3 Secrets of Irrigation Water Taking Permits Revealed

Do you supplement your greenhouse irrigation water supply with well, canal or lake water in the summer months? If so, you need a Permit to Take Water! Read on for helpful tips, contact information and commonly asked questions from our engineering colleagues.

1. If you irrigate, from any water source in Ontario, you need a Permit To Take Water (PTTW) from the Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks (MECP). (Not really a secret after all!)

What if it’s a pond on the farm property, not connected to anything?

YES, you still need a PTTW

What if it’s just a sand point well?

YES, you still need a PTTW

What if we take water from a municipal drain or roadside ditch?

YES, you still need a PTTW

You might pull water from wells, ponds or the roadside ditch in times of need. All require a PTTW.

All water sources require a PTTW: ponds, lakes, Great Lakes, streams, creeks, ditches, wetlands, springs and wells. Whether your water source is large or small, you need a PTTW.

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Protected Agriculture Standard: Important Information about Dye Test Audits for Growers

We’ve written before about the National Protected Agriculture Standard and what it means for greenhouse floriculture growers. The standard, which is administered by CropLife Canada, comes into effect January 1, 2024. The goal is to keep plant protection products where they are applied.

In order to purchase pesticides going forward, your farm will need to be certified under the program as of January 1, 2024. All greenhouse growers who self-identify as having a recirculating (closed-loop) irrigation system need to register and complete an audit by December 31, 2023 to be certified. Open system growers will need to obtain an exemption in order to continue purchasing products. Greenhouse grown cut flowers and hoop houses that do not recirculate their water are currently out of scope, but they will be added to the standard in the near future.

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Tips for Storing and Sticking Cuttings this Summer

Over the last several years we’ve heard many reports of poor quality cuttings. There are a range of causes, often due to the interconnectedness of our sector across the world. Staffing shortages along the supply chain and reduced or delayed air transit can affect our shipments. We’ve gathered resources from various experts and tried to compile them here for you to reference. While it’s basic information, it’s good for a refresher and for when things get overwhelmingly busy. Read on for some tips on getting the most out of your cuttings this summer to ensure healthy crops this fall and winter.

Before Cuttings Arrive:

Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize! Now’s the time to prepare for incoming poinsettia and fall mum cuttings. Make sure benches, irrigation lines, drippers and misting equipment has been thoroughly cleaned. Use Virkon or a quaternary ammonium product at the recommended rates. These products are only effective if the surface is clear of any residual growing media and plant debris so be sure to give everything a thorough scrub first. Make sure to rinse everything well after using these products to avoid potential phytotoxicity in sensitive cuttings and young plants. Ensure your water treatment system is working and consider proactively sending in water samples to the lab to identify any lurking issues before the season starts.

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GrowON 2022 Webinar Series: Alternative Ways of Heating Greenhouses

Reposted from the ONgreenhousevegetable blog.

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Improperly ventilated heaters & ethylene damage

Spring is almost here…we hope! We’re reposting this article on poor air quality damage on spring bedding crops as we’ve seen some damage again this year. Symptoms, solutions and preventative measures are listed below. If you think you have a problem, please contact a licensed contractor to inspect your heating system.

Natural gas and propane are popular choices when it comes to heating a greenhouse. The products of burning fuel are carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂0); both compounds we know are good for your plants. However, combustion is often (if not always) incomplete, and impurities such as carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and ethylene (C₂H₄) are also released leading to poor air quality if your heater is not properly vented.

Typically symptoms from ethylene damage and sulfur dioxide damage can been seen fairly quickly after exposure.

Figure 1. Signs of ethylene damage include leaf curling and epinasty, seen here in A) New Guinea Impatiens and B) lettuce seedlings.

In the short term (a few hours to a few days), ethylene damage results in leaf curling, epinasty (leaves bending downwards from the petiole) and flower drop. If the stress continues over a longer period (several days to a week or more), plants can take a long time to flower, or not flower at all. Ethylene levels as low as 0.01 parts per million (ppm) can create symptoms in sensitive species. Levels are usually highest near the heater and can be diluted by air circulation.

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Funding Opportunity: The Greenhouse Technology Network

This guest blog post was written by Dr. Rita Sterne, Project Manager with the Greenhouse Technology Network. Read on for important information about this funding opportunity.

Why do we need a Greenhouse Technology Network (GTN)?

Success for a greenhouse business comes from many things including balancing systems, constant vigilance, and the use of technologies across complex production activities. From tools, equipment, and machines, to methods, systems, and techniques, new and improved technologies must help growers run a profitable businesses in a world where there are increasing demands from society, environment, and economy.

Technological advancements often develop in response to a challenge, but research and development is a costly undertaking for many small and medium sized businesses and some persistent challenges require research expertise that is hard to access. This is where the Greenhouse Technology Network can help!

What is the Greenhouse Technology Network?

The need for new and improved technologies is the driver behind the Greenhouse Technology Network (GTN), a consortium of three research-focused institutions. GTN members leverage their research expertise in greenhouse technologies with greenhouse and related technology businesses to help grow innovation in Ontario’s greenhouse industry.

Powered by funding from the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, GTN members help businesses de-risk innovation activities and help new and improved technologies get to greenhouse growers faster where they will help business thrive and grow.

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Time to Prepare for Spring 2022

This post was jointly written by Dr. Chevonne Dayboll and Dr. Sarah Jandricic

It’s time to think about spring again! This post gathers some of the most important things to plan and prep for in the greenhouse before your spring production begins in earnest.

1. Make sure your inputs are ordered

We can’t emphasize this one enough. COVID-19 and container boat issues are still causing shipping delays that are affecting many industries including greenhouses. Make sure you order potting mixes, plastic trays and pots, fertilizers, and production inputs well ahead of when you will need them. If you are planning on doing greenhouse upgrades in between seasons make sure you confirm delivery and installation timelines with your contractors. Many of them are facing delays too!

2. Now is the time for preventative maintenance

Heat loss from an older (left) and newer, more efficient boiler (right). (Photo credit: OMAFRA)

Now is a great time to schedule preventive maintenance for your boiler, irrigation and shading systems. Make sure that all motors and alarms are working before you need to rely on them. No one wants to find out that their temperature alarm failed on a cold February morning! Ensure you are getting the pressure you expect all along your irrigation system. If you rely on propane heaters for early spring production make sure they are venting properly. Damage from improper venting can present as stunted growth or leaf burn.

Take some time to inspect the greenhouse for wear-and-tear. Repair cracked poly and broken glass to keep heat from escaping. Make sure old torn energy curtains are replaced. A heat sensitive camera can help to identify areas of energy loss and help you plan for energy efficient upgrades in the future.

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Upcoming Webinar – Staying Alive: Strategies to Improve Shelf Life of Spring Crops

It’s almost November, there’s a chill in the air, leaves on the ground and spring is right around the corner! We’re sure that many of you are planning for 2022, and the next webinar in our series should help with your spring preparations.

Dr. Neil Mattson joins us to share his tips for spring production based on his extensive research in ornamental plant production. Dr. Mattson is a familiar face to many in the floriculture sector, and we are looking forward to his insights. Check out the details below, and don’t forget to register!

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Cost-Share Funding Alert: Canadian Agricultural Partnership Intake Opens November 15th

The next application intake for cost-share funding under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) will be November 15 to December 6, 2021. This is good timing if you are looking to implement improvements in your greenhouse for the 2022 season.

Adopting innovative automation to improve labour productivity is an eligible project area. (Image of an automatic cutting transplanter; AutoStix)

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Safely transitioning your greenhouse operation into Step 3

Ontario continues to make tremendous progress in its vaccine rollout. Keeping your greenhouse safe during reopening is a priority for the sector, and having a vaccinated workforce is a key measure in this effort. Receiving a vaccine is a voluntary and personal choice: read on for resources to enable your greenhouse staff to make informed decisions.

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