Jon's Technical Teaser Series

In the first of a series of technical topics for growers, Horticentre's Jon Harris reflects on the process of solving those gnarly plant performance issues - what is really going on?

Questions need to be asked I’m afraid!

No, not the tough political or sporting ones (not going there!) but the very relevant horticultural ones.  As distributors of inputs to growers, Horticentre personnel are constantly bombarded with perfectly reasonable questions – “how do I control mites”? or “why are my plants wilting”? or “what Wuxal® product should I be using”?  Some of these questions can be answered very quickly and easily but most can’t.  This is usually not due to a lack of product-specific knowledge, or a lack of desire to help – it’s usually due to the fact that critical information is missing – the questions that have not been asked or answered!

As an example, I recently became involved in a discussion with a very competent grower who had suddenly struggled to control an insect population he had previously had great control over.  The discussion quickly moved into the topics of resistance development and even the possibility of a change in the chemical formulation!  What I had completely overlooked and the grower had omitted to tell me, was that a recent overhaul of their sprayer had resulted in a new set of ‘state-of-the-art’ (and expensive) spray tips being fitted with the result that applied water rate was now about half of what it had previously been!  The grower had previously been using a ml per litre chemical dilution rate and when he continued to use the same rate with the new sprayer setup, he was inadvertently applying about half of the chemical rate that he should have been!  The label had stated a minimum rate per 1000m2!  A quick re-adjustment of chemical rate and we have a happy grower again!

The point I am trying to make here is that before people can really help you, they need to have a clear understanding of the problem and why that problem exists in the first place.  Plants wilting in the middle of the day may be due to heat stress because ReduSol® has not been applied to the greenhouse, but it could also be a result of root disease compromising water uptake.  We can all help each other by asking more questions before demanding more answers!

Hot Topics – talk to your Horticentre Representative about:

Light and heat control:  Mardenkro paint systems - ReduSol®, ReduHeat®, ReduBlue®, ReduFuse® and Alweco Screening Systems.

Post-Harvest Treatments – new Florissant® options

Pest Control Systems – Wanjet Foggers and Hose Reels, Empass Sprayers

Visit your local branch to find a representative near you to help you ask the right questions!