June 2022 - 27

LIGHTING
BENEFITS FOR WOODY ORNAMENTALS
The pods are used to root and acclimatize a variety of crops, including
lilacs (Syringa vulgaris and S. reticulata), maples (Acer rubrum and A.
x freemanii), oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), Amelanchier
(service berry), Cotinus (smokebush), Vaccinium (blueberry) and pear
understock (Pyrus OHxF #87).
" We have been able to increase the yields of the rooted cuttings, "
Stoven says. " The yields have gone up
substantially because the climate variables
have been eliminated with the pods.
" We haven't really saved a lot of
production time, but we have been able
to reduce the production touches. We are
taking out the guesswork from growers
who would have to make constant
environmental changes in a traditional
production greenhouse. Our growers are
still making adjustments, but they are
taking out some of those variables that
can be disruptive to their day. "
In addition to the LEDs in the
finished plants that were 12 to 14 inches tall, well-branched and wellrooted,
and without providing supplemental light they were receiving a
3-inch dormant stick with roots.
" We found the greenhouse temperature and humidity were fine; it was the
light level that was lacking. Adding the LEDs has proven to be the missing
link with extending the season. By using the photoperiod lights to extend
the day length we have been able to keep the plants actively growing. "
Stoven says he is continuing to look for
Our growers are
still making adjustments,
but they are taking out
some of those variables
that can be disruptive
to their day.
propagation pods, Bailey has also installed
LED photoperiod lights in the greenhouse to extend the day length.
" Our tissue culture lab was always ready to send liners in January and
February, " Stoven says. " Initially we were finding some of the plants
like maples would go dormant after coming out of the tissue culture
lab. Moving plants from the lab, where they were receiving 16 hour days
and 70º F, to a dark greenhouse in January and February put stress on
the plants. The leaves on the maple tree liners, which were a few inches
tall, would turn red and lose their leaves. Our field worker team wanted
ways to extend the production season to
spread it out over a longer period.
" We continue to trial to figure out what
are the best LEDs for the goals we have in
mind, " he says. " We are trying to spread
out the peak demand so the labor isn't
concentrated in such a small time frame.
Propagation is so intensive. Everything is
ready to be propagated in May and June
and there are not enough hours in a day or
days in the week to make it all happen.
" We have been able to roll back some of
that production into January and February,
where it flattens out that labor curve. I knew
there was an opportunity there and it was just a matter of figuring it out. "
For more: Erik Runkle, Michigan State University, department of
horticulture, runkleer@msu.edu; https://www.canr.msu.edu/people/dr_
erik_runkle. Jeff Stoven, Bailey Nurseries, jeff.stoven@baileynursery.com;
https://www.baileynurseries.com.
David Kuack is a freelance technical writer in Fort Worth, Texas; contact him
at dkuack@gmail.com.
VIEW WHAT'S NEW IN THE
2022 Guide to Cannabis Production
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in the fourth annual Guide to Cannabis Production.
The greenhouse industry
continuously expands its
production on a variety
of plants, from flowers
to vegetables, and also
cannabis.
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June 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2022
