The Blogging Nurseryman by Trey Pitsenberger

One issue with HID (High intensity discharge) indoor grow lights has been the energy use. A 1000 watt light uses just that, 1000 watts. This can add up when  it comes to electrical costs. Never the less they are good sellers here at the garden center. You can grow just about any crop under these high powered lights.

Now there is something new. LED lights have taken off here. The interest is intense and its for one reason, energy costs. An LED that puts out the equivalent of a 1000 watt HID light only draws 300 watts. Only a third of the energy! The second most popular size of HID lights is 400 watts. A equivalent LED only uses 90 watts. That’s one quarter of the energy. Quite a savings.

LED grow lights put out very little heat. HID lights put out enough heat to create an issue as far as having to vent the excess heat. They plug directly into a household outlet, without the need for a ballast like HID lights.

Did you know if we shine white light on chlorophyll, its molecules will absorb certain colors of light?  The light that isn’t absorbed is reflected, which is what our eyes see. One reason plants appear green is the color of the light spectrum that is not utilized by the plant is reflected. Sunlight consists of primarily blue and red light mixed together, which is exactly the colors that chlorophyll molecules like to absorb. LED lights put out just light that the plants can utilize, without using energy to shine light that is just reflected away from the plant. That’s what makes LED lights up to 90% efficient.

One other attribute of LED lights is their long life, up to ten years. HID lights usually need to be replaced every year, at a cost of between 70 and 120 dollars. If you start adding up the costs of running a conventional HID system, LED’s over time will save you loads of money.

As for the initial cost for LED I was surprised how affordable they are.  We sell a 400 watt equivalent LED system for under $400. If you add up the costs of a 400 watt HID system, including the light, ballast, reflective hood, etc. LED is actually less expensive at the get go. A 1000 watt equivalent LED system runs$1200, which is a about 1/2 the cost of a HID system. Yet when you factor in the cost of replacing the 1000 watt HID light once a year at a cost of approx $100 each, and the amazing energy savings, as well as no need to vent the heat from the HID light, it will soon  pay for itself.

The changes going on in the indoor gardening market are mind numbing. Out here in northern California the market is booming. I have had two new indoor garden centers open within 10 miles of us in just the last three months.The main difference is we are a garden center, with professional nursery people . They operate out of store fronts or warehouses with unknown expertise. We actually grow plants under the lights, so you can see how they work. They don’t.

We have talked about this market in the past, and how the nursery industry basically allowed the hydroponic and indoor gardening stores to have the whole market to themselves. The Golden Gecko Garden Center is a new breed of hybrid garden centers carrying horticultural equipment for all gardeners. That elusive garden center demographic of 20 and 30 something males that our industry is concerned doesn’t garden? They do. It is now one of our largest customer bases. As a matter of fact, males and females in the 20 and 30 year age group likely account for more than half our business.

After my last post on social media I thought a couple of examples might be in order. The first is an example of how social media makes our lives better. Katie, at Garden Punks is a local garden blogger that has found herself in a sticky situation. She developed bacterial meningitis and is now in the hospital. She is quite literally fighting for her life. I have followed Katie and her blog since the beginning. She has shared the ups and downs of her gardening experiences, which has inspired other young gardeners. She has also shared her life experiences via her blog, and even though I have never met her personally she seems like an old friend.

It would appear that Katie has made lot’s of online friends.  As of this writing she has received over 8000 responses at a website called Caring Bridge. It’s a website that informs friends and family about what’s going on with someone in the hospital. I receive an e-mail whenever there is an update. What an amazing use of social media. It has to be beneficial to have so many caring people pulling for you. This is an example of why social media is so important in our lives. It connects people in a way that would have been impossible in the past. 8000 responses! Amazing. We’re pulling  for you Katie!

Another garden blogger has come out of a prolonged hiatus. Hanna of This Garden is Illegal is writing again after a multi-month break. Hanna is an original garden blogger having posted on her blog for over four years. She found it necessary to take a break for various reasons, which she talks about at her latest post. Unlike Katie, her hiatus was for good reasons. Now that she has taken care of some things that caused her to ignore social media, she is writing again.

Social media has changed the world. In Katie’s example it has brought together thousands of people who have one common goal, to see Katie through her illness and into good health. In Hanna’s case a long break was just what she needed and she can pick up where she left off.

Once the novelty of social media begins to wear off it’s true value can be realized. Making connections. Other than that how often you post is up to you. Maybe you only post once and a while, that’s o.k. since it mirrors your personality. When you need it, the power of your connections can be utilized. The fact that I don’t have to post every day is liberating. Stat counts don’t matter as much as they use to. More important is making connections, and not feeling overwhelmed by it all.

According to Iconoculture, “while more than 400 million consumers are active online social network users, a growing subset are getting off the social media carousel. Many consumers are quitting online soc nets over concerns they worsen their offline lives.” It was bound to happen. Iconoculture continues, “Consumers aren’t ditching digital friendship in droves, but they are getting back to the root of Beehiving^SM — good ‘ol fashioned face-to-face interaction.”

Social media is not going anywhere, but the need to be constantly connected is starting to change.  You can actually spend about half the time and still stay connected. “As online social networks proliferate to the point of bewilderment, consumers are pushing back and reclaiming some of their personal lives from the Web’s entanglements.” 

Just like anything new and wonderful we tend to overdo it in the beginning. After a few mornings when you don’t get out of your pajamas until noon you start to ask yourself if it’s really worth it.  As a small business it’s important to use social media, yet never forget that the customer standing in front of you is the most important interaction. Do you know your customers name?

In the nursery trades we may see more people than other types of business who want to wean off of too much social media. After all the garden is a place to reconnect with nature, and hanging out inside all day socializing takes you away from that.

Came across this novel garden edging idea over at lifehacker. It’s promoted as a green solution. It just goes to show that with a little imagination anything can be promoted as a “green solution.” I like the one commenter that say’s,

“Oh. This is a sin. Old wine bottles need to be sent to a friend that makes wine as a hobby and refilled with the results of their best efforts to be enjoyed by you. Re purposing in fine for sardine tins, soup cans, and marinara jars, but wine bottles serve a wonderful purpose in this world and should be used for that purpose. Drink Up Lifehackers! And Recycle Appropriately”. 

Spoke to The Auburn Garden Club the other day. It’s an annual talk I have been giving for the last 10 years or so. It’s always about what’s new and exciting in the garden center world. This year we discussed starting seed indoors. What with our foray into indoor gardening we had all sorts of fun items that most of the audience knew nothing about. Have you seen rock wool cubes before?

Rockwool is made out of rock that has been heated and spun into various shapes. Considered organic it is used in commercial horticulture for starting seed and cuttings. I had never used this stuff until this last year. My seed success rate when using this is almost 100%. It is used in commercial horticulture and it’s huge in indoor gardening.

Much less messy than using soil less mixes. You can grab the cubes and see the roots coming out the sides, even before they are well rooted. My audience was quite interested in it and I sold out of the dozen or so slabs that I brought with me. While the indoor growing crowd has been buying this for years, my garden club members felt like they we’re discovering this for the first time.

After having been in the horticulture business for 30 some years, it’s fun to see and learn about new things. There is all sorts of this stuff out there. Even if you are familiar with this, or have used it in your operation, most amateur gardeners don’t know about it. There is all sorts of stuff like this to be found. You just got to know where to look.

This magazine, and others like it are free to our customers. We receive them from our suppliers to hand out to our customers. They are a fantastic tool for us. As soon  as we realize that a customer has an interest in the subject matter they get one of the magazines. Our suppliers even have a retail priced catalog that we are able to give to the customers. They often call in orders from the catalog.

Why is it that the indoor-hydroponic community is so far ahead of the rest of the garden industry when it comes to customer support?  The free magazines are of course paid for by the various advertisers in the magazine. That doesn’t change the fact that the magazines are very interesting, with articles about gardening that would shame many others. The last issue of Maximum-Yield contained articles titled, “Successful Cymbidium Growing”, “Next generation of LEDs”, “Moisture Maters”, “10 Steps to Gardening withNature”,”Grow Your Own Wheat Grass Indoors”, and “Worm Power!From Waste to Worthwhile”.

Where is the rest of the gardening industry? Why are the growers and other suppliers we deal with not doing this same thing? Where is the free garden magazine that garden centers can hand out to customers? Our information as well as other suppliers information is listed by state in the back of the magazine. So after becoming inspired by something you read you can quickly find out where to buy the materials for the project.

No mater what you think about hydroponics, or indoor gardening,  the indoor gardening industry is doing it right. There is intense competition amongst vendors and retailers, yet the message still get’s out. Every hydroponic shop I visit, and there are well over a dozen in our immediate area, have these magazines, handouts, posters, etc. The answer on how to attract more people, including the younger gardener to our garden centers is being answered by the indoor gardening industry.

When will we see younger customers walking around wearing tee-shirts advertising their favorite nursery, garden center , or product? When will we see people hanging cool posters in the rec room with fantastic artwork concerning their favorite garden brand? Sure the industry has a certain “bad boy” reputation, which is what makes it so popular with the younger crowd. So did organic gardening in the 1970’s. My how things have changed.

Interesting article in The New York times titled, “The Spotless Garden”. Concerning aquaponics and hydroponics the article discusses, “Rob Torcellini’s greenhouse. The 10-by-12-foot structure is undistinguished on the outside: he built it from a $700 kit, alongside his family’s Victorian-style farmhouse in Eastford, Conn., a former farming town 35 miles east of Hartford. What is going on inside, however, is either a glimpse at the future of food growing or a very strange hobby — possibly both.”

This stuff is so new for lot’s of people. To get a feel for that read the comments. What caught my attention as a garden retailer is the first paragraph of the article. Rob built his aquaponics system from a $700 kit! I wonder where he bought it? Who is making money on this futuristic hobby? Why not the local garden center?

Interestingly it’s Australians who are really into it.  According to the article, “in Australia, where gardeners have grappled with droughts for a decade, aquaponics is particularly appealing because it requires 80 to 90 percent less water than traditional growing methods.” Even though these systems use water they are water saving systems.

“An Atlanta company called Earth Solutions now sells kits online, on Amazon.com and the Home Depot’s Web site. Called Farm in a Box, they range in price from $268 to $3,000, and come with pipes, pumps, frames and fittings.” Did you catch that? It’s on Home Depots website!

I know for a lot of you this seems just so strange. So did organic gardening back in the 70’s. The article continues with a comment from Sylvia Bernstein, with who helped develop a mass-market hydroponic product called the AeroGarden. She say’s, “‘aquaponics is addictive… and it has a way of becoming a full-time pursuit. People start with this little 100-gallon backyard system. But it never stays that way. Next thing, they’ll say, the tilapia were really cool, but I want to grow trout.’” Umm, hobby that has a way of becoming addictive, and turning into a full time pursuit. Sounds like a business to consider.

I realize that this is not for everyone or every garden center business to pursue. If you are interested in attracting new people, especially the young to your garden business a comment from Elsie should interest you.  She say’s, “‘I’d like to hear a bit more about the nutritional value and taste of aquaponically grown herbs, vegetables and fruits. This has just opened a whole new universe to me!’” A whole new universe.

Don’t let your preconceived notions of what it means to garden stop you from designing a business that appeals to a small, but enthusiastic group of people. It will be those who see the future and act on it that will build successful businesses in our industry, which so often seems stuck in the past. Rather than trying to appeal to a large segment of the population, find a niche and service those people.  According to Rebecca Nelson who’s company Nelson & Pade, publishes the Aquaponics Journal and sells aquaponics systems in Montello, Wis. “‘the technology may appeal to a half-dozen consumer types, including those seeking fresh winter herbs; gadget-happy gardeners; and high-income parents and their science-fair kids’. But primarily, she envisions aquaponics as catnip for ‘the LOHAS market, that means Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability — the green crowd.’” Gadget-happy gardeners, high-income parents, science fair kids, and the green crowd. Seems like that is exactly the type of clientele most of us would love to walk in our stores.

My views are from the perspective of a small, independent garden center in northern California. Other areas may have different dynamics in place, so take what I say with that in mind.

This spring will be a lot like last spring. Sales of ornamentals will continue to slide.  Landscaping is dead in the water. Landscapers are few and far between. We have never been big with the landscaping crowd, instead focusing on the retail market. Wholesale nurseries that deal with that aspect of gardening will see a further decline in sales.There are still some landscaping and landscapers working, but it’s a small part of what was at one time a major mover out here. Many more wholesale nurseries are going to go under. Who’s next?

Edibles will be the mover again this year. The supplies that we use to keep the fruit and vegetable garden going will be big again. Organic fertilizers and soil conditioners will again be big movers. Organic are still strong, but people are willing to use non-organics if the results are right. Out here you can’t label fertilizer organic if it has micro-nutrients in it. Labeling confuses, and as people become a bit more savvy they understand that a fertilizer that’s not organically labeled, can still be made from natural products.

Customers are looking for information. The trend in our industry to label generation x and y uninterested in gardening  is about to explode.  Generation y especially is very interested in gardening, just not what we in the garden center industry have come to expect. Hydroponics and indoor gardening are huge, and going to get bigger. Don’t know much about it?  Maybe that’s why you are not seeing the younger generations in your store. Don’t let your current pre-conceived notions about this side of the business take over. Like organics from 30 or so years ago, it’s the fringe gardening element that will shape the future of our businesses. Stop in your local hydroponic shop and check out the free magazines, and handout’s this industry has. This side if the business is enjoying a huge growth spurt.

Color should still be a good mover. People do want to brighten up their corner of the world. Four inch and smaller size annuals and perennials should still sell well. Bulb sales are dead. I don’t know what will energize that aspect of the trade. I am so tired of having to put on sale the majority of bulb’s we buy in. Again, this is California so bulb sales we’re never what they we’re in other parts of the country.

I believe we are about to see a continuation of the explosion of interest in gardening we saw last year.  Never the less it will still be a tough year for nursery businesses that don’t take a hard look at the changes going on, and themselves make some real changes.

Interesting post by Seth Godin on “Hunters and Farmers”. One bullet point mentions, “Hunters are in sync with Google, a hunting site, farmers like Facebook.” Read the post and see where you fall.

Facebook has been fun, but I just don’t spend the time on it to nurture relationships like so many others are good at. There can be whole days when I just don’t want to even look at it. Twitter even more so. Send me on a Google hunt and I could end up anywhere, which is what I like.

The LinkedIn group Garden Centers, Nurseries, and New Media is a perfect example. I started the group, but have allowed others to do the nurturing. They are so much better at it, and the strength of the group is stronger because of it. Something that I spend as little time as possible at is now closing in on 700 members! Discussions start, connections are made, and the group just keeps getting better, with little help from me.

I wonder how many of us try too hard to be good at something that we just don’t do well? How many of us act like farmers when we are more like hunters, and visa versa? Getting to know your nature will go a long way towards making your new media efforts more rewarding.

To check out and possibly join the LinkedIn group go here.

I received a e-mail from a friend in the northern California garden center business the other day. Here is part of it, “How are you doing up there?  I love your website!  Do you do all this yourself?  Seems like a great idea…business has been slow here.  I’m getting pretty tired of it, didn’t make much money last year or the year before for that matter..I’m beginning to think this is more of a hobby than a job!  Hope you’re doing better.”

How many of us in the garden center business feel the same way? I have to admit that I was feeling the same way until not to long ago. The ornamental side of the business has been devastated. We use to carry the standard fare at the nursery. Some of our best sales use to come from impulse buys. Unusual plants like weeping Norway spruce, or unusual Japanese maples could be counted on to entice and sell. Not any more. If I we’re to keep running the nursery the way it had always been run we would be out of business.

We made a choice to change our focus last year. It has changed everything. Your probably tired of hearing abut it, but our foray into indoor gardening has been huge. We actually have winter time business! What’s really cool is the cross over sales we have been making to conventional gardeners who never knew about some of the stuff that is generally only found in hydroponic stores. After my talk the other day to our local garden club the ladies where coming in buying mini greenhouse tops, seed heating mats, smart pots, and rock wool growing cubes. Most had never heard of or seen rock wool grow cubes or smart pots. This is something almost exclusively found in hydroponic stores. The Smart Pots are going to fly out of here this spring! Tomatoes will love growing in these things, and people will love the novelty and results they provide.

Burn out is something all of us in small business have to deal with. We have been able to keep it in check this year. I am fascinated by the new technology and items that we are discovering by getting involved in what was almost exclusively a hydroponic  store specialty. In addition we are seeing an influx of twenty something males and females who are also interested in this stuff. Low and behold “generation y” is interested in gardening. They just have not been served by conventional garden centers. They love all this new stuff!

We are becoming a hybrid garden center. Not a conventional nursery, and not a hydroponic shop in a warehouse. We are here to serve gardeners of all persuasions. Mostly we want to be our areas source of gardening supplies, period. It’s so exciting to see young people who really care about fertilizers and what’s in them. Young people who are growing their first vegetable gardens. Older people who are buying T5 grow lights to start their seeds inside their homes.

I don’t buy into the current trend in the industry to simplify things so as to appeal to the supposed un-interested and non-gardening young. They want information and the tools to garden their way. If you don’t supply it they will head to that hydroponic warehouse to get it. Drop your pre-conceived notions of what these people are up to. Look outside of your comfort zone to find new ideas of how to run your store. It has given me a new sense of hope. The younger generation does want to garden. The older generation does want to try new ways and things to help them garden better. Don’t hang out with the same crowd you always hang out with at nursery trade shows.

It’s a brave and strange new world we are entering. We decided that becoming a hybrid garden center was right for us. It changed the dynamic here, and has given us a more positive future. Our experience is that of one small store in northern California, and perhaps our experience wont translate to other regions or other garden centers. Just thought you should know how we are dealing with these most interesting times.