The STEM Podcast Bill Calkins

We’re back! Like I said last time, for our 45th and 46th Episodes, I wanted to stop and take a moment to express our appreciation for you as listeners. If you haven’t listened to STEM Episode 45, Greatest Hits Part One, I suggest you stop and listen. This one doesn’t necessarily build on it but it’s certainly a follow up. For the STEM Greenhouse Podcast, these two episodes wrap up our second year bringing you timely and relevant content – Insider Tips for Greenhouse Pros as our tagline says. And over these two years and 44 episodes, you’ve downloaded us more than 15,500 times and for that I’m very grateful. One question I often get when attending events or suggesting folks subscribe to STEM is – what are the best episodes to start with? Well, I definitely have my favorites but the most objective way for me to answer is to look at the download numbers. When I see a spike, I know listeners are sharing the episode. And that tells me the topic is trending. So, over the course of this episode and the last, shorter, holiday episodes I will share the STEM greenhouse podcast greatest hits – the 12 most downloaded episodes, which account for more than 6,000 downloads. I’ll touch on some of the highlights, in terms of what the guests and I discussed, as well as why I felt each episode made the list. All past episode links will be in the show notes so you can go back and check them out.
Once again, I am thankful for our guests! I’m thankful for our listeners. I’m thankful for our industry. And I’m thankful we have opportunities like this for life-long learning. Without further ado, here are the Top 12 STEM Greenhouse Podcast Episodes as chosen by our listeners – Part Two.
EPISODE 7 – New Innovations for 2019 & Beyond: https://stempodcast.podbean.com/e/new-innovations-for-2019-beyond/
EPISODE 15 – Poinsettia Selection & Production: https://stempodcast.podbean.com/e/poinsettia-selection-production/
EPISODE 40 – Success with Poinsettias (Part 1): https://stempodcast.podbean.com/e/success-with-poinsettias-part-1/
EPISODE 41 – Success with Poinsettias (Part 2): https://stempodcast.podbean.com/e/insider-tips-for-greenhouse-pros-success-with-poinsettias-part-2/
EPISODE 30 – Your Best Mum Crop Ever (Part 1): https://stempodcast.podbean.com/e/your-best-mum-crop-ever-part-1/
EPISODE 35 – Your Best Mum Crop Ever (Part 2): https://stempodcast.podbean.com/e/stem-podcast-insider-tips-for-greenhouse-pros-your-best-mum-crop-ever-part-2/
EPISODE 37 – Your Best Mum Crop Ever (Part 3): https://stempodcast.podbean.com/e/your-best-mum-crop-ever-part-3/
EPISODE 23 – Tanya Brings the WOW!: https://stempodcast.podbean.com/e/tanya-brings-the-wow/
EPISODE 1 – Drama in the Garden: https://stempodcast.podbean.com/e/drama-in-the-garden/
Contact Links:
Host Bill Calkins: bcalkins@ballhort.comNEW! Connect on Instagram - @STEMGreenhousePodcast#STEMGreenhousePodcastTweet Host Bill Calkins: @billcalkinsConnect with Ball Seed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ball-seed-co/See Ball Seed Videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BallSeedVideo

For our 45th and 46th Episodes, I wanted to stop and take a moment to express our appreciation for you as listeners. If you’re listening in real time, it’s the holiday season – in Hort terms, it’s weeks 49-52, the end of 2019. For the STEM Greenhouse Podcast, these two episodes wrap up our second year bringing you timely and relevant content – Insider Tips for Greenhouse Pros as our tagline says. And over these two years and 44 episodes, you’ve downloaded us more than 15,000 times and for that I’m very grateful. One question I often get when attending events or suggesting folks subscribe to STEM is – what are the best episodes to start with? Well, I definitely have my favorites, but the most objective way for me to answer is to look at the download numbers. When I see a spike, I know listeners are sharing the episode. And that tells me the topic is trending. So, over the course of the next two, shorter, holiday episodes I will share the STEM greenhouse podcast greatest hits – the 12 most downloaded episodes, which account for more than 6,000 downloads. I’ll touch on some of the highlights, in terms of what the guests and I discussed, as well as why I felt each episode made the list. All episode links are below so you can go back and check them out.
Once again, I am thankful for our guests. I’m thankful for our listeners. I’m thankful for our industry. And I’m thankful we have opportunities like this for life-long learning. Without further ado, here are the Top 12 STEM Greenhouse Podcast Episodes as chosen by our listeners – Part One.
EPISODE 21 – The Language of Watering: https://stempodcast.podbean.com/e/the-language-of-watering/
EPISODE 22 – Watering: The Rest of the Story: https://stempodcast.podbean.com/e/watering-the-rest-of-the-story/
EPISODE 14 – Grow More and Grow Better with LED Toplighting: https://stempodcast.podbean.com/e/grow-more-grow-better-with-leds/
EPISODE 10 – Wave Petunias: Past, Present and Future: https://stempodcast.podbean.com/e/wave-past-present-future/
EPISODE 5 – Plant Breeding: From Concept to Commercial: https://stempodcast.podbean.com/e/plant-breeding-from-concept-to-commercial/
EPISODE 2 – Getting Off to a Great Start: https://stempodcast.podbean.com/e/getting-off-to-a-great-start-1518718142/
EPISODE 38 – Leslie Halleck on Women in Horticulture: https://stempodcast.podbean.com/e/leslie-halleck-on-women-in-horticulture/
 
Contact Links:
Host Bill Calkins: bcalkins@ballhort.com
NEW! Connect on Instagram - @STEMGreenhousePodcast
#STEMGreenhousePodcast
Tweet Host Bill Calkins: @billcalkins
Connect with Ball Seed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ball-seed-co/
See Ball Seed Videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BallSeedVideo

This episode, I’m joined for the third time by Mason Day, Co-Founder of GrowIt! Mobile. GrowIt! is a digital plant community that helps users connect with other local plant people. With almost one million users across North America, it’s quickly become THE place for social plant conversations.
The GrowIt! team recently released a very in-depth Houseplant Report that captured tons of information and data to better understand the houseplant trend that’s been all the talk lately. We’ve discussed this trend on STEM in the past and referenced many articles from mass media that characterize the way people, mainly millennials, are seeking out indoor plants with a fervor not seen in decades. We’ve speculated about the reasons behind the trend and expressed excitement about the uptick in sales many growers and retailers have experienced. But we haven’t really seen much data and certainly haven’t explored the topic in depth. Until now.
In this episode, Mason shares the top findings from the GrowIt’s Houseplant Report – from confusion around light requirements and how to apply supplemental lighting to an emerging sub-trend related to large plants and unique foliage patterns. We spend some time discussing the pots indoor plants are sold in, as well as a term new to both Mason and me, Double-Pots. With each of these findings, Mason is quick to offer suggestions from a plantsman’s point of view, as well as tips for growers and retailers looking to capitalize on the wants and needs of real consumers. Some of the other topics we touch on include pricing – how NOT to leave money on the table via across-the-board pricing – and a newly identified shopper wish for more indoor trees and shrubs. Would you have guessed people want indoor Weeping Willows, yeah… me neither. But they do!
We wrap things up by discussing big plans for the GrowIt! Mobile community in 2020 and beyond. When I say big things, I mean big things for growers, retailers and other hort professionals. Armed with tons of data, expect more detailed reports and information from GrowIt! In the very near future.
Mason is a terrific guest and brimming with ideas – all couched in a holistic understanding of the industry. As I always say, GrowIt! isn’t a tech company trying to plug into horticulture, it’s a hort company bringing cutting-edge technology and predictive analytics to industry. You’re going to want to listen all the way to the end of the interview because it’s truly an action-oriented conversation.
 
GrowIt! 2020 Houseplant Report: https://www.growitmobile.com/houseplantreport
Download the GrowIt! Mobile App and learn more about this tech company: https://www.growitmobile.com/
Past Episodes with GrowIt!
Episode 8: What Today’s Shopper Wants: https://stempodcast.podbean.com/e/what-today%E2%80%99s-shopper-wants/
Episode 28: Consumer Insights from GrowIt!: https://stempodcast.podbean.com/e/consumer-insights-from-growit/
 
Contact Links:
Guest Mason Day: mday@growitmobile.com
Host Bill Calkins: bcalkins@ballhort.com
NEW! Connect on Instagram - @STEMGreenhousePodcast
#STEMGreenhousePodcast
Tweet Host Bill Calkins: @billcalkins
Connect with Ball Seed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ball-seed-co/
See Ball Seed Videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BallSeedVideo

This episode, we’re joined by Gary Vollmer, Product & Technical Manager for Selecta One. Selecta’s portfolio includes many best-in-class products but for this episode we’re focusing on dahlias.
We’ve covered a lot of crops over the course of 42 STEM episodes – from seasonal must-haves like poinsettias and mums to calibrachoa, lavender, Wave petunias and more. These deep dives tend to be some of the most downloaded and when I was putting together plans for future episodes earlier in 2019, dahlias came to mind almost immediately. We’ve seen many new series come to market in the past couple seasons, watched the class grow in popularity with home gardeners and spotted thousands of dahlia pics pop up on social media. It’s pretty clear this is a hot crop – for breeders AND consumers. It’s not a new crop by any means – dahlias have been popular for decades and have specialist groups and clubs in just about every state. But new developments in breeding and supply chain dynamics are opening these beautiful bloomers up to the mass public for many reasons. I also knew our guest, Gary, is a true expert on dahlias and has grown them for years and now is helping lead some of the latest developments.
Get ready to learn why dahlias are gaining in popularity. From diversity in color, form and size options to ongoing, cutting-edge research in modern production strategies, Gary will share reasons he and many others believe this crop is on the verge of a breakthrough. We discuss the trends but spend most of our time on selecting the best series and type for different uses and tips and tricks for producing a spectacular crop. Gary shares some specific dahlia challenges and how to avoid them and wraps up with best practices to put in place that will ensure the beautiful plants you ship out will perform at retail and ensure high sell through. And of course, he also calls out some of his favorite series, varieties and colors for quarts, gallons and larger formats. You’re definitely going to want to listen all the way to the end of this one.
Resource Links:Dahlia PowerPoint with Growing Information: https://www.slideshare.net/bcalkins/capitalizing-on-dahlia-mania-support-fileSelecta One Catalog 2020: https://www.ballseed.com/Virtual/2020_Selecta/index.aspxSelecta One Website: http://www.selectanorthamerica.com/Ball FloraPlant Website: https://www.ballfloraplant.com/
Contact Links:Email Guest Gary Vollmer: gvollmer@ballhort.comEmail Host Bill Calkins: bcalkins@ballhort.comNEW! Connect on Instagram - @STEMGreenhousePodcast
#STEMGreenhousePodcast
Connect with Ball Seed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ball-seed-co/See Ball Seed Videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BallSeedVideo

(INTERVIEW STARTS AT 7:27) This episode of STEM is true Breaking News! A new business unit at Ball Horticultural Company was launched and the name revealed within days of this podcast’s release! In fact, my guest and I recorded this beforehand - only after I was sworn to secrecy. But now that internal announcements have been made, the logo has been unveiled and everything is off and running, I’m thrilled to welcome you to BloomStudios!
In this episode, general manager Scott Rusch shares exactly why Ball has entered the global cut flower space in this new and exciting way, how BloomStudios got its name, how critical collaboration will be as this new unit evolves and a bit about his team. Then, we get into macro trends in the cut flower and indoor plant market and some top varieties for growers to consider when approaching this expanding category. Next, Scott shares resources to help greenhouse growers of any size get started in cuts – there are a ton! – and we wrap up with a look at some goals for BloomStudios over the next 3 years.
There’s so much great information packed into this episode and Scott is such a fantastic guest – I’m really psyched for you to hear all about BloomStudios!
Connect Four Articles:https://www.latimes.com/home/la-hm-millennials-plant-parents-20180724-story.htmlhttps://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-leafy-love-affair-between-millennials-and-our-houseplantshttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-04-11/the-one-thing-millennials-haven-t-killed-is-houseplantshttps://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/young-urbanites-are-filling-their-homes-and-the-void-in-their-hearts-with-houseplants/2017/09/06/ec98993c-89c8-11e7-961d-2f373b3977ee_story.html
Previous STEM Podcasts that discuss Cut Flowers:Episode 18 - Jamie Kitz on Growing & Giving: https://stempodcast.podbean.com/e/jamie-kitz-on-growing-giving/Episode 20 - Dr. Marvin Miller Unplugged: https://stempodcast.podbean.com/e/dr-marvin-miller-unplugged/
Resource Links:PMA Flower Trends Forecast: https://www.flowertrendsforecast.com/flower-trends-forecast-2020-publicationLocalFlowers.org Intro Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEXs9UUgqqgAmerican Grown Flowers: https://www.americangrownflowers.orgBall Seed Cut Flower Catalog: https://www.ballseed.com/PDF/Catalogs/18463%20BSC%20catalog_CutFlowers_Final_LR.pdfBall Seed Cut Flower Guide: https://www.ballseed.com/CatalogsBrochures/PdfAssets/pdfpage.aspx?pdfid=961PanAmerican Seed Cut Flower Catalog: https://www.panamseed.com/PdfAssets/pdfpage.aspx?pdfid=280
 Contact Links:Email Guest General Manager Scott Rusch: scott@bloomstudios.comEmail Portfolio Manager Mary O’Connor: mary@bloomstudios.comEmail Product Development Manager Reid Snyder: reid@bloomstudios.comEmail Host Bill Calkins: bcalkins@ballhort.com
NEW! Connect on Instagram - @STEMGreenhousePodcast
#STEMGreenhousePodcast
Connect with Ball Seed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ball-seed-co/See Ball Seed Videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BallSeedVideo

(INTERVIEW STARTS AT 5:24) Our guest today is Dr. Todd Cavins, who’s been a guest twice before covering seed propagation and vegetative propagation and this time he’s back to finish up our two-part episode on poinsettias. Dr. Will Healy kicked off the topic last episode focusing on nutrition, explaining that when it comes to poinsettias, if you have the nutrition right, most of your problems will be greatly reduced. If you haven’t listened to that episode yet, I suggest stopping this one and going back to Success with Poinsettias (Part 1). See link in the show notes. If you have listened, great! Todd is going to pick up where Will left off and wrap the topic up by covering tools for height measurement and management, as well as pest monitoring and control strategies. If you are listening in real time, you know it’s week 39 or 40 and it’s a critical juncture for this important crop. As Todd tells us, it’s transition and adjustment time and he’s going to share knowledge, tips and tricks to help you make the most of your poinsettia crop, how to use a new graphical tracking tool available from Ball Seed, determining your optimal PGR regime and even some postharvest tricks to maximize sell through at retail. We have a lot to cover this time and Todd certainly lives up to the challenge.
Previous STEM Podcasts on Poinsettias:Success with Poinsettias (Part 1): https://stempodcast.podbean.com/e/success-with-poinsettias-part-1/Poinsettia Selection & Production: https://stempodcast.podbean.com/e/poinsettia-selection-production/
Resources:Ball Seed Poinsettia Growth Tracker Tool: https://www.ballseed.com/CatalogsBrochures/#digital-toolsQ-Type Whitefly GrowerTalks Article: http://agrilife.org/etipm/files/2011/01/Whitefly-GrowerTalks.pdfSelecta One Poinsettia Catalog (Culture Guides on Page 32): https://www.ballseed.com/Virtual/2019_poinsettia/index.aspx#
Contact Links:Email Guest Dr. Todd Cavins: tcavins@ballhort.comBall Seed Customer Relations and Poinsettia Help: 1-800-879-BALLEmail Host Bill Calkins: bcalkins@ballhort.com
NEW! Connect on Instagram - @STEMGreenhousePodcast
#STEMGreenhousePodcastTweet Host Bill Calkins: @billcalkinsConnect with Ball Seed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ball-seed-co/Follow The Gardens at Ball on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GardensAtBall/See Ball Seed Videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BallSeedVideo