Designers Paul Fisher and Maria Kinslow (UF/IFAS) and Bruce MacKay (FreshLearn) encourage growers to link to this web app for easy access to English/Spanish grower calculator tools, training videos, and fact sheets on a wide range of production topics.

The Tools section includes calculators for fertilizer and agrichemical dilutions, container substrates, light levels, vapor pressure deficit (VPD), crop budgets, and water quality. For example, you can calculate parts per million concentrations of fertilizers or how much daily light integral is contributed by electric lamps. The Training section links to videos and fact sheets on production topics such as handling tissue culture transplants.

UF IFAS Extension provides training on use of the website tools in Greenhouse Training Online grower courses (https://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/training), including the Greenhouse 101 course which begins on June 3.

The website is sponsored by industry partners in the Floriculture Research Alliance, the Ken and Deena Altman Online Extension Gift, and UF IFAS Extension. For more info about Back Pocket Grower or online courses, contact greenhousetraining@ufl.ifas.edu.

Greenhouse 101 is designed for people with no formal training in horticulture that work in the greenhouse or nursery industry. Course topics include plant parts and functions, photosynthesis and growth, greenhouse technology, flowering, compactness and branching, irrigation, nutrition, and plant health. 

The course is offered in English and Spanish and runs for four weeks from June 3 to June 28, 2024. The cost is $US275 per participant. All course material is completely online and available at any time of the day, and includes pre-recorded videos, quizzes, and an interactive discussion board with PhD professors Paul Fisher from UF and Brian Pearson from Oregon State University. Two new modules are activated each week during the course, for a total of eight learning modules. Instruction is at your own pace and time within the 4 weeks of the course, with a typical time commitment of about 4 hours per week. Click here to register: http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/training/.

We offer a 20% discount when you register 5 or more staff. For more information, including discounts for multiple registrations email us at: greenhousetraining@ifas.ufl.edu.

Although plenty of Florida’s craft brewers advertise their libations as brewed with state-grown ingredients, a vital ingredient – hops – is not readily available within the Sunshine State. A University of Florida study currently underway, however, may help pave the way for a robust crop of Florida-grown hops.

Researchers with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) believe they have identified a method for making hop-growing viable despite Florida’s incompatible climate: greenhouses.

“This has never been done in Florida,” said Katherine Thompson-Witrick, an assistant professor in the UF/IFAS food science and human nutrition department and the leader of the study.

Hers is a potentially impactful endeavor.

In 2021, the Florida craft brewing industry generated $4.1 billion for the state, the fourth-largest amount in the country, according to the Brewers Association, a Colorado-based organization that monitors the industry.

Since January 2023, when the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services awarded Thompson-Witrick and her team a grant, they have harvested two crops of hops from a greenhouse at the UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka. In June, they hope to harvest again. Their objective is to develop cultivation practices that maximize aromatic and flavor characteristics comparable to those associated with traditional craft beer-brewing regions like Yakima Valley in Washington.

Thompson-Witrick’s team planted 20, 2-inch-tall seedlings of Cascade and Chinook varieties in April 2023. By July 2023, the plants had reached 20 feet tall, and the vines had to be manually separated to prevent them from becoming tangled.

“We saw a substantial amount of growth in the first nine months of this project, which is really outstanding and amazing for us,” Thompson-Witrick said.

The key was supplemental lighting installed within the greenhouse. Hops grow best when afforded at least 16 hours of sunlight, which is available at latitudes of 35 degrees and above; Florida’s uppermost latitude reaches just 31 degrees. The UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Balm has conducted breeding studies to develop Florida-compatible hops capable of adapting to the state’s shorter days. 

Based on Thompson-Witrick’s preliminary research, the growth and flowering rates of the Apopka plants suggest her method could obtain the same yield of hops – per plant – as Yakima Valley.

But is the product as appealing to the senses?

Thompson-Witrick uses a gas chromatography mass spectrometer to detect the chemical compounds contained within the hops, the alpha and beta assets that quantify how bitter a beer brewed from them would be. For a more subjective analysis, she recruited human volunteers.

Throughout UF’s spring semester, 14 students met regularly to pry open the lids of condiment containers and carefully stick their noses inside. 

The contents, resembling shredded alfalfa, were heady, but layered beneath the strong earthy odor were hints of citrus, spice and floral notes. Students took deep sniffs and recorded the strength of the various scents they detected. They smelled both the Apopka hops as well as commercial ones, but they did not know which hops were which. 

The repeated sensory trainings will eventually lead to official blind testing and comparison between commercial varieties and Thompson-Witrick’s product. 

“We want to disseminate our findings to growers to help with diversifying the state’s agricultural crops and to provide information that would be critical to further cultivating hops,” she said.

ABOUT UF/IFAS
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents. 

ifas.ufl.edu  |  @UF_IFAS

Hydroponic Vegetable Production Starts November 13!

Learn to manage different hydroponics systems, as well as the fundamentals of climate, water, nutrition, and plant health in these systems. Hydroponic Vegetable is part of the award-winning Greenhouse Online Training courses offered by the University of Florida IFAS Extension. This intermediate course is designed for growers with some experience and training. Topics covered include hydroponics growing systems and structures, specific vegetable crop examples, business management, and food safety. The course is offered in English and Spanish. Rated 4.4 out of 5 by grower participants, with an 83% graduation rate last year! Over 190 growers have successfully taken this course.

The course is taught by a team of instructors from the University of Florida and Cornell University led by Bob Hochmuth and Dr. Tatiana Sanchez-Jones at UF/IFAS. Past participants have liked that it was “a well-done course with plenty of relevant information for all aspects of hydroponic growing throughout the industry” and described instructors as “attentive, responsive, and enthusiastic”.

The course runs from November 13 to December 15, 2023. The cost is $US265 per participant, with a 20% discount if you register 5 or more. All course material is completely online and available at any time of the day, and includes pre-recorded videos, an interactive discussion board with PhD professors, and quizzes. Two new modules are activated each week during the course, for a total of 8 learning modules. Instruction is at your own pace and time within the 4 weeks of the course, with a typical time commitment of about 4 hours per week.

Click here to register (http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/training/).

For more information, go to http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/training/, or contact Greenhouse Training, Environmental Horticulture, University of Florida, USA, Email: greenhousetraining@ifas.ufl.edu.

PhD instructors include Paul Fisher from University of Florida, Erik Runkle and Roberto Lopez from Michigan State University, Jim Faust from Clemson University, John Erwin from University of Maryland,
Jennifer Boldt and Kale Harbick from USDA-ARS, Charlie Hall from Texas A&M, as well as environmental control experts from Argus, Priva, and Wadsworth. This well-rounded team will help you select and operate climate control equipment and sensors for ideal crop growth.

The course runs from October 16 to November 10, 2023. The cost is $US265 per participant, with a 20% discount if you register 5 or more. All course material is completely online and available at any time of the day, and includes pre-recorded videos, an interactive discussion board with PhD professors and industry experts, and quizzes. Two new modules are activated each week during the course, for a total of 8 learning modules. Instruction is at your own pace and time within the 4 weeks of the course, with a typical time commitment of about 6 hours per week. Our courses are highly rated by participants with over 80% completion, and your resume will be enhanced with a customized certificate of completion from UF. Click here to register (http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/training/).

For more information, go to http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/training/, or contact Greenhouse Training, Environmental Horticulture, University of Florida, USA, Email: greenhousetraining@ifas.ufl.edu. The course is supported by the American Floral Endowment and the USDA-ARS Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative.

The course is offered in English and Spanish. Rated 4.2 out of 5 by grower participants, with over 80%
graduation rate last year! Over 480 growers have successfully taken this course.

Dr. Carrie Harmon, Director of the UF/IFAS Plant Diagnostic Center in Gainesville, FL and Co-Director of the National Plant Diagnostic Network, teaches the course. Growers have described the training as “detailed but digestible, with an emphasis on practical, field-applicable knowledge”, and that the course material “is very dynamic, which makes it easy to understand and apply to our day-to-day work in the greenhouse.”

The course runs from September 11 to October 6, 2023. The cost is $US265 per participant, with a 20%
discount if you register 5 or more. All course material is completely online and available at any time of the day, and includes pre-recorded videos, an interactive discussion board with PhD professors, and quizzes. Two new modules are activated each week during the course, for a total of 8 learning modules. Instruction is at your own pace and time within the 4 weeks of the course, with a typical time commitment of about 6 hours per week.

Click here to register (http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/training/).

Disease Management is one of six courses that counts towards the Plant Health Professional certificate
offered by University of Florida UF IFAS Extension (UF Greenhouse Training Online) and the Michigan State University Floriculture Program Extension (MSU Online College of Knowledge) to help greenhouse clientele grow their career in plant health management.

For more information, go to http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/training/, or contact Greenhouse Training, Environmental Horticulture, University of Florida, USA, Email: greenhousetraining@ifas.ufl.edu.

The course runs from August 14 to September 8, 2023. The cost is $US530 per participant, with a 20%
discount if you register 5 or more. All course material is completely online and available at any time of the day, and includes pre-recorded videos, an interactive discussion board with PhD professors, and quizzes. Two new modules are activated each week during the course, for a total of 8 learning modules. Instruction is at your own pace and time within the 4 weeks of the course, with a typical time commitment of about 6 hours per week.
Click here to register (http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/training/).

For more information, go to http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/training/, or contact Greenhouse Training, Environmental Horticulture, University of Florida, USA, Email: greenhousetraining@ifas.ufl.edu.

Nutrient Management Level 1 Starts July 10!

One of the biggest factors affecting the success of your crop is correctly managing nutrients in the root zone. Nutrient Management Level 1 is part of the award-winning Greenhouse Online Training program offered by the University of Florida IFAS Extension. This course is intermediate level and designed for people with some experience or entry university level, who are in production, technical, or sales role for greenhouse and nursery crops. Topics covered include common nutrient problems, essential nutrients, fertilizer types, growing media, and testing (soil, nutrient solution and tissue). The course is offered in English and Spanish. Rated 4.4 out of 5 by grower participants, with over 90% graduation rate last year! Over 900 growers have successfully taken this course.

The course runs from July 10 to August 4, 2023. The cost is $US265 per participant, with a 20% discount if you register 5 or more. All course material is completely online and available at any time of the day, and includes pre-recorded videos, an interactive discussion board with PhD professors, and quizzes. Two new modules are activated each week during the course, for a total of 8 learning modules. Instruction is at your own pace and time within the 4 weeks of the course, with a typical time commitment of about 6 hours per week. Click here to register.

Nutrient Management 1 is one of six courses that counts towards the Plant Health Professional certificate offered by University of Florida UF IFAS Extension (UF Greenhouse Training Online) and the Michigan State University Floriculture Program Extension (MSU Online College of Knowledge) to help greenhouse clientele grow their career in plant health management.

For more information, go to http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/training/, or contact Greenhouse Training, Environmental Horticulture, University of Florida, USA, Email: greenhousetraining@ifas.ufl.edu.

Each course is completely online, and includes pre-recorded videos, an interactive discussion board with PhD professors, supporting educational material and quizzes. The course material is available any time of the day, and two new modules are activated each week during the course for the four weeks of each course, for a total of 8 learning modules. Experienced university instructors are available to help, and graduates receive a personalized certificate of completion. There is a course for every level of knowledge and skill. This year features a new advanced course, Environmental Crop Management, that will teach you underlying principles of plant physiology and how concepts such as vapor pressure deficit apply to greenhouse climate control.

Greenhouse 101 teaches the underlying horticultural science of plant growth to growers who lack a formal training in horticulture and is a great introduction to the program. If you are interested in exploring the horticulture industry and have no previous education, this is the course for you! Topics included are plant parts, photosynthesis and growth, greenhouse technology, flowering, compactness, branching, irrigation, nutrition, and plant health.

Join the over 3800 growers who have successfully graduated from Greenhouse Training Online courses. We have an 80% completion rate, and our participants provide positive reviews: “Thanks for the opportunity to continue each of our educations with a realistic and flexible program to successfully complete while working full time”, “Courses are very well crafted by growers for growers.”

Supervisors that have enrolled their employees also said: “The courses helped our team understand a lot of the work we do in a much more holistic way.”

We offer a 20% discount when you register 5 or more. For more information, including discounts for multiple registrations email us at: greenhousetraining@ifas.ufl.edu.

Irrigation Water Quality & Treatment starts November 12!

Interpret water quality tests for irrigation of greenhouse and nursery crops, select appropriate water treatment technologies, and design a water treatment and monitoring system. Irrigation Water Quality & Treatment is the final course for 2022 of the award-winning Greenhouse Online Training offered by the University of Florida IFAS Extension. This advanced course is designed for experienced growers or technical managers. Lessons are offered in English and Spanish, and are taught by professors from six universities in the United States.

The course runs from November 14 to December 16, 2022 (no classes over Thanksgiving week). The cost is US$249 per participant, with a 20% discount if you register five or more. All course material is completely online and available at any time of the day, and includes pre-recorded videos, an interactive discussion board with PhD professors, and quizzes. Two new modules are activated each week during the course, for a total of 8 learning modules. Instruction is at your own pace and time within the 4 weeks of the course, with a typical time commitment of about 6 hours per week. Click here to register (http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/training/).

Irrigation Water Quality & Treatment counts towards the new Plant Health Professional certification program launched in July 2022. This program is supported by University of Florida UF IFAS Extension (UF Greenhouse Training Online) and the Michigan State University Floriculture Program Extension (MSU Online College of Knowledge) for greenhouse clientele successfully completing several existing courses from the two programs.

For more information, including discounts for registering multiple staff, email us at greenhousetraining@ifas.ufl.edu, or visit http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/training/.

Spanish translation is suported by a grant from the American Floral Endowment

Weed Management

An intermediate level course that teaches all aspects of weed management in nurseries and greenhouses, including weed identification, developing herbicide programs, and the latest non-chemical methods of weed control that work. Rated 4.4 out of 5 by grower participants.

Hydroponic Vegetable Production

An intermediate level course where you will learn to manage different hydroponics systems, as well as the fundamentals of climate, water, nutrition, and plant health in these systems. The course also teaches business management and food safety. Rated 4.4 out of 5 by grower participants.

Weed Management runs from October 17 to November 11, 2022 and has been approved for CEUs in the state of Florida. It counts towards the new Plant Health Professional certification and is taught by Dr. Chris Marble, Associate Professor of ornamental and landscape weed management at the University of Florida. Growers in the course have described him as “very methodical and easy to learn from” who presents “very practical information that can be applied to a huge range of growing situations.”

Hydroponic Vegetable Production runs from October 17 to November 11, 2022. The team of instructors is led by Bob Hochmuth and Dr. Tatiana Sanchez-Jones at UF/IFAS. Past participants have liked “how the course has stimulating content that walked me through all aspects of hydroponics” and described instructors as “attentive, responsive, and enthusiastic”.

Each course costs US$249 per participant, with a 20% discount if you register 5 or more. All course material is completely online and available at any time of the day, and include pre-recorded videos, an interactive discussion board with PhD professors, and quizzes. Course material is available in English and in Spanish, and two new modules are activated each week during each course, for a total of 8 learning modules. Click here to register (http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/training/) and for more information. Or email us at greenhousetraining@ifas.ufl.edu.

Disease Management starts September 19!

Improve your prevention and management of diseases in nurseries and greenhouses by registering for Disease Management, the fourth course of the award-winning Greenhouse Online Training courses offered by the University of Florida IFAS Extension. This intermediate course is designed for growers with some experience and training. Topics covered include how to differentiate between a disease and other issues, disease prevention tips, organic and conventional disease management options, and how to safely apply and handle fungicides. The course is offered in English and Spanish. 

Dr. Carrie Harmon, Director of the UF/IFAS Plant Diagnostic Center in Gainesville, FL and Co-Director of the National Plant Diagnostic Network teaches the course. Growers have described the training as “detailed but digestible, with an emphasis on practical, field-applicable knowledge”, and that it helped them “feel more capable identifying disease problems, and less intimidated by the disease books on the shelf.”

The course runs from September 19 to October 14, 2022. The cost is US$249 per participant, with a 20% discount if you register five or more. All course material is completely online and available at any time of the day, and includes pre-recorded videos, an interactive discussion board with PhD professors, and quizzes. Two new modules are activated each week during the course, for a total of 8 learning modules. Instruction is at your own pace and time within the 4 weeks of the course, with a typical time commitment of about 6 hours per week. Click here to register (http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/training/).

Disease Management is one of the courses included in the new Plant Health Professional certification program launched in July 2022. This program is supported by University of Florida UF IFAS Extension (UF Greenhouse Training Online) and the Michigan State University Floriculture Program Extension (MSU Online College of Knowledge) for greenhouse clientele successfully completing several existing courses from the two programs.

For more information, including discounts for registering multiple staff, email us at greenhousetraining@ifas.ufl.edu, or visit http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/training/.

Nutrient Management Level 2 (Advanced) Starts August 22!

Train your staff to make better crop management decisions by learning in depth aspects of plant nutrition management. Nutrient Management Level 2 (Advanced) is the third course of the award-winning Greenhouse Online Training program offered by the University of Florida IFAS Extension. This course is advanced level and designed for an experienced, well-trained greenhouse or nursery grower of transplants, ornamental or vegetable crops. Topics covered include fertilizer calculations, pH management, how to formulate your own fertilizer from individual salts, and diagnose nutritional problems and take corrective actions. The course is offered in English and Spanish. Rated 4.5 out of 5 by grower participants.

The course runs from August 22 to September 16. The cost is $US249 per participant, with a 20% discount if you register 5 or more. All course material is completely online and available at any time of the day, and includes pre-recorded videos, an interactive discussion board with PhD professors, fertilizer assignment and quizzes. Two new modules are activated each week during the course, for a total of 8 learning modules. Instruction is at your own pace and time within the 4 weeks of the course, with a typical time commitment of about 6 hours per week. Click here to register (http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/training/).

For more information, go to http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/training/, or contact Greenhouse Training, Environmental Horticulture, University of Florida, USA, Email: greenhousetraining@ifas.ufl.edu.

Over 4,000 growers have already graduated from individual courses through the UF/IFAS Extension Greenhouse Training Online and the MSU College of Knowledge programs. Under the new collaboration, growers who pass five courses in plant health in these programs can obtain a new certificate of completion that recognizes their training, skills and dedication, and will help them grow in their careers.

“We are developing a training curriculum for horticulture professionals already working in industry,” said Paul Fisher, UF/IFAS environmental horticulture professor and floriculture Extension specialist. “Online works well for growers who are already living the ‘how-to’ of horticulture but benefit from understanding the ‘why’ of their decision-making from the underlying science.”

Heidi Lindberg, greenhouse and nursery educator with MSU Extension, emphasized the role she’s seen the College of Knowledge program play in building foundational knowledge for newer industry professionals, as well.

“The online floriculture College of Knowledge program has provided a broad audience from 39 countries and 46 U.S. states the introductory knowledge in greenhouse production,” Lindberg said. “It has been very successful in training those new to the industry or those changing careers. It provides a great foundation that professionals can then use to build real-life experience.”

The new collaboration also has the potential to reach even larger audiences, thanks not only to its online format, but also its bilingual presentation offerings.

“This program checks off several boxes for modern Extension,” said Saqib Mukhtar, the UF/IFAS associate dean for Extension, agriculture and natural resources. “That includes English and Spanish languages; online and available any time of day; collaboration by leading universities for national and international impact; and high-quality training by leading experts”.

Growers must pass five of six courses, which include:

• Nutrient management 1 (UF)
• Disease management (UF)
• Weed management (UF)
• Water quality and treatment (UF)
• Abiotic disorders (MSU/University of Kentucky)
• Biological control (MSU/Kansas State University)

Growers sign up for individual courses through the UF (hort.ifas.ufl.edu/training) and MSU websites (canr.msu.edu/online-college-of-knowledge). Email greenhousetraining@ifas.ufl.edu once five courses are successfully completed, and growers can obtain their certificate of completion at an annual graduation ceremony (the first graduates are expected in July 2023). 

The first course in the series for 2022 is Nutrient Management Level 1, which begins on July 11.For more information, contact greenhousetraining@ifas.ufl.edu. Greenhouse Training Online is supported by a grant from the American Floral Endowment and by the Floriculture Research Alliance (floriculturealliance.org).

ABOUT UF/IFAS
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents. 

ifas.ufl.edu  |  @UF_IFAS