Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Going Green

Slowly, the floral industry is going green. Ironic isn't it? An industry based on nature's beauty also incorporates some of the worst practices. The chemical controls of the past are slowly changing to more natural controls of pests. As the consumer because more educated to the dangers of such products, so does the need for safer methods of keeping these pests and problems in check in order to grow a quality product. I always use the rabbit analogy, rabbits on an island with no foxes will quickly breed and multiple to an overwhelming population, eventually causing disease and death. A greenhouse gives safe haven and an "island" to many pests which take advantage of no "foxes".

One of the growers from whom we buy popular items such as begonias, tulips, kalanchoe and geraniums has started to use biological controls such as predator insects to help control these possible population explosions. Every week, an analysis is done using factors such as crop varieties, weather conditions and indoor conditions to properly disperse thousands of insects to control pests so that chemicals need not be used.

Being green does come with a price, that is something we must keep in mind. Isn't it worth paying a little bit more to get a quality product which have been grown in conditions agreable with nature and with inside of your home?