Hort Americas

07/21/2026

In 2012, Ketan Sodha left the crowds and chaos of Mumbai, India, for Mahabaleshwar, a small mountain town renowned for its evergreen forests, to grow strawberries.

Ketan knew nothing about the crop, and his first year was a disaster.

Still, he kept driving from Mumbai every weekend to talk with local farmers, trying to learn what he could. The more his crop failed, the more the farmers laughed at him, telling him to stick to city life.

Ketan refused. Determined to figure it out, he turned to the library to read every book on plant pathology and physiology he could find.

The effort paid off.

Within a year, his strawberry crop had improved so dramatically that the same farmers who once laughed at him started asking questions.

By 2015, a group of farmers who watched his turnaround asked to work with him. Over the next several years, Ketan’s small strawberry patch grew into a 22-acre operation that produced 3 tons of fruit a day by 2021-22, using self-imported frigo plants from Emco Cal.

But growth brought new problems. In 2023, back-to-back seasons of unseasonal heavy rain wiped out his crop. Ketan used the downtime to consult with strawberry growers worldwide, but found most of their methods didn’t translate to his climate.

So he searched for a teacher familiar with the strawberries he grew. Since Ketan worked primarily with Florida varieties and English wasn’t a barrier, the U.S. was the natural fit — leading him to Hort Americas.

Even after years of hands-on experience, Ketan still lacked a reliable nutrient recipe. This is where Karla Garcia’s strawberry short course became invaluable.

The video above shares what Ketan gained from Karla’s teachings.

Want to go through the same short course that worked so well for Ketan? Karla is teaching it live on Friday, July 31, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. (Central Time). You can attend virtually on Zoom.

You’ll learn the essentials of successful strawberry production from hydroponic system selection and substrate to nutrient requirements and rootzone environment for greenhouse growth.

Spots are limited. Use the link in the bio to learn more and register today.

07/17/2026

Organic nitrogen products with organic certifications are limited. And those that are certified normally contain either a low amount of nitrogen or are often formulated with the larger field farming industry in mind. This is a problem if you grow organically in a greenhouse or controlled environment.

In this video, Chris Higgins, president and co-founder at Hort Americas, explains the two primary nitrogen sources and why the difference matters more in a greenhouse or hydroponic system than it does in a field.

Ammonium nitrate binds to soil or growing media. It needs bacteria to drive the nitrification process before the nitrogen becomes available to plant roots. This slow release is an advantage for field farmers working on longer growing cycles, and why ammonium nitrate is the most common (and least expensive) nitrogen source in traditional agriculture.

Nitrate nitrogen is highly water-soluble and immediately available to plant roots. In a field, that’s a liability because it can move past the root zone before the plant uses it. But in a closed-loop irrigation system, where leachate is captured and reapplied, that same solubility becomes an advantage. CEA growers get nitrogen the plant can use right away, without worrying about it washing out of reach.

OAN 10 (now available in 1-gallon jugs with free shipping, in addition to 270-gallon totes) is formulated with both. The liquid organic nitrogen combines the slow-release binding of ammonium nitrate with the immediate availability of nitrate nitrogen.

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.