MEMBER PROFILE 



well-rooted and growing. This careful 

 process continues through the low- 

 light days of mid-winter. 



This and the preference to grow in 

 slightly cooler temperatures adds to 

 production time (he grows cool to 

 keep the plants stocky and is careful 

 to harden off gradually to prevent 

 stems and leaves from being burnt), 

 but Bill feels that the improved qual- 

 ity is worth it He also uses growth regulators if 

 needed. 



Mini-environments are utilized. Ivies, for example, 

 are grown near the furnace within the air movement 

 from the fans. This promotes growth and prevents 

 oedema. Bougainvillea is started in twelve-inch hangers 

 in August, overwintered at 40 degrees, then pinched in 

 spring to help fill it out. 



But he also uses technology where speed and unifor- 

 mity are required. Three houses are equipped with 

 trough benches These work well with geraniums, the 

 leaves of which can shed overhead watering and pre- 

 vent nutrients from reaching the soil. 



Annuals are major — they fill Houses A, B, and C. Cool- 

 ing here is by cross-ventilation. There are three sliding 

 doors across both ends and several along the sides. As 

 warm air rises through automatic ridge vents, cool air 

 comes through the doors: "With no fans or noise-making 

 machinery, the place is quiet and very people-friendly." 

 There's also a roll-up sidewall, so that in mid-spring, 

 with doors open and the wall up and customers with 

 carts in the wide center aisle and material being 

 brought from the hoop houses to keep benches 

 stocked, the place has the feel of an open-air market. 



"If anyone asks for anything, we grow it; we're al- 

 ways finding out about new plants:" dipladenia is a 

 heat-tolerant "California type" that requires minimal 

 care Mexican heather is grown in pots; amaranth, in 

 four-pacs. 



Fall means mums. Asters in 6 1/2-inch pots and cab- 

 bage, and kale are grown as well, but Bill sees mums 

 as Chakarian Farm's signature crop. He grows 16,000 

 (2000 of them Belgian) ten-inch pots , each with its own 

 drip tube. The process begins in May, when unrooted 

 cuttings arrive. Pinching is key — the first pinch is done 

 while the cuttings are still in the trays — which are kept 

 inside the greenhouse (cuttings shouldn't be cool too 

 early). Plants are pinched back four times during their 

 growth cycle — the last may require over a hundred indi- 

 vidual pinches. Done by hand, this is time-consuming, 

 but the results — and the customers' reactions — are 

 worth it. 



is by cross-ventilation 

 With no fans 



or noise-making machinery, 



the place is quiet 



and very people-friendly. 



ooling here jhe Chakarians work to make 



the place attractive and accessible. 

 Again, cleanliness — inside and out — 

 is important: there are no weeds. A 

 canvas awning on the side of the 

 barn facing the road creates focus 

 ("it makes it look less like the end 

 of a barn") and protects waiting cus- 

 tomers from the weather. Even with 

 three cash registers, there are lines 

 on spring weekends. Some smaller products (seed 

 packets, for example) are displayed here as well. 



Between the barn and the greenhouses behind it, 

 bricks are laid in a herringbone pattern and with enough 

 space between them to allow drainage. It's attractive — 

 and people don't have to walk in mud or dust. 



Displays are important. Benches of material fill the 

 areas between the houses and barn and facing the 

 parking lot. A fence is put up alongside House C and 

 window boxes filled with annuals in idea-provoking 

 combinations are hung from it. 



Signage — made by Deb on the computer — is large 

 and easy-to-read. 



Pricing is simplified. All standard hangers are one 

 price. This is also true for 6-pacs and four-inch and 6 1/ 

 2-inch material. "It's less confusing for customers and 

 easier at the register." One very successful program is 

 the VIP Card. Each customer's purchases are recorded 

 on a frequent buyer card. When the total amount 

 reaches $100, the customer receives a numbered lami- 

 nated VIP card. This entitles its carrier to ten-percent 

 off every purchase for the rest of the season. Last year, 

 900 of these cards were issued. 



Bill and Deb stress the fact that the material is 

 home-grown. "This is important. People like this — 

 they like going to a place that actually produces what 

 they buy." 



THE CHAKARIAN CHILDREN— Rebecca, Sarah, Emily, 

 Joshua, and Jonathan, ranging in age from 17 to five — all 

 have important roles here. Although outside help is re- 

 quired (certainly in spring). Bill and Deb see Chakarian 

 Farm Greenhouses as a family operation and view its 

 present size as "about right." But change still happens. 

 This year, the 40'x30' retail space in the barn will be re- 

 designed (pots, tools, and more bagged mixes will be 

 offered) and a door put in the side of the building to 

 allow customers easier access from the greenhouses. 

 After all these years, there may even be an office. 



But the main areas of change will continue to be in 

 improved production and new crops. After all, Bill 

 Chakarian is primarily a grower. (BP) 



"WE DON'T ADVERTISE— word of mouth still works 

 best:" but they market in other ways. 



Chakarian Farm Greenhouses is located at 114 \sland Pond 

 Road, Derry, NH 03038. The phone number is 603-432-9103. 



THE PLANTSMAN 



