conversation should start, to how each of them are running the business different from previous generations. Here’s our conversation.

Lionel van der Walt was announced as the new president and CEO of AmericanHort in early June, and Cultivate was his first chance to officially introduce himself to the industry. With Cultivate behind him, he’s now getting out into the field and talking to industry members. These travels included a recent visit to Greenhouse Grower’s main offices in Willoughby, OH, where I took the opportunity to sit down with Lionel in person to talk about his past experience, his short- and long-term goals for AmericanHort, and why he’s anxious to continue bringing the industry together with one unified voice. Here’s our conversation.

Earlier this week, The Plant Company announced expanded access to its leafjoy houseplants to independent garden centers through an agreement with Eason Horticultural Resources. That announcement was just the latest in a number of steps The Plant Company is taking to make it easier for consumers to find new varieties in this quickly growing category. In this episode of the Greenhouse Grower to Grower podcast, I talk to Dave Thorne, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at The Plant Company, about all of this, as well as why quality starts with the breeding process and evolves through investments in high-quality plant production. Here’s our conversation.