Michigan Greenhouse Growers Expo 2025 delivers practical production and marketing strategies for next season
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EmailGrowers will learn from leading university and industry experts on plant quality, consumer engagement and pest management.
Michigan’s greenhouse industry advances a little more each season with new crops, new tools and new expectations from customers and retailers. The 2025 Michigan Greenhouse Growers Expo returns Dec. 9-11 at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, Michigan, offering research-based production strategies and timely integrated pest management (IPM) and business guidance to help growers make informed decisions heading into spring.
Hear from these experts |
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Garrett Owen, Ohio State University — propagation and growth regulation |
Plant production, research and innovation
Improving uniformity, crop timing and root-zone management remains top-of-mind for greenhouse operators. This year’s schedule features fresh insights and strategies growers can apply right away.
In “Advancing Woody Ornamental Propagation with Environmental and Cultural Strategies,” Garrett Owen presents new research to refine cutting success and plant quality. He also introduces innovative growth control options in “Beyond the Spray: Ethephon Drenches as a New Option for Managing Growth in Annuals and Perennials.”
Erik Runkle returns with “Getting Floriculture Crops Back on Track,” highlighting making changes to the root zone and environmental adjustments to assist with height control.
For growers expanding into tropical flowering crops such as Bougainvillea, Dipladenia and Caladium, Roberto Lopez offers production tips and substrate considerations during “Tips for Producing Tropical Flowering Plants and Avoiding Caladium Conundrums.”
To strengthen staff skills, Paul Fisher and Nelda Hernandez introduce bilingual irrigation training modules in “Train Your Staff How to Water,” a valuable resource for onboarding new employees.
Jim Faust supports vegetative propagation success in “Stock Plant Management,” where he covers sanitation, storage and techniques to improve cutting availability and uniformity.
Growers looking ahead will benefit from “What’s New at MSU? A Research Update,” where Michigan State University faculty and graduate students share progress on grower-supported projects and newly emerging topics.
Finally, Chris Fifo demonstrates how photoperiod can boost early sales in “Boosting Perennial Profits with Long-Day Lighting.”
Protecting plants: IPM and disease management
Many producers still rank bacterial and fungal diseases as a top production challenge. Mary Hausbeck provides actionable strategies to prevent losses in “Practical Solutions for Greenhouse Disease Challenges.”
For insect and mite control, JC Chong outlines resistance-smart strategies in “Pesticide Rotation is as Simple as 1-2-3”. And when symptoms don’t match the usual suspects, Cindy Reimink and Rochelle Rutz from Walters Gardens will walk growers through diagnostics and testing approaches in “Solving Plant Puzzles: Viruses, Microscopic Pests, and the Unknown.”
These sessions reinforce key fundamentals while expanding skills in real-world problem-solving.
Strengthening farm profitability through marketing and consumer insights
For growers exploring new sales channels or seeking better returns on existing products, this year’s Expo features fresh guidance on building profitable, relationship-driven businesses.
Nationally recognized marketing and mindset coach Charlotte Smith will headline this year’s programming with her keynote, “5 Mistakes Farmers Make That Keep You Broke.” Drawing from her own farm experience and years coaching direct-to-consumer producers, Smith will share practical strategies to avoid price-based competition and build stronger customer loyalty. She will also lead a follow-up workshop for attendees wanting hands-on guidance as they develop their own marketing plans.
Complementing the keynote, Melinda Knuth from North Carolina State University will present research-based insights into how shoppers think and how purchasing decisions are influenced. Her sessions, such as “Warm Glow of Sustainability: How Much Is Social Pressure in Sustainable Consumer Behavior?” and “What ‘Local’ Really Means: Marketing Strategies for Connecting Consumers to Locally Grown Plants,” offer actionable tools for communicating value, improving signage and labeling, and aligning marketing messages with what today’s plant buyers care about most.
Together, these sessions provide a full spectrum of support: from understanding consumer psychology to implementing real-world marketing systems that improve profitability.
Specialty cut flowers: Field to vase quality
Specialty cut flowers continue to present exciting revenue opportunities for farms and greenhouse operations. This year’s track emphasizes quality throughout the production chain.
In “Cut Flowers: Maintaining Quality from Harvest to Market,” Jim Faust explains sanitation and environmental controls that extend vase life. JC Chong covers biocontrol and other management tactics during “The Good, the Bad, and the Bugly: Managing Insects & Mites in Cut Flowers.”
Zachary Hayden simplifies soil fertility decisions in “Healthy Soils, Happier Flowers: Making Sense of Soil and Nutrient Management,” while Lori Hernandez addresses business sustainability through clearer role definition in “All the Hats, All the Time: A Reality Check on Farm Business Roles.”
Whether producing stems for wholesale or farm markets, growers will find support for long-term success.
Supporting the workforce
Continuing an important accessibility effort, pesticide applicator core review and MDARD testing will again be offered in both English and Spanish. Review sessions will take place in the morning on December 11, followed by the restricted use pesticide applicator (RUP) exam in the afternoon. These offerings help ensure safety training reaches the employees who put it into practice every day. Note that this Pesticide Safety training opportunity require a separate registration.
Join us in Grand Rapids!
Whether you grow bedding plants, cut flowers, perennials or tropicals, the 2025 Michigan Greenhouse Growers Expo offers practical education to support a successful season ahead.
Registration is now open! Early birds can save $20 by registering before Nov. 15, 2025. Attendees and exhibitors can find registration, lodging, and trade show information at the Great Lakes Expo website.
