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Bill Calkins
  • 4.7 (12)
  • Business
  • Updated Weekly

Grow your best crop ever! Cultural and technical information for greenhouse professionals.

  1. 2d ago

    Don’t Trip Over Fall Production (Ball Seed Customer Days 2026)

    This episode was recorded live during the Ball Seed Customer Days event in West Chicago, Illinois. Technical specialists Nathan Jahnke and Nick Flax shared best practices and tips for avoiding common pitfalls with key Fall crops—Mums, Echinacea, Rudbeckia, Celosia, Cabbage, Kale, Pansy and Viola. Nathan and Nick concisely broke down some of the Fall crop problems they hear about most from growers, including: Garden Mums—rootzone and canopy diseases, mineral nutrition deficiencies and crown budding. Echinacea & Rudbeckia—Aster Yellows, foliage purpling and creating the right plan for each species. Celosia—minimizing stress, EC recommendations, avoiding phyto and knowing what varieties to pinch and which ones not to pinch. Cabbage & Kale—managing height, knowing vigor by variety, dealing with caterpillars/worms and managing color/color development. Pansy & Viola—Berkeleyomyces (Thielaviopsis), substrate pH management, nutrition, minimizing DIF and how to best use PGRs. Ball Seed Technical Services: https://www.ballseed.com/Services/TechnicalServices

  2. Jul 28

    The End of Rotation Anxiety ft. Koppert’s Jeremy Webber

    For this episode, host Bill Calkins is joined by Jeremy Webber, an ornamentals crop team member at Koppert. Jeremy has experience in propagation and finished plant production, as well as more than a decade of leading a team that works with growers across North America to develop holistic IPM approaches customized for each greenhouse and growing situation. At his core, Jeremy is a plant guy through and through and wrote an excellent article for the 2026 GrowerTalks Biosolutions Guide. For the guide, Bill challenged him to put a unique spin on how bio-IPM strategies lead to plant health, which in turn means fewer crop losses and a reduced need for rescue missions to save plants from pest and disease. Jeremy titled his article “The End of Rotation Anxiety (Stop Playing the MOA Game with EPF)” and explored an angle he’s truly passionate about—that although rotating crop protection products is definitely a key part of IPM and resistance management, it’s sort of an old school way of thinking. If this sounds bold and raises questions in your mind, we’re with you. Which is why Bill sat down with Jeremy at the July 2026 Cultivate event in Columbus, Ohio … to dig deeper into the article to better understand what Jeremy is advocating for. Resources 2026 Biosolutions Guide Reach out to the Koppert Team Isarid Nematodes

  3. Jul 23

    Nick's Newsletter Tip (Week 30): Pythium vs. Fusarium in Garden Mums

    This week, let’s talk about two of the most common and costly disease issues we encounter in garden mum production: Pythium and Fusarium. Both can cause stunting, chlorosis, wilting and lead to major crop losses, but they are not the same organism. Knowing which one you’re dealing with makes a big difference—particularly when selecting proper tools to prevent disease and respond to symptoms when they appear. If there’s one takeaway from today’s tech tip, it’s this: rootzone disease outbreaks in mums don’t begin when symptoms appear—they begin days or weeks prior when plants become stressed or protection lapses. Whether you’re dealing with Pythium or Fusarium, the growers who consistently prevail against these pathogens are the ones who focus on sanitation, prevention, root health and stress management.   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 e-newsletter: https://www.growertalks.com/Newsletters/Signup/?newsletter=techondemand

  4. Jul 21

    There’s A Good Story To Tell! (ft. Plantpeddler’s Mike Gooder)

    Host Bill Calkins caught up with Mike Gooder to discuss the evolution of vegetative crops from breeding and supply to production and demand. Then the conversation turned to the amazing story our industry has to tell and why this is critical for our future. When Bill planned the episode, he had a goal in mind—to learn about how the vegetative side of our industry evolved through the eyes of someone who was in the game early and in a big way. His guest for this episode is Mike Gooder, the owner of Plantpeddler in Cresco, Iowa and the business was a rooting station before such a thing was cool. Bill was hoping to learn how and why the Gooders took such a big risk early on—building greenhouses and infrastructure to support production of vegetative young plants before the market was as proven as it is today. They definitely got into that story but then the conversation veered off the young plant path and down a different road. About half the episode was Mike and Bill talking about how amazing floriculture is and how we need to develop messaging and tell this story far and wide to attract fresh, new talent to the industry. They discussed the importance of connection, networking, partnerships, relationships and how Mike’s industry involvement and leadership over more than 40 years opened doors for his business that he never imagined when he and Rachel bought the greenhouse back in 1980. You have to listen all the way to the end of this episode because there’s so much good information shared. It’s really an inspiring conversation. As mentioned in the episode, mark your calendar for the Plantpeddler new variety open house in August or make plans to attend in the future. Here’s a link for more information: https://www.plantpeddler.com/trials/gardens-variety-day Learn more about Plantpeddler: https://www.plantpeddler.com/ Read “Solid Strategies for Expanding” by Jennifer Zurko—GrowerTalks March 2026— https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?srch=1&articleID=27906

  5. Jul 13

    4 Questions for Kate, a Garden Center Owner

    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 Kate Terrell, owner/president/GM of Wallace’s Garden Center in Bettendorf, Iowa. Kate is pretty much an industry icon at this point. She heads up her family’s business growing and selling plants and a whole lot more than that. She’s active in tons of industry leadership roles, writes articles for industry magazines, serves on committees and boards and is also a leader in her local community. It’s amazing she finds enough hours in her days to do everything. Plus, she’s a mom, Cubs and Cyclones fan and top-notch businesswoman. She has a lot to share this episode so be sure to stick around all the way to the end!   Here are the four questions Kate selected: Q: What’s something about professional horticulture that annoys you and how would you change it? 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? Q: What advice would you give to an industry veteran currently dealing with “burnout”?   This episode is sponsored by Mycorrhizal Applications—master distributor of biological and botanical plant support solutions and the world’s leading supplier of mycorrhizal soil inoculants. Learn more and connect with the expert team at mycorrhizae.com.

  6. Jul 7

    4 Questions for Jeremy, a Cannabis & Ornamental Crop Team 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 Jeremy Webber, the Crop Team Manager at Koppert and an IPM expert with plenty of greenhouse and nursery experience and a true passion for plants and how to produce them efficiently and effectively. Jeremy is a great storyteller and that skill shines over the course of this episode. It’s funny, informational and a fantastic look into the mind of someone who thinks deeply about our industry every day. Here are the four questions Jeremy chose to answer: Q: What was your first exposure to “horticulture” and how did you feel, react, respond? Q: If you had a free hour, what would we find you doing? Q: What are your top 3 favorite annuals? And perennials? Q: What do you love most about your job? This episode is sponsored by Prospiant—leaders in greenhouse design, manufacture and build. Learn more and connect with the expert team at prospiant.com.

  7. Jul 1

    All About the 2026 Plug & Cutting Conference ft. AmericanHort’s Rachel Rawls

    In this episode, the goal is to explore and unpack the upcoming AmericanHort Plug and Cutting Conference, a must-attend event focused on young plant production. Host Bill Calkins is joined by AmericanHort’s Education Program Manager Rachel Rawls to discuss some of this year’s conference components, tour experiences, educational insights and and networking opportunities designed to help level up your young plant production. Plug & Cutting Conference Philadelphia, PA September 14-16, 2026 LEARN MORE & REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE HERE: https://americanhort.org/upcoming-events/plug-and-cutting-conference/ Here’s what you can expect to learn about in the next 30 minutes: The unique focus of the Plug and Cutting Conference on young plant propagation and why it stands out from broader industry events Practical education tracks covering crop timing, plant health, automation, sustainability and business management How peer-to-peer discussions and expert panels foster real-world learning and collaboration The integration of skill stations during production tours for hands-on experience in topics like dip-and-cutting and scouting The importance of addressing industry challenges like labor, input costs and crop quality early in the plant growth cycle Innovations in automation tailored for young plant production and how to incorporate practical, cost-effective tools Highlights of the extensive production tour lineup: Lucas Greenhouses, North Creek Nurseries, Star Roses & Plants, and Longwood Gardens The role of Spanish-language sessions in broadening industry access and workforce development Tips on translating conference learning into actionable improvements at your greenhouse, including leveraging on-demand session recordings Strategies for effective networking, building peer relationships and maintaining connections post-conference

  8. Jun 24

    Audio Files: The Gear Guide

    THE GEAR GUIDE FROM THE JUNE 2026 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE WRITTEN BY CHRISTOPHER J. CURREY NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS   EXCERPT: Investing in the relatively modest selection of tools and equipment won’t just help you identify and conquer problems in the greenhouse—it should help you avoid them. A systematic regular approach to monitoring plant growth, the growing environment, pests and diseases, and the rootzone will produce high-quality crops … but, unfortunately, won’t help you with the zombies. Read the Digital Edition: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_26_06/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.

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Grow your best crop ever! Cultural and technical information for greenhouse professionals.

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