August 2024 - 27

40 UNDER 40 PERSPECTIVES
eriophyid mites, so we had to adapt our IPM strategies in
order to keep insect populations under threshold levels.
And, while the heavy rainfall we received this spring
and summer helped to improve the drought conditions
brought on by over two years of extreme dryness, it also
led to increased instances of foliar diseases like rust and
powdery mildew.
Challenges like these keep us on our toes from a grower's
standpoint as we strive to produce healthy, disease-free
plants in an unpredictable climate. And the same can be
said about our efforts to effectively manage inventory.
A disease-prone plant like monarda may be budded and
blooming one day and unsaleable the next if we're unable
to keep powdery mildew under control.
Aphids can take a spiraea or heuchera out of inventory
so fast it will make your head spin.
And nothing can wreak havoc on a beautiful crop of
blooming hibiscus like an evening thunderstorm or a
windy day.
LET'S TALK ABOUT IT
When it comes to inventory management, good
communication is essential.
Communication is particularly important for us
at Mariani Plants because our sales team primarily
works from home. This remote workstyle, which began
as a temporary arrangement during the early days
of COVID-19 and has since become permanent, is
embraced by our company and has transformed us
into a team of what I would affectionately refer to as
" overcommunicators. "
It's because of this constant communication
that our inventory managers are able to
provide up-to-date information about the
status of each crop to our sales team
and our customers.
One way we've been able to achieve
this level of communication is through
our use of inventory comments. By
assigning comments like " signs of
life, " " filling out, " " full, " " budded, "
" blooming, " " nice! " and " past bloom "
to each crop of perennials and shrubs,
we can essentially provide real-time
plant status updates.
The bloom period of some crops, like
iris or salvia, can be so fleeting that it's not
uncommon for the comment to change more
than once over the course of a single week. The
process of updating inventory is continual and
constant during the growing season.
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Our sales team is adept at using these comments to
guide customers through the ordering process. A " filling
out " crop of phlox may be suitable for a particular
landscape project but not a retail order, so understanding
the individual needs and tastes of each customer is key.
Timing is also important; a crop that's only showing
signs of life may be acceptable in April, but completely
inappropriate in June. Because inventory comments
alone are not always enough, our tight-knit team also
communicates constantly through emails, texts and phone
calls - and weekly crop photos allow us to bring the
nursery to the sales team and our customers.
When it comes to inventory management, counting
plants is still part of the job. But there is so much more
to this role. We work hand in hand with the growers,
maintenance crews and production staff; we're essentially
an extension of the sales team. This is what keeps me
engaged, motivated and inspired to move forward each
day in this industry that I love.
Krystal Flogel is production manager at Mariani Plants. She
is a member of GPN's Forty Under 40 Class of 2023 and can be
reached at kflogel@marianiplants.com.
Learn how America in Bloom
connects consumers to your
products and services.
Participation in America in Bloom
creates opportunities for horticultural
businesses to showcase the
value of plants and landscapes in
communities.
Learn how at AmericaInBloom.org
GREENHOUSE PRODUCT NEWS 27
http://www.AmericaInBloom.org
August 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2024
