GFB新闻杂志

圣诞快乐与日俱增

Posted on November 17, 2021 12:00 AM

By Jennifer Whittaker, 乔治亚州农场局

Logan Thomas摄影

特洛伊 Windham and his wife, Rebecca, of Glenwood, Ga., start planning for Christmas as early as March or April every year. That’s when they order the cuttings for the poinsettias and Christmas cactuses they produce.

They grow lots of other plants in their 48,000平方英尺的温室, but they’re best known for their holiday plants.

多年来, ferns and poinsettias from Windham Greenhouses have made 乔治亚州农场局’s annual convention merry and bright.

If you’ve ordered poinsettias or Christmas cactuses from FFA Chapters in Albany, 哥伦布, 拉格朗日, 梅肯, 蒂夫顿还是萨凡纳, chances are good the plants came from the Windhams in Laurens County.

The Windhams are the third generation to run the family business begun in 1979 by his parents, 拉里和珍妮, 还有他的祖父母, 海伦和艾伦·温德姆.

The poinsettia cuttings ordered in the spring usually arrive from Costa Rica or Mexico by the second or third week of July.

While many families are at the beach, the Windhams and their employees are planting the poinsettia cuttings in 6, 8英寸和10英寸的锅.

“It’s literally Christmas in July around here,” Rebecca says laughing. “I’ve tried playing Christmas music, but they’ve all told me to stop.”

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种植植物

每年, the Windhams usually grow about 6,000 pots of 6-inch poinsettias; 1,650盆8英寸的一品红, 1,000 pots of 4-inch poinsettias and about 800 pots of 10- inch poinsettias. They also grow poinsettia bowls and baskets.

A lot of work goes into growing the tiny cuttings to full, colorful plants that bring joy to so many.

“After we’ve placed the cuttings in the pots, we drench them with fungicide to protect the roots and start them on a fertilizer regimen,特洛伊说. “几个星期以后, when the roots reach the bottom of their pot, we pinch the top of the plants’ center stem so the plants will branch out.”

Then, the Windhams go into pest management mode. 白蝇是头号敌人. 1元买一品红. They keep them under control by spraying or drenching the plants with a pesticide.

“Whiteflies are a pretty big problem,” 特洛伊 laments. “We pull air in [to the greenhouses] with fans, so in late August to early September, 到处都是白蝇. 他们被卷入其中.”

Larry started growing Christmas cactuses about 30 years ago.

“You don’t have to worry about the cactuses like you do the poinsettias,” Larry said. “You can pretty much just plant them and watch them grow.”

They plant their cactus cuttings the week after Mother’s Day because it takes them two months longer than poinsettias to reach their selling size.

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色彩的爆发

Prompted by the shorter days and longer nights that come as summer fades into fall, the poinsettia blooms gradually transition into a stunning array of colors,

“We don’t have to do any light interruption,特洛伊说. “它们在自然循环中开花.”

当一品红开花, the Windhams’ greenhouses burst into varying shades of red, 白色和混合色. The family grows four different varieties of red poinsettias that peak at staggered times from Thanksgiving into December. These include Euro Glory, Grand Italic and Christmas Beauty.

Sitting beside the reds in the greenhouses are the 白色 poinsettia varieties with names such as White Star, Alaska and Infinity White that conjure up visions of snow.

然后是品种, 像大理石之星, Christmas Princess and Red Glitter, 用不同的红色组合, 白色 and pink that resemble candy canes.

The Windhams grow Christmas cactus varieties with red, 白色, 大马哈鱼, 紫色的, yellow and orange blooms sold in 4 and 7-inch pots and 10-inch hanging baskets.

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圣诞节销售

“We start shipping out our poinsettias and Christmas cactuses the second and third week of November and by Thanksgiving, 我们真是顺风顺水,特洛伊说.

The Windhams wholesale their holiday plants to florists, garden centers and to organizations for fundraisers.

“Our biggest sales of poinsettias and cactuses are FFA Chapters that sell them as fundraisers,丽贝卡说.

Some churches also buy the holiday plants to decorate their sanctuaries.

温室总是在生产

一年到头, Windham Greenhouses serve as a foliage broker, 买和平百合, pothos, ivy and numerous other plants from Florida growers and then selling them to independent florists and garden centers.

COVID-19 pandemic increased demand for this side of their business.

“People sitting at home looking at Pinterest was great for our green foliage business,特洛伊说. “The real hot thing during this time has been novelty plants that people are seeing online.”

The Windhams also grow an assortment of seasonal annuals such as geraniums, petunias and pansies for landscapers.

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家庭传统

特洛伊 grew up hanging out in the greenhouses that his and Rebecca’s children, 多蒂和斯托克斯, 现在在.

“我是独生女, so I knew inevitably this [taking over the greenhouses] is what was going to happen,特洛伊说.

Rebecca, who grew up in Dublin, is thrilled to have joined the family business.

“我喜欢在这里. There’s nothing like being out here working with plants,丽贝卡说. “The good thing is I can bring the kids to work with me. 他们喜欢这里. It’s just a really good environment to raise a family.”