Olson's has rows of large greenhouses, descending down the hill. It's hard to tell what's inside.
Each greenhouse is a surprise. Open the door and there's a sea of color with humid, sweet air.
Some greenhouses are in-between crops. The previous crop grown there has shipped out and they're ramping production to be ready for the next planting in their busy growing schedule. Matt Piscitelli's business partner, Clive Olson, is the son of the founder.
The workers are in constant motion. There are always plants coming or going.
These are New Guinea Impatiens, ready to ship in 3-4 weeks.
Olson's grows plants both for retail and wholesale customers, including supermarkets, landscapers and garden centers. Here plugs are transplanted, in preparation for their next growth cycle.
The camera follows the assembly line.
Matt checks to make sure the plants all look good. There are federal requirements regarding how plants are labeled and packaged for sale. Tags must contain information detailing the name of the grower and its location, size and displacement of the pot used and a UPC code unique to the grower.
Olson's supplies many premium garden centers with Proven Winner plants. Here the pots are filled with a mix of peat moss and perlite, ready for planting.
Olson's also has USDA certified organic greenhouses. The workers in the organic area have to wear hair nets and gloves to adhere to food safety and organic standards. They are harvesting organic dill to be used in Olivia's Organic herb salad mix.
Checking on the boom irrigation during the first part of the cycle is crucial to be sure all the nozzles and jets are functioning properly.
Beautiful Cinneraria flowers.