January 2025 - 37

BIG GROWER
we have been working on is passing
the torch from the second generation
to us in the third generation. We hired
a consultant several years ago to help
us through the transition. It's been
challenging, but we are proud (of)
how far we've come and will continue
to work together to ensure Walters
Gardens will continue to thrive. "
The sisters' cousin, Ryan Hop,
serves as chief operating officer,
and their dad, John Walters, is still
involved part-time.
" We try not to deviate too much
from (our grandparents and parents)
leadership style, but we're different
people, so obviously there's going to
be differences, " Steenwyk said. " One
of the biggest changes is that my
dad was really one person running
the company, and we have made it
more of a team effort with the three
of us making the decisions together. "
From the beginning, Walters
Gardens' mission statement has
been: " Raising the bar on perennials
together, " and that has been
something that has stayed the same
through the new leadership.
" Internally, this challenged us
to use collaboration and teamwork
to produce excellent, quality
perennials, " Steenwyk said. " We
also continue to look to innovation
by adopting new technologies and
working smarter by better practices
and improving techniques. We
want to ensure the quality of our
perennials meets or exceeds our
customers' expectations. "
A VAST HISTORY
It was 1942 when Dena Knoll,
who had immigrated from the
Netherlands and started growing
plants, hired Dennis Walters to
work in the fields of her family
farm. At the time, Knoll ran a
small perennial business that
she shared with her mother and
daughter, and it became known
as Knoll and Walters Perennials.
Knoll's daughter Harriet
married Dennis, and he brought
his four brothers into the growing
operation. So, when Dena
eventually retired, the company was
rebranded as Walters Gardens.
The company has been growing
high-quality bare root products from
the beginning.
Its first greenhouse was built to
help propagate small plants for early
spring planting and its tissue culture
lab to help clean up disease-troubled
field stock.
" We started growing bare root
product and we still offer jumbo,
fast-finishing bare root product that
(Left to right) Ryan Hop, Christa Steenwyk, John Walters
and Karin Walters.
JANUARY 2025 BIG GROWER 37

January 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2025

Table of Contents
Editor's Report
Intern of the Year | Theodore Salgado
Technology | When are the robots coming?
Labor | Must-have heat safety measures
Trends | A rosy outlook for foliage
CEA | USDA grants for energy efficiency in your greenhouse
Management | Bring on the dragons
Big Grower | Walters Gardens
SGAFT | Sidewall winterization for small greenhouses
Culture Report | Poinsettia 'Red Ribbons'
Forty Under 40 Perspectives | Irrigation at a large container farm
AmericanHort | Top 10 ways you can thrive in 2025
Product Marketplace
Industry News
Events
Classifieds/Ad Index
January 2025 - 1
January 2025 - 2
January 2025 - Table of Contents
January 2025 - Editor's Report
January 2025 - 5
January 2025 - Intern of the Year | Theodore Salgado
January 2025 - 7
January 2025 - 8
January 2025 - 9
January 2025 - 10
January 2025 - 11
January 2025 - 12
January 2025 - 13
January 2025 - Technology | When are the robots coming?
January 2025 - 15
January 2025 - Labor | Must-have heat safety measures
January 2025 - 17
January 2025 - 18
January 2025 - 19
January 2025 - Trends | A rosy outlook for foliage
January 2025 - 21
January 2025 - 22
January 2025 - 23
January 2025 - 24
January 2025 - 25
January 2025 - 26
January 2025 - 27
January 2025 - CEA | USDA grants for energy efficiency in your greenhouse
January 2025 - 29
January 2025 - 30
January 2025 - 31
January 2025 - Management | Bring on the dragons
January 2025 - 33
January 2025 - 34
January 2025 - 35
January 2025 - Big Grower | Walters Gardens
January 2025 - 37
January 2025 - 38
January 2025 - 39
January 2025 - 40
January 2025 - 41
January 2025 - SGAFT | Sidewall winterization for small greenhouses
January 2025 - 43
January 2025 - 44
January 2025 - 45
January 2025 - 46
January 2025 - 47
January 2025 - Culture Report | Poinsettia 'Red Ribbons'
January 2025 - 49
January 2025 - 50
January 2025 - 51
January 2025 - 52
January 2025 - 53
January 2025 - Forty Under 40 Perspectives | Irrigation at a large container farm
January 2025 - 55
January 2025 - AmericanHort | Top 10 ways you can thrive in 2025
January 2025 - 57
January 2025 - Product Marketplace
January 2025 - 59
January 2025 - 60
January 2025 - 61
January 2025 - 62
January 2025 - 63
January 2025 - Industry News
January 2025 - Events
January 2025 - Classifieds/Ad Index
January 2025 - 67
January 2025 - 68
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/january-2025
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/november-december-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/october-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/new-varieties-digital-guide-2025
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/september-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/august-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/july-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/may-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/april-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/march-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/january-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/2024-guide-to-cannabis-production
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/november-december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/october-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/new-varieties-digital-guide-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/september-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/july-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-july-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/may-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/2023-guide-to-hemp-production
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/march-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-january-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/january-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/2023-guide-to-cannabis-production
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/november-december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/gpn-new-varieties-digital-guide-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/september-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-july-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/july-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/may-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/march-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/cannabisguide-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/hempguide-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/newvarieties-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/december-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-november-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/november-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/october-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-september-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/september-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/august-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-july-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/july-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/june-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/may-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/april-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-march-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/march-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/cannabisguide-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/hempguide-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/newvarieties-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-january-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/january-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/december-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-november-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/november-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/october-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-september-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/september-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/august-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-july-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/july-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/june-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/may-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/april-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/californiaspringtrials-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-march-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/march-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/february-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/cannabisguide-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/hempguide-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-january-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/january-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/december-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-november-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/november-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/october-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-september-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/september-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/august-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-july-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/july-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/june-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/may-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/april-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/californiaspringtrials-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-march-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/march-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/february-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/undercontrol-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-january-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/january-2019
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com