The Secret Life of Plant People

There is a whole plant world that you probably didn’t even know existed—it’s my world. I’m looking forward to sharing it with you.

Growers have been on my mind lately, and the variety of ways to grow the food we eat, the plants we buy, the flowers we enjoy. But what are the lives and secrets of these people? Does growing look the same for all plants?

These growing spaces, be it field or indoor growing can vary greatly in scale and technology. There are still spaces that are smaller mom and pop style greenhouses with hand watering by one hose, as well as state of the art environments where watering, fertilizing, and shading are all done by automation from the touch of computer or cell phone screen.  

Much of the food we eat today such as corn, soybeans, squash, and fruit trees are still grown in the field. Crops like tomatoes, peppers and lettuce can be grown in the field, greenhouse and even hydroponically. Just like crops grown in fields get removed or die off at the end of the year, indoor crops usually get removed and new ones planted annually as well. With lettuce and leafy greens, this can even be every few months. In urban farms, the growing can even be done in the middle of a city parking lot or on a rooftop, its not just done in rural areas anymore.

Decorative plants for the yard or home are typically grown in greenhouses and nurseries, then sent to your local garden center or grocery store in the pots they were planted in such as mums, poinsettias, and succulents. Cut flowers are rather different. The main stock plants are kept in greenhouses and maintained by the growers who remove flowering stems for bouquets on a regular basis and these plants can grow for years, like with roses.

Stay tuned for more plant secrets ;) ….