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Poinsettia Production: Graphical Tracking
By admin | August 15, 2007
Now that we have started to pinch our poinsettias, it is time to get our graphical tracking started. We use the graphical tracking to ensure that we are on pace to meet our specs in terms of plant height and to help us make growing decisions such as growth regulator, temperature, and fertility. I have chosen to use the University of New Hampshire FloraTrack system again this year. This tracking system, available through PlantDocs, costs $ 90.00 for the software 
and it only last for one year. The main drawback for the UNH FloraTrack is that it expires July 1, 2008, so you would have to purchase it again next year. Ecke Ranch is also offering a free poinsettia tracking software on their website. It is called On Target and it is a web-based program that you use on the Ecke Website. I have already signed up for the On Target system and I will start my graphs tomorrow. I am trying both systems this year to find out which one I like the best and next year I’ll only need one system.
You can see the rest of my posts on Poinsettias here.
Topics: Poinsettias, Day to day |
August 17th, 2007 at 8:55 am
I’m a soil supplier, not a grower - I’m always looking for tools for growers. Do these tracking tools tell you how tall your points should be relative to pinch height and desired finishing height? Are they varietal specific and based on “real” data or just a generic logarithmic curve based on the data entered?
P.S. I like the new format.
August 17th, 2007 at 7:44 pm
These graphs give growers a target height to shoot for from one week to the next. They track the growth over time against the target curve. A grower will input the start height, response group, expected ship dates, and desired finish heights. They are extremely useful tools. Use the links on my last post to check them out.