Here’s a quick summary of just a few of the topics we tackled over the past 12 months:
Early-spring tips tackled downy mildew vigilance, the importance of identifying mottling and chlorosis early, scouting systematically and remembering that once whitish/gray spore clusters appear, the window for easy intervention may have closed. Nick Flax talked about pathogen diversity, how quickly your crops can get hit and the disease can spread, and protocols for prevention and control to avoid costly losses.
Nick also shared information on phytotoxicity, explaining what can drive injury to crops — like applications on drought stressed tissue — and offered recovery strategies, including removal of necrotic material, resetting canopies with soft pinches when damage nears 25%, and being patient because recovery might take multiple weeks. Our approach to challenges like this always take into account the importance of correct diagnosis but with realistic economic decision points.
Multiple installments of our Grower Tip of the Week focused on water quality and fertilizer management. The article miniseries translated lab concepts and science into grower-friendly practices. We also covered a bunch of seasonal, crop-specific topics that were timely and specific to issues growers were dealing with in the moment.
The early season crown budding content was super-helpful and probably saved a bunch of mum crops— there were a few growers who reached out with appreciation. He explained how cool nights can negatively impact mums, with advice to adjust spacing, feeding and carefully manage crops to keep schedules on track.
Our fall tips demystified poinsettia “crud” — lesions that mimic pathogens but are abiotic — helping growers avoid misdiagnosis and inappropriate fungicide application. This was just one example of how we approach symptom diagnosis, while always advocating for sending samples off to pathology labs. Technical Services works closely with the lab at Ball, which keeps us in the loop when issues are trending so Nick (and Josh) can share the timeliest info in newsletters like Tech On Demand with Bill Calkins.
In 2026, you can expect much of the same from our Technical Services team: Nick, Josh, Nathan and Chris. We'll keep you informed based on what we're seeing and hearing from your professional peers, always framed around the importance of correct diagnosis and use of data to take quick action and make adjustments to keep crops on track.
Happy New Year!