savage garden

With July being the beginning of poinsettia season, as well as the time growers are starting many tropical plants for next spring, it’s time to be thinking about managing pesticide resistance . Pesticide resistance readily develops in populations of key greenhouse pests, including Bemisia whitefly, spider mites, and more. So how do we avoid an uphill run on the resistance treadmill? Hannah Fraser, Horticulture Entomologist with OMAFA, shared her decades of experience battling resistance issues in fruit crop pests in a GrowON webinar recorded last summer. For those that missed it, I thought now would be a good time to post the video on the blog. (As always, you can find all of our previous GrowON webinars on the ONFloriculture Youtube channe l .) Keep reading to watch the video as well as links to other resources on resistance management. Webinar Details: Who: Hannah Fraser, Horticulture Entomologist for OMAFA (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness) Hosted ...

This post was originally published on the ONnurserycrops blog by Cassie Russell, Nursery and Landscape Specialist for OMAFA. Commercial ornamental growers now have another tool in the toolbox thanks to the Minor Use Program. LUNA PRIVILEGE GREENHOUSE ® Fungicide label has been expanded to help growers manage powdery mildew and botrytis in greenhouse and outdoor ornamental crops. Continue reading below for an abbreviated outline of the new label. By Josh Mosiondz, Minor Use Coordinator, OMAFA The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) recently announced the approval of a minor use label expansion registration for LUNA PRIVELAGE GREENHOUSE ® Fungicide for control of Botrytis blight and Powdery mildew on Greenhouse and Outdoor Ornamentals, and suppression of Powdery Mildew on Rose in Canada. LUNA PRIVILEGE GREENHOUSE ® Fungicide was already labeled for disease control on a wide range of crops in Canada. These minor use proposals were submitted by Agriculture & Agri-Food Can...

Christmas in July? Not quite, but poinsettias are making their way into greenhouses across Ontario, and they always arrive at the hottest time of the year. Nutritional issues, environmental stress and PGR mistakes can all be costly in this high-value crop. Read on for production tips and how to manage this seasonal favourite in the greenhouse. Only looking for certain information? Choose from the list below: Nutrition Managing the Greenhouse Environment PGR Applications Resources & New recommendations Nutrition Poinsettia are picky eaters – the conditions need to be right for them to uptake fertilizer and avoid deficiencies. Maintaining a pH of 5.5 – 6.5 in the media and using fertilizer with a nitrogen concentration of 150 – 300 ppm will help you avoid most nutritional disorders. It’s essential to start feeding early, about 10 days after sticking, to prevent lower leaf yellowing (nutrient deficiency) and to produce larger leaves at the bottom of the plant. Rememb...

The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $3 million and launching the third intake of the  Agricultural Stewardship Initiative (ASI)  to help farmers implement projects to improve the energy efficiency of their farming operations. To support the province’s plan to protect Ontario, this funding will help local agriculture, agri-food and agri-based products businesses across the province enhance their competitiveness, put more money back into their pockets and keep workers on the job. Funding program details: This initiative is being funded through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. Successful applicants can receive between  $10,000 to $90,000  for energy efficiency improvements, including the replacement of inefficient on-farm technologies, installing geothermal heating and adopting high efficiency motor, ventilation, heating, cooling, refrigeration, grain drying and lighting systems. This third intake of the ASI builds on the u...

Lewis mite damage on poinsettia. Photo by OMAFA. Let’s face it: although Lewis mites ( Eotetranychus lewisi ) used to be more of a cyclical pest, this mite has been consistently bad in poinsettia the last few years . As regular Lewis mite infestations now seem to be the new normal in poinsettia, this week is the time to to start thinking about your pest control plan for Lewis mite . Whether you choose the preventive route or the wait-and-see approach, knowing which strategies and chemicals are working is critical. Read on for tips on dipping to prevent mites along and what we learned from last year ‘s chemical approaches.  Lewis Mite Symptoms and Scouting: Lewis mite is closely related to spider mites ( Tetranychus urticae ) but are an entirely different species. If you need a refresher on symptoms or their biology, check out these posts: https://onfloriculture.com/2024/09/16/lewis-mites-2024-updates-in-poinsettia/ https://www.ontario.ca/page/mite-pests-greenhouse-crops...