Plantpeddler: Variety day 2023 re-cap
Plantpeddler hosted Variety Day 2023 on Friday, Aug. 4, focusing on the goal of “Testing the Best in the Midwest.” The event highlighted nearly 1,500 varieties of vegetative annuals in large containers, hanging baskets and beds from a global array of breeders, in a vivid array of garden colors. The event reeled in a record number of attendees including breeders, sponsors, brokers, growers, garden center managers and industry professionals.
This year, the focus of the presentations was all things “Bio”. 2022 Grower of the Year, Andrew Butler (Green Valley Greenhouse) led seminars with practical, real-world use and application of bio-rationals and beneficials.
Kevin Johnson (Microbial Science Laboratories), Andy Peterson (Spectrum Sales LLC, Evofactor and BioSupersil) and Heidi Doering (Koppert Biological Systems) also led seminars about emerging technology.
At Variety Day, participants had the opportunity to vote on their favorite three varieties. The winner this year, Begonia I’Conia Portofino Del Sol, is in the 2024 program at Plantpeddler. The day was dominated by Begonias, with 10 of the Top 25 coming from the genus. The remaining 15 represent a mix of Spring Annuals genus.
Plantpeddler hosted a new event on Thursday, August 3, applied named Educate the Educators. The event featured lectures and workshops to help ag educators fund, run and teach horticulture in educational greenhouses. 58 schools and over 80 attendees were instructed by over 25 industry experts.
Plantpeddler Poinsettia Variety Day 2023 will take place Nov. 30, 2023. Plantpeddler Variety Day 2024 will be Aug. 4, 2024.
For more information and images from this or other Plantpeddler events, contact stacyb@plantpeddler.com.
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