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Entries for Tip of the Week (33)
Feb 19, 2026
Iron and Manganese Toxicity on Geraniums
Technical Services
We field this geranium challenge from growers to identify and correct just about every year: Iron and manganese toxicity.
PROBLEM: A couple of weeks ago, you may have seen the YouTube short that Dr. Will Healy ...
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Feb 12, 2026
What's Causing These Bumps?
Technical Services
Intumescence is a fairly common issue this time of year. Here’s some details on this disorder.
PROBLEM: Cold and cloudy weather means many greenhouses have been buttoned up tight for the last few weeks. While we’ve ...
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Feb 06, 2026
Plant Growth Regulators - Ethephon
Technical Services
This week we continue our ongoing discussions about specific plant growth regulators and how they work. This
time, we’re diving into ethephon.
PROBLEM: Ethephon is a versatile plant growth regulator (PGR) used to improve branching, abort
flowers and ...
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Jan 29, 2026
Dial Back and Dial In Your Water and Mist
Technical Services
Here are some tips on moisture management during this frigid winter weather.
PROBLEM: When major cold fronts hit during January and February, everything slows down. Not just shipments of unrooted cuttings (URCs) and young plants, but ...
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Jan 23, 2026
PGR Liner Dips — Consider the Benefits
Technical Services
Our technical specialist, Dr. Josh Henry, weighs in this week to discuss a topic that’s becoming more and more common but definitely requires close attention and careful selection (of crops and active ingredients): PGR liner ...
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Jan 16, 2026
Algae Control In The Greenhouse
Technical Services
There’s a greenhouse problem that’s not unique to 2026, but it sure seems to be coming up in more and more customer conversations as we get into spring production. PROBLEM: Algae ...
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Jan 09, 2026
Managing Root-Zone Temps Post-Stick
Technical Services
There’s a critical piece of the propagation puzzle you should know about — dialing in your root-zone temperatures. As cuttings begin to arrive, hopefully these tips help your team prepare. PROBLEM: ...
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Jan 02, 2026
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 ...
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Dec 26, 2025
Water Quality & Fertilizer Food for Thought (Part 3)
Technical Services
Let’s continue the conversation about water quality and elevated EC by covering blending water with non-RO sources. PROBLEM: Reducing the EC of your water can lead to a number of benefits. Last ...
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Dec 19, 2025
Water Quality & Fertilizer Food for Thought (Part 2)
Technical Services
The conversation surrounding water quality continues and takes a quick step back to follow up on our tech tip from two weeks ago. And next Friday, as a belated Christmas Gift, we’ll cover blending water ...
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Dec 12, 2025
In late November, we wrote about a bunch of water-quality concepts, irrigation water testing, macro and micronutrients, and so on. Apparently, that sparked a fire in many of you, because Nick Flax received a LOT ...
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Dec 05, 2025
What You Need To Know About BA
Technical Services
Usually our weekly tips are courtesy of Ball Seed Technical Services troubleshooter Nick Flax, but this week Dr. Josh Henry is taking over with some special tech training on a specific plant growth regulator: Benzyladenine. ...
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Nov 28, 2025
Water Quality Deep Dive - Soluble Salts, Macro- and Micronutrients and pH
Technical Services
We’re continuing last week’s discussion about interpreting water test results. PROBLEM: Alkalinity is arguably the most important water quality factor to monitor and manage when growing greenhouse crops, but it’s not ...
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Nov 21, 2025
Water Quality Deep Dive – Understanding Alkalinity
Technical Services
Do you know how to interpret your water quality tests? This week, let’s start with a deeper understanding of alkalinity. PROBLEM: When you send water samples off for testing and results ...
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Nov 14, 2025
Fungus Gnat G'nonsense
Technical Services
Nick Flax is following up last week’s Grower Tip on Rhizoctonia with another poinsettia tip — this time the challenge is fungus gnats. PROBLEM: When a beautiful poinsettia crop is ready ...
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Nov 07, 2025
Disease Pressure On The Rhiz
Technical Services
There are some interesting poinsettia symptoms showing up lately. Here’s why they required a closer look from out pathologists to avoid misdiagnosis of the causal pathogen. PROBLEM: Over the last couple ...
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Oct 31, 2025
Hide And Seek With Bugs
Technical Services
As you and your team prepare for a top-notch pest-scouting season in 2026, here are some tips from Ball Seed Technical Services expert Nick Flax. PROBLEM: A key to revamping your ...
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Oct 24, 2025
Tobacco Mosaic Virus Management Plan
Technical Services
Here’s a helpful tech sheet from the Ball Seed Technical Services team detailing strategies for minimizing the risk of Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) in your greenhouse. PROBLEM: If presence of TMV ...
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Oct 17, 2025
Poinsettia Leaf Spot Pathogen Or ... ?
Technical Services
This week, Nick Flax has been working with growers across North America on an issue that usually arises later in production but seems to be hitting early this year. PROBLEM: This ...
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Oct 10, 2025
Chlorotic Poinsettias in the Fall and Suggested Strategies
Technical Services
This week, Nick Flax is preempting some later-season poinsettia issues related to chlorosis … and provide some strategies to deal with the issue if it arises in production. PROBLEM: Later this ...
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Oct 03, 2025
Lewis Mites Remix
Technical Services
Allow us to re-share the following tips and tricks for controlling Lewis mites on your poinsettia crop. Our technical services experts posted these in the Tech On Demand newsletter almost one year ago to the ...
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Sep 26, 2025
Preventative Checklist for Poinsettias
Technical Services
The season is changing and it's time for a check-in. Keep your poinsettia production moving in the right direction with this week's tip. PROBLEM: An ounce of prevention is worth a ...
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Aug 22, 2025
Take Care of Your Cabbage and Kale
Technical Services
We’re just about to hit fall décor season, and cabbage and kale are seasonal favorites of garden shoppers. However, growers face a couple of pests that attack these crops that could them unsellable. Nick has ...
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Aug 15, 2025
Botrytis Management for Maturing Mums
Technical Services
Nick Flax is digging deep into a disease that’s been reported on garden mum crops recently, which has led to a bunch of calls and messages hitting his phone through the Ball Technical Services “hotline.” ...
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Aug 08, 2025
Root-Zone Management in Outdoor Container Crops
Technical Services
With so many container crops in production this time of year, Dr. Josh Henry wanted to discuss keeping roots heathy when the weather is unpredictable. PROBLEM: Field-grown container crops, including garden ...
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Aug 01, 2025
A Bump In BLS
Technical Services
This week growers are seeing leaf spots in a few different crops. Here's what to look for, some tips for identification, and various methods of control. PROBLEM: The latest heat wave ...
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Jul 18, 2025
Crown Bud Management + Mum Nutrition
Technical Services
We’re circling back on an issue our Technical Services team has covered many times in the past (even earlier this year) because the questions keep coming as temps stay high this summer — crown budding ...
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Jul 11, 2025
An Interesting Summer Pest
Technical Services
Have you had issues with the Colorado potato beetle? Many growers have had run-ins with this pest. This week, Nick Flax from Technical Services shines the proverbial spotlight on this summertime nuisance. ...
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Jun 27, 2025
Mum Stewardship Under High Heat
Technical Services
Here’s a concern that’s come up during one of Nick Flax’s numerous calls with growers across North America: How to beat the heat — or at least manage the problems it can cause — in ...
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Jun 20, 2025
Rooting Hormone Application and Moisture Management
Technical Services
This week, Dr. Josh Henry shares some technical training he's developed to help growers better understand Rooting Hormone. Problem: Without understanding the process of rooting, or the latest best practices for rooting ...
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May 30, 2025
pH Creep in Large Containers
Technical Services
Each week, Ball Technical Services expert Nick Flax shares a concern that’s come up during one of his numerous calls with growers across North America. Today he’s revisiting a spring production topic that can come ...
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Mar 21, 2025
Don't Get Down in the Downy Mildew Dumps (Part 2)
Technical Services
Let’s finish up this two-part tip on downy mildew, a problem the Tech On Demand team helps growers deal with every year. Last week, we shared ID and life cycle info. This week, we’re focusing ...
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Mar 14, 2025
Don't Get Down in the Downy Mildew Dumps (Part 1)
Technical Services
This week Nick Flax is kicking off a two-part tip on downy mildew, a problem the Technical Services team helps growers deal with every year. This week, he’ll share ID and life cycle info. Next ...
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