savage garden

Announced on September 16th , the governments of Canada and Ontario are investing an additional $9 million in the Ontario Agricultural Sustainability Initiative (ASI) through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership to help farmers enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of their farms. Funding will be used to help with the adoption of new technologies and best management practices to support soil health, water quality, and energy efficiency while increasing on-farm productivity. The ASI programing will be delivered by the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA). The program intake opens on October 16, 2024 (9 am ET) and closes on October 29, 2024 (5 pm ET). Quick Facts: Farmers will be able to submit up to two applications to the program , depending on their needs, with successful recipients receiving up to $90,000 depending on the project category. There are several program categories as part of the ASI program, but four project categories are...

Lewis mite.  Photo from University of California. Lewis mite is one of those pests that seems to go in cycles – some years we don’t see it at all, and some years I get reports as early as August. This year there seems to be scattered reports. Given that Lewis mite populations can ramp up in a warm fall and rear their ugly heads in October, it seemed like a good time for an update on what’s working, and what’s not. Lewis Mite Symptoms and Scouting: Lewis mite is closely related to spider mites ( Tetranychus urticae ) but are an entirely different species ( Eotetranychus lewisi) .  For side to side comparisons of the two species, see this article by UCANR. Lewis mites are exclusively a pest of poinsettia crops in the greenhouse (unless you’re also growing strawberries.)  Early detection is difficult, since the symptoms are rather subtle at first: faint speckling and chlorosis (see picture below), which can resemble nitrogen deficiency . Additionally, the mite is a...