TECH ON DEMAND brought to you by GrowerTalks

By Bill CalkinsBusiness Education

TECH ON DEMAND brought to you by GrowerTalks episodes

November 11 Audio Files: Plugs 101
PLUGS 101
FROM THE NOVEMBER 2026 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY DR. ROGER STYER
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS

EXCERPT: A plug is a containerized transplant grown in the smallest container you’ll grow. That small size can quickly be affected by several factors that can either promote or inhibit germination, root and shoot growth. The goal of plug production is to produce pullable or transplantable plugs on time with a yield per tray of 85% or higher. Let’s look at those key factors in each stage of plug growth (Stages 0 to 4)
Read the Digital Edition: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_26_11/index.aspx

This episode is sponsored by NurseryGuide.com. Whether you’re sourcing for a garden center, landscape project, nursery or growing operation, NurseryGuide.com puts one of the industry’s most trusted sourcing resources right at your fingertips. NurseryGuide.com—powered by the Oregon Association of Nurseries.
11 min
November 09 Audio Files: A Solid Structure (Producing Well-Branched Rooted Liners)
A SOLID STRUCTURE (PRODUCING WELL-BRANCHED ROOTED LINERS)
FROM THE NOVEMBER 2026 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY DR. GARRETT OWEN
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS

EXCERPT: A well-branched finished plant starts with a well-branched rooted liner. Managing both stem elongation and lateral branching during liner production helps establish the plant structure needed for continued growth after transplant. A compact liner isn’t necessarily a well-branched liner and plants with limited lateral branching may require additional time, labor or PGR applications to develop the desired fullness during finishing. Therefore, growers should evaluate both young plant size and branching when determining whether liners are ready for transplant. Consider the following strategies when developing a branching program for rooted liners.
Read the Digital Edition: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_26_11/index.aspx

This episode is sponsored by Prospiant—leaders in greenhouse design, manufacture and build. Learn more and connect with the expert team at prospiant.com.
10 min
October 30 From the Roots Up: Precision Greenhouse Climate Control ft. BioTherm’s Taylor Readyhough
In this episode, host Bill Calkins and BioTherm Solutions sales manager Taylor Readyhough discuss targeted greenhouse heating strategies that can be implemented in stages, understanding that your business (and BioTherm’s) is in it for the long haul. The goal for this episode is to help you get moving on greenhouse heating improvements today, but with a plan for the long term. Whatever the budget allows or your crops need, Taylor and the BioTherm team can work with you to develop a plan.
Taylor is a passionate, career horticulturist with a B.S. in Environmental Horticulture and M.S. in Plant and Soil Science, and he spent most of the past decade as a grower. In his role with BioTherm, he leverages his experience in commercial crop production and greenhouse project development to guide businesses through the design and implementation of climate-focused greenhouse projects. His understanding of how all factors within a greenhouse work together—from the plant inputs and environment to crop protection, propagation nuances and finished quality—comes across loud and clear as he talks through the importance of root-zone temperature, modern heating systems and targeted heating applications.
This is a fantastic conversation with plenty of action items so be sure to stick around all the way to the end.

Resources:
BioTherm Website: https://biothermsolutions.com/
Find a Regional Sales & Technical Contact: https://biothermsolutions.com/contact-us/
Climate Systems for Indoor Environments (VIDEO): https://youtu.be/1EImJy5UEe4|
How to Heat Your Greenhouse (VIDEO): https://youtu.be/H46OQwxJdx4
The Ultimate Grower Climate Control System (VIDEO): https://youtu.be/PSMxCyOhbj4
Low-mass Boiler Solutions: https://biothermsolutions.com/high-efficiency-boiler-system/
Sterling Unit Heaters: https://biothermsolutions.com/product/sterling-high-efficiency-unit-heaters/
39 min
October 26 4 Questions for Marcus, a Landscape Business Manager
Throughout 2026, host Bill Calkins has been catching up with different people in the professional horticulture space and find out a little bit about their careers, passions, journeys in the world of plants and much more. He sent each potential guest a list of 12 questions and they picked four to answer and discuss.
This episode, Bill is joined by his friend Marcus Jansen, the new Landscape Business Manager for Ball Seed and a fascinating guy with deep roots in horticulture—from 4-H and FFA to Iowa State hort degrees and multiple internships with leading green industry businesses. Eventually his path led him to Ball, where he spent 5 years with PanAmerican Seed and is now leading a major, strategic initiative with landscape. But the corporate side of Marcus is just one facet of his industry life. He’s also active in many organizations and even leads a “plants and pints” activity at his local brewery.
Marcus brings tons of passion to his roles in our industry and you can’t help but get inspired when he talks plants. Be sure to listen all the way to the end so you don’t miss anything.
Here are the four questions Marcus chose to answer:
Q: What was your first exposure to “horticulture” and how did you feel, react, respond?
Q: If you won the lottery and could start a horticulture business from scratch, what would it be and what would it look like?
Q: What are your top 3 favorite annuals? And perennials?
Q: What advice would you give to a young person considering pursuit of a career in horticulture?
This episode is sponsored by Prospiant—leaders in greenhouse design, manufacture and build. Learn more and connect with the expert team at prospiant.com.
40 min
October 20Avoid These 9 Greenhouse Sanitation Mistakes!
Host Bill Calkins talks with Eric Smith, national sales manager for BioSafe’s horticulture division, about how sanitation, crop protection and water treatment work together as a true IPM strategy. The discussion focuses on practical greenhouse and nursery sanitation and covers some of the most common mistakes growers make and ways to correct them and build a proactive program that protects crops, reduces disease pressure and improves consistency.
Don’t make these mistakes!
Simply “cleaning” your facilities.
Confusing acid and alkaline sanitation chemistries.
Forgetting to sanitize unseen areas (like evaporative cooling systems, roll-up sidewalls, underneath groundcloth, inside pipes, etc.)
Ignoring biofilm in your irrigation lines.
Only sanitizing between crops.
Not focusing on your propagation range.
Only using one application method.
Making common application errors (like rinsing too soon or relying on pressure washing.)
Not being consistent with your sanitation practices.
Learn more about BioSafe Systems, check out their portfolio of products and connect with their expert team at https://biosafesystems.com/.
BioSafe Greenhouse & Nursery: https://biosafesystems.com/industry/greenhouse-nursery/

This episode is sponsored by NurseryGuide.com. Whether you’re sourcing for a garden center, landscape project, nursery or growing operation, NurseryGuide.com puts one of the industry’s most trusted sourcing resources right at your fingertips. NurseryGuide.com—powered by the Oregon Association of Nurseries.
51 min
October 13 Audio Files: Fixing the Flow—Is Your Greenhouse Design Costing You Money?
FIXING THE FLOW: IS YOUR GREENHOUSE DESIGN COSTING YOU MONEY?
FROM THE OCTOBER 2026 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY JENNIFER ZURKO
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS

EXCERPT: When you move into a new home or decide it’s time to refresh one of the rooms, you picture how it’s going to look: the arrangement of the furniture, the paint color you’ll put on the walls, the type of flooring, and the other finishing touches like lighting and wall décor. You envision and coordinate where everything will go, and how the harmonious arrangement will provide your desired spatial balance and foot-traffic flow.

This general thinking can be the same for a greenhouse, too. You want the right equipment and tools to make sure you make the most of the space, and the right environment for successful production. But it takes more time to analyze and study the balance and traffic flow, especially when it comes to moving finished product out the door in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible.
Read the Digital Edition: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_26_10/index.aspx

This episode is sponsored by Prospiant—leaders in greenhouse design, manufacture and build. Learn more and connect with the expert team at prospiant.com.
9 min
October 07 Using Supply Chain Strategy to Deliver OTIF ft. Growscape’s Richard Shapiro
This episode of the Tech On Demand podcast, brought to you by GrowerTalks magazine breaks down how On Time In Full (OTIF) performance is really the result of months of planning and collaboration, not just the final shipment.
Host Bill Calkins talks with Richard Shapiro, vice president of supply chain operations at Growscape (North American manufacturer and supplier of horticultural containers, planters and garden products), about forecasting, lead times, seasonality and the sales and operations planning process behind reliable fulfillment in horticulture.
Richard also explains how Growscape thinks about sustainability across manufacturing, distribution and transportation—and why stronger collaboration between growers and suppliers creates better outcomes for everyone. As he repeats a few times, “Tell me something I DON’T know!” That’s how improvements are made. And in this day and age of emails and texts, it’s refreshing to hear Richard request that customers pick up the phone and give a call to talk through challenges or discuss forecasts. This is the type of collaboration our industry is built on.
Not only is this episode an extremely transparent look at how a major horticultural supplier navigates a seasonal industry and works with businesses of all shapes and sizes but it’s also packed with sales and operations planning (S&OP) advice and strategy from someone with decades of experience leading businesses and driving results. Richard is truly an expert in this aspect of manufacturing and supply and there’s a lot to learn from him. Be sure to listen all the way to the end!
Find Products & Connect with Growscape: https://growscape.com/
Growscape’s 2026 Sustainability Report: https://growscape.com/sustainability-report/
37 min
September 24 Nick's Newsletter Tip (Week 39): Cool-Weather Crop Management
Ball Seed Technical Services Specialist Nick Flax breaks down the key environmental and cultural adjustments your production team should make as temperatures drop. The focus starts with dewpoint management. Warm days followed by cool nights can quickly create condensation inside the greenhouse, increasing the risk of fungal diseases like Botrytis and Pythium. Nick explains practical strategies to stay ahead of humidity, including dehumidification cycles, greenhouse "burping," temperature setpoint adjustments and controller checks.
The discussion also covers crop culture changes that often accompany fall weather. As plants use water more slowly, irrigation practices may need to be adjusted to avoid overly wet conditions. Nick shares tips on irrigation timing, crop spacing, air movement and using objective measurements such as water-by-weight to guide decisions.
Finally, the audio tip reviews some disease prevention strategies for high-risk crops (like poinsettias) and highlights the importance of maintaining a proactive fungicide program as environmental conditions become more favorable for disease development.
Now that you're transitioning from summer to fall production, this week’s tech tip offers practical reminders to help protect crop quality and reduce disease pressure during the season ahead. By now, you’ve realized my man Nick is pretty good at that!

This episode is sponsored by Prospiant—leaders in greenhouse design, manufacture and build. Learn more and connect with the expert team at prospiant.com.

Subscribe to the weekly Tech On Demand Newsletter: https://www.growertalks.com/Newsletters/Signup/?newsletter=techondemand
8 min
September 23 4 Questions for Sid, a Horticulture Consultant
Throughout 2026, host Bill Calkins has been catching up with different people in the professional horticulture space and find out a little bit about their careers, passions, journeys in the world of plants and much more. He sent each potential guest a list of 12 questions and they picked four to answer and discuss.
This episode, Bill is joined by one of his mentors, Sid Raisch—the Swiss Army knife of horticulture consultants! Sid is one of the most thoughtful and wise people in or industry and throughout the episode, the depth of his passion for coaching green industry businesses becomes more and more evident, as does his principled approach to continuous improvement.
One theme that weaves through this episode is the importance of letting people grow—and how this approach by owners and managers not only sets their operation up for success but also helps them avoid burnout and get the most from their team. Be sure to stick around all the way to the end because the wisdom just keep coming! And keep an eye out for a future Part 2 to this episode. Bill and Sid definitely have more to discuss.
Here are the four questions Sid selected:
Q: What was your first exposure to “horticulture” and how did you feel, react, respond?

Q: What’s something about professional horticulture that annoys you and how would you change it?

Q: What advice would you give to a young person considering pursuit of a career in horticulture?

Q: What advice would you give to an industry veteran currently dealing with “burnout”?

This episode is sponsored by NurseryGuide.com. Whether you’re sourcing for a garden center, landscape project, nursery or growing operation, NurseryGuide.com puts one of the industry’s most trusted sourcing resources right at your fingertips. NurseryGuide.com—powered by the Oregon Association of Nurseries.
49 min
September 16AI for Green Industry Businesses ft. Justin Ragsdale (First Steps, Customer Engagement & What’s Next)
For episode 273, host Bill Calkins talks with IM Digital’s Justin Ragsdale about how greenhouses, garden centers and nurseries can use AI and other emerging technologies without getting lost in hype. The conversation focuses on practical use cases, from automating repetitive work to improving year-round customer engagement and building stronger digital systems. Justin explains how to think about AI as a tool, not a magic wand, and why the best results come from adding context, data and clear business goals.
DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE 5 STEP AI PLAYBOOK FROM IM DIGITAL HERE: https://www.imdigital.com/insights/five-pillars-enterprise-ai-strategy

There’s a lot covered in this episode. Here are a few of the topics Bill and Justin discussed:
Perhaps the best way to approach AI is as another tool in the toolbox, not as a replacement for business judgment, staff or customer relationships.
A major theme is the importance of context: AI works better when businesses give it clear instructions, business processes, goals, customer information and system access, instead of just asking it to “do stuff.”
The episode walks through simple starting points for AI adoption, including using tools like Claude or Gemini Enterprise for everyday tasks such as email triage, social media responses and creating basic marketing agents.
How your best early wins will come from solving known problems, not trying to make AI predict the future or solve unclear business challenges.
Why customer engagement is a major focus, especially how garden centers can use POS data, marketing platforms, and AI to personalize follow-up based on purchase history, location, and seasonal needs.
For businesses, an early step should be to identify their “source of truth” for customer data, then connect other systems to it so AI can build useful profiles and campaigns.
Labor efficiency comes up as another key opportunity: AI can help train staff, document tribal knowledge, and reduce repetitive admin work so employees can spend more time on the sales floor with customers.
The conversation closes with a look at the future, where the most advanced garden centers will be available across digital channels, in customers’ pockets and responsive 24/7, while still protecting the human expertise that makes garden centers valuable.
DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE 5 STEP AI PLAYBOOK FROM IM DIGITAL HERE: https://www.imdigital.com/insights/five-pillars-enterprise-ai-strategy
52 min