Armstrong to finish Ecke poinsettias
Armstrong Growers in Glendora, Calif., is now the grower and seller of Ecke Ranch's finished poinsettias for florists and wholesalers. Ecke will continue to conduct poinsettia breeding work and will provide cuttings to U.S. growers. Ecke will use the space in Encinitas to focus on developing poinsettias and Oglevee genetic lines.

Cut importers request temporary halt
John Amaya , chairman of Assoc. of Floral Importers of Fla., recommended that the activities of the Floral Marketing Funding Initiative Coalition be suspended until after Valentine's Day 2008. He cited cut flower importers' concerns for the uncertainties of the Free Trade Agreement, Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act, instability of oil prices and devaluation of the dollar against the peso as reasons. Red Kennicott, coalition chairman, said it was important to be sensitive to the issues of the importers and to wait until the environment is more conducive. Charles Kremp, coalition president, said the coalition has gained significant support from domestic producers and it is now necessary to wait for the importers' position to improve so that they will be willing to fund a floral marketing program.

Pinching reduces crown bud problems
Garden chrysanthemum cuttings sometimes form crown buds; however, these plants usually perform satisfactorily if given a pinch and they are kept actively growing, said Univ. of Mass. ext. floriculture specialist Tina Smith. She said cuttings should be given a hard pinch (at least ½ inch of new growth) 4-6 days after planting, when plants are fully turgid. The pinch forces out lower lateral shoots, which tend to be more vegetative. Keep cuttings watered and fertilized. Cuttings that have initiated lateral buds down the stem will not always perform well.

Agents seize sprayers at trade show
Federal agents seized counterfeit Solo sprayers exhibited at the Nat'l. Hardware Show in Orlando by ZheJiang Shixia Spray Co. The company refused Solo's request to remove the counterfeit sprayers, sold under the SeeSa brand, from its exhibit booth the 1st day of the show. Agents removed them the next day. Solo pres. David Longfield said the incident is the latest in a long list of trademark infractions by ZheJiang Shixia.

Be on the lookout for downy mildew
Growers are being advised to check coleus and basil plants for downy mildew. Mich. St. Univ.'s Plant Diagnostic Laboratory recently confirmed the disease on coleus. MSU plant pathologist Mary Hausbeck said symptoms include: yellowish or pale green foliage; downward curling of leaves; distortion of leaves; white to light gray fuzz on the undersides of leaves; emerging leaves that are small and/or discolored (yellow or pale green). Plants may be stunted and have leaf drop. The most obvious sign is the white, grayish fuzz that develops on the underside of leaves. Don't confuse this disease with powdery mildew, which affects some floral crops and has white fuzzy growth. Diseased plants should be discarded immediately but not placed in a cull or compost pile.

Worth a visit
The NGMA Spotlight presents the latest advances in greenhouse engineering and construction from leading industry suppliers. Only on GreenBeam.com.

• Yoder
• Dramm
• OFA Short Course

Available only from Blooms of Bressingham®, the Tutti Frutti Series of Achilleas have compact habits that make them ideal for pot crops.

Make your injector PORTABLE. Dramm offers Injector carts for all models of injectors.

The OFA Short Course, U.S.'s premier educational and trade show event. Get your own worldwide perspective on floriculture at the 2007 OFA Short Course.