Hort Americas

02/04/2026

Check out this win from Hort Americas customer Bailey Nurseries in Oregon…

Their team recently compared the same plant grown under different lighting.

As you can see, the difference is obvious. The plants grown under LEDs (Verjure Horticulture Lighting’s Arize Element L2000 PKR Spectrum) look like they were grown in full summer sun.

Here’s what their GM shared:

“How awesome are these results — I shared it with our marketing department so they knew the investment in new lights was important/critical/beneficial.”

01/22/2026

⚠️ Winter Storm Delays - https://mailchi.mp/hortamericas/mastering-cea-integrated-pest-management-9394589

01/16/2026

While AI and other tech enhancements grab the headlines, something else in controlled environment agriculture is quietly driving innovation.

No, it’s not software, lighting or another automation layer.

This is something many people assume is already figured out. But the smartest growers treat it differently.

They use this item to increase consistency and reduce risk at the start of a crop (while also experiencing greater yields). Because in a market where margins are tight and mistakes get expensive, predictability is the real advantage.

In this video, Christopher Higgins, president and co-founder of Hort Americas, explains the overlooked lever shaping modern CEA operations.

12/05/2025

Most students graduate hoping they’re prepared for the workforce. FoodU students at Auburn University graduate already proving it.

The FoodU program gives students responsibility over crops that feed the entire campus.

The student employees rotate through greenhouses, container farms, indoor grow rooms and rooftop beds, managing everything from propagation to harvest.

Along the way, they work with the substrates, nutrients and supplies they source from Hort Americas, learning how to run systems the same way commercial growers do.

So by the time students graduate, they’re ready to walk into a greenhouse or vertical farm and contribute immediately.

In the video below, Jack Maruna, program coordinator for FoodU, shares why the program draws students from beyond horticulture or ag and how hands-on experience gives them the confidence to pursue roles in CEA.

We’re proud to support Auburn’s FoodU program as they develop the next wave of ag-tech and CEA professionals.

11/26/2025

🦃🍂 Happy Thanksgiving from Hort Americas! 🍂🦃

As we gather to celebrate this special day, we want to take a moment to express our gratitude to all of our amazing followers. Thank you for being a part of our community and for your continued support in advancing sustainable horticulture.

We hope your day is filled with love, joy, and delicious meals with family and friends.

Wishing you a bountiful Thanksgiving!

11/25/2025

11/18/2025

When labor is tight, every minute counts. ⏱️🌱

That’s where smart tools make all the difference like the TomSystem.

In this clip, a worker from Village Farms Greenhouse Grown moves through 1,600 plants per hour using the TomSystem.
No stopping to collect clips. No extra cleanup. Just one smooth pass down the row.

The staples break down naturally so growers save time during the season and after it.

This is the kind of efficiency growers can feel. 👇
Want to learn more? Check the comments and let’s talk.

11/11/2025

Why do new growers often overlook the fundamentals?

Honestly, it’s not their fault.

When you’re new, you don’t yet have the experience to see what matters and what doesn’t. So you naturally focus on what’s obvious, such as the flavor, esthetics, nutrient content, etc.

In this clip, Christopher Higgins, president and co-founder of Hort Americas, shares why this happens and how most growers don’t realize they’re skipping the foundational pieces.

The fact is, the fundamentals are quiet. They don’t call attention to themselves.

You only notice them after gaining experience to know how the market works.

10/01/2025

✨ It’s finally here! ✨

We’re excited to share our free Photobiology Guide 🌱💡designed to help you understand how plants interact with light and how this influences key processes such as:

-Photosynthesis

-CO₂ intake

-Temperature regulation

-Photomorphogenesis

-Plant morphology

-Photoperiod & flowering

-Pigmentation, flavor & texture

-Relative humidity

-Irrigation

This comprehensive document took a lot of effort to put together, and we couldn’t have done it without the incredible scientific research we referenced, as well as the support of Diana Guadalupe Zazueta López, Tom Trush, and Alicia Morcillo 🙌.

We’re proud to make this guide available completely free to the growing community. 🌿

LINK TO DOWNLOAD:

Photobiology is the study of the interaction between light and living organisms, including the effect of light on all plant physiology processes.  Only one variable provides energy for all variables related to plant growth development and health. We know this variable as light. Finding any aspect o...

09/12/2025

🌱🍅 Yes, you can grow tomatoes in vertical farming systems! 🍅🌱

Tomatoes are traditionally a challenging crop for vertical farms because they’re tall, require high light intensity, and usually demand more expensive lighting setups. 💡

But with compact tomato varieties like these, it’s possible to produce fruit in multi-layer vertical farming systems — using the same LED lights already applied for leafy greens and herbs. 🙌

👉 This opens up new opportunities for vertical farming:
✅ Grow more diverse crops indoors
✅ Reduce investment in high-intensity lighting
✅ Optimize existing systems with compact, fruiting varieties

At Hort Americas, we provide advanced LED lighting solutions designed to make these innovations possible. 🌟

📩 Interested in taking your vertical farm to the next level? Let’s talk!

Photo credit: Micro Tom evaluation at Virginia Tech for vertical farm cultivar selection- IALR Danville VA

08/01/2025

🌱 Did you know plants absorb nutrients in very specific ways — and even small imbalances can lead to deficiencies that affect growth and yield? The good news is, nutrient problems can be fixed!

At Hort Americas, we offer short courses designed to give you the knowledge and tools you need to understand plant nutrition and address deficiencies effectively.

💡 Plus, our team provides consultation services to help you identify issues and create solutions tailored to your crop’s needs.

Let’s work together to keep your plants healthy and thriving! 🌿

07/17/2025

Pruning your tomato plants is a simple way to improve airflow, reduce disease, and direct energy toward bigger, better fruit.

This quick pro tip walks you through where to make your cuts to create stronger plants and produce higher‑quality yields.

Want to go deeper on this topic?

Our hydroponic tomato production short course with Karla Garcia, technical service specialist and consultant at Hort Americas, is on Saturday, July 26.

Use the link in our bio to register