View by Author:
View Blogs:
Has Spring Sprung?
Greenhouse growers are bustling in the greenhouse busy hitting target dates with their spring crops. As growers hope to be filling semis and making more room for another turn of spring crops they wonder: Has spring really sprung?Michigan is the third largest floriculture producer and generally its growers ship everywhere east of the Rocky Mountains. Those that ship south are enjoying the early spring and have shipped significant amounts of product. However, many Michigan growers who service their regional stores, especially 'Chicago-land' are reporting a slow start to spring.
According to the High Plains Regional Climate Center growing degrees map, the spring markets vary across the US. The growing degree days (base 50) are under 100 in northern Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Phenologically, the daffodils and forsythia are blooming in central western Michigan. As of last week, there were portions of the upper peninsula (UP) of Michigan where winter is hanging on and no growing degree days had accumulated. Michigan has had a strong gradient where the UP is up to 14 days behind normal while southern Michigan is 14 days ahead of normal.
The markets have really opened up for the central and southern US. As you get to northern Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Illinois, the growing degree days are between 100 and 150. Southern areas of those states are between 150 and 200. The southern US in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida the degree day totals are over 264. Shipping into the southern half of the US should be very strong.
Running ahead? Keep on growing and check out the MSU Extension article on holding greenhouse crops if spring hasn't arrived yet in your target market area.
About the Author:
Heidi Lindberg is a greenhouse and nursery extension educator based in West Olive, Michigan. She serves growers in western Michigan, especially the dense number of growers in Ottawa, Kent, and Muskegon counties. She provides research-based educational programming and diagnostic support for greenhouse growers in southwest Michigan.
Heidi Linberg
Greenhouse Extension Educator, Michigan State UniversityHeidi Lindberg is a greenhouse and nursery extension educator based in West Olive, Michigan. She serves growers in western Michigan, especially the dense number of growers in Ottawa, Kent, and Muskegon counties. She provides research-based educational programming and diagnostic support for greenhouse growers in southwest Michigan.