Spring is in full swing in Michigan greenhouses . Growers are busy receiving youthful plants and shipping others to markets that have open due to the late warm weather condition . Recruiting and maintaining sufficient Labour remains a major challenge in the glasshouse diligence as the unemployment pace in Michigan is around 4 percent . More greenhouses than ever are using the H2A Edgar Albert Guest worker program , while others are considering the program in the time to come . In visit with growers through the wintertime month , the Michigan State University Extension floriculture team has seen growers using a variety of strategy from high - tech equipment to streamline their product line for greater efficiency . Here are some of the strategy that cultivator are using to scale down labor cost at their facilities .
by Heidi Lindberg
Direct sticking plant material into finished containersA common practice among the greenhouse manufacture is to germinate seedling and root vegetive cutting in nag or liner trays . This yield practice maximize glasshouse place and increases efficiency . However , many nursery operations are choose to come down the number of time that each plug ( seedling ) , rooted abridge ( line drive ) or container is handled thereby reducing labor costs . Therefore , growers have protrude to mastermind unrooted or callused cutting into their final containers .
exposure 1 . Example of callus geranium cuttings that were unmediated stuck into hanging handbasket . Photo by W. Garrett Owen , MSU .
Reducing number of skews by transplanting into final decorative containerIn direct contrast to many European plant life growers , American ornamental works growers are look to produce 100 ( or even thousands ) of coinage or cultivars so that they can become a one - stop shop for a plant retailer . While most growers in Michigan are still producing many plant specie and cultivars , they have streamline their efficiency by limiting the types , manner or size of containers . One Michigan grower who markets their plants in elaborated , cosmetic pottery or other unique containers has streamline production by spring up succulent in all 4 - inch pots , which will be directly placed into the decorative container prior to shipment . Therefore , the high - value container is less probable to become discredited or show sign of wearing and split during production and it increases the efficiency .
Photo 2 . Example of succulent rise in similar sized mass and place into their ornamental container at the end of production or prior to shipment . Photo by Heidi Lindberg , MSU Extension .
Allowing for drop - in containersGreenhouse growers who produce larger combination planter or bowls have started follow up place - bearer container . This grant growers to produce plant that have dissimilar environmental and ethnic requirements or schedules in disjoined containers outside of the combination planter and then transplanted into the final compounding plantation owner as needed . For example , growers found the KO’d plants , e.g. , “ fillers and spillers ” then place an empty container in the center for the “ thriller ” thereby reducing labor when transplanting the fundamental plant . When the central plants arrive , which may be a tropical foliation industrial plant produced outside Michigan or are finished in the other growing conditions , the growers withdraw the office - throw container and transpose the center plants .
Photos 3 , 4 and 5 . orotund container establish with geraniums will have tropical plants place into center before move to the retail ( top ) . The common ivy pipe bowl will have forced bulbs into the center prior to shipping ( centre ) . The pansy roll will have storm bulbs or primrose localise in the center prior to shipping ( bottom ) . Top and center photograph : Heidi Lindberg . Bottom photo : W. Garrett Owen .
chemic pinchingGreenhouse agriculturist habituate plant maturation governor to chemically pinch plants . spray , drenching or sprenching thin the need for hand pinching plants . abstract off the apical meristem increase lateral forking and therefore enhancing the overall quality of the plant .
Photo 6 . object lesson of a plant life growth regulator applied fuchsia ( Fuchsia sp . ) as a foliar spray to upgrade sidelong branching ( leave ) compare to no foliar spray diligence ( rightfulness ) . Photo by W. Garrett Owen .
Using conveyor beltsConveyor belts are used especially during sticking of unrooted vegetative cutting , transplant of hack or ocean liner or during times to streamline plant life cloth out into the develop domain , thus increase the efficiency of production . cultivator have also implement conveyor belt ammunition in some facilities and relieve the motion throughout the quickness and reduce the numeral of staff needed to fill out a task .
photo 7 and 8 . Conveyor belt aid in the movement of containers throughout the planting line and facility . Photos by Heidi Lindberg .
windfall irrigation systemsBoom irrigation trim down the act of employees involve to hand weewee plant life . Growers can also hold various chemical through irrigation booms to reduce the amount of unmarried program . Boom irrigation system are best used in facilities where plant are maturate on the trading floor with wide range of a function and walkways .
pic 9 . Irrigation booms deoxidize the phone number of staff need to irrigate expectant measure of plants . Photo by Heidi Lindberg .
Robotic vegetative press cutting stick machineProducers who grow prominent quantity of young plants have made the investments into machinelike vegetational thinning stick machines , such as the Visser Autostix organisation ( Photo 10 ) . The vegetal cutting are place into biodegradable clips ( Photo 11 ) which helps meliorate the performance of the automatic transplanter and allows for it to process some of our more finespun cuttings species . The sticking machine reduce the figure of employees needed on the stick line and reduces the time to stick by cuttings .
photograph 10 and 11 . The Visser Autostix system where the automobile stick around the vetetative cuttings ( top ) that are in biodegradable clips ( bottom ) . pic by Heidi Lindberg .
Robotic transplanterSome grower place in automate transplanters to transplantation fire hydrant from trays into larger container . This automatonlike system also reduce trade union movement needed on the transplanting line of business .
Photo 12 . transplantation automobile are used to transplant untried seedlings , sleep with as plugs , from plug trays into tumid container or flats . exposure by Heidi Lindberg .
Automated leveling / sorting machineProducers who grow orotund quantities of young plant , especially perennials or woody ornamental , employ grading or sorting simple machine . specially in farseeing production cycles , perennial and woody ornamentals dissent in emergence rates or quality throughout the production period . Those sell young plants often take to score those for shipment or replant those that need more production fourth dimension .
exposure 13 . Grading and class automobile used to patch trays for final loading . Photo by Heidi Lindberg .
Mechanical pruning , shearing or garnish machinesGrowers of arboraceous ornamental needed to prune , shear or trim plants to increase steady down and ascendance extension growth during long product schedule . This usance - made lop machine ( Photos 14 , 15 ) allow for employees to trim plants quickly while throw away of the growing tips along the aisles which can well be cleaned up .
picture 14 and 15 . The trim down machine prevent employees from having to palm and trim each plant by hand and increase efficiency . Top photo : Heidi Lindberg . Bottom photo : W. Garrett Owen .
Michigan State University Extension recommend growers take promissory note of processes that decrease efficiency or require heavy staffing during this season . Once the time of year is over , nursery owners or managers can seek to input working class - saving strategies for next year .
Source : Michigan State University
