Are you developing a Product for the Agri-food Industry that uses Innovative Tech? Learn more about the CIT Cost-Share Initiative!

Don’t miss the opportunity to apply for 1:1 cost-share funding up to $100k through the Critical Industrial Technologies Initiative (CIT)! The application deadline is May 30th, 2025.

This program is geared towards small and medium-sized Ontario-based companies developing a solution or product that incorporates at least one of these six critical technologies: 5G & advanced networks, AI, Blockchain, Robotics, Cybersecurity or Quantum.

Some examples of greenhouse-specific projects that would fall under this program: robotics for planting or harvesting, AI for sorting on a production line, or 5G connected sensor systems for greenhouse monitoring.

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Producing Million Bells – 2025 Update

This post was written by Abigail Wiesner, Acting Floriculture Production Specialist, with content contributions from Chevonne Dayboll.

With Million Bells (Calibrachoa) having filled up the greenhouse, it’s a great time to revisit our production practices and explore new ideas. This post contains some back to the basic’s information and new innovations for our favourite spring crop.

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New Program Offer from Enbridge

This post was originally written by Abigail Wiesner, Acting Greenhouse Floriculture Production Specialist.

Check out the one-of-a-kind incentive program from Enbridge. Offering 3 times the standard rate for energy efficiency projects. Read on to see how you qualify.

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Strategic Solutions for Substrate Success!

This post was originally written by Abigail Wiesner, Acting Greenhouse Floriculture Production Specialist.

For the last few decades, growers in North America have been reading headlines about the steady decline of peat used for horticultural purposes across multiple European countries. With Canadian sources of peat, and trade primarily between the United States, local growers haven’t been severely affected by global changes in peat use and reduction trajectories.

Even though Canadian growers haven’t seen the same reduction of peat use in the local market, it doesn’t mean we can’t learn from Europe’s goals, decisions, and success stories.

Read on to learn about the benefits of trialing new components for your media mixes.

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Deficiencies Got You Down?

This post was originally written by Abigail Wiesner, Acting Greenhouse Floriculture Production Specialist, with contributions from Chevonne Dayboll.

As we move through production for fall and winter crops a refresher for nutrient deficiencies feels appropriate.

No matter where you are in a cropping cycle, nutrition problems can be tricky to figure out. The good thing is they can be differentiated from disease or pest issues based on a few key observations:

If the damage is uniform and crop wide, it’s most likely a nutritional issue
If the damage is localized or more random, it’s most likely a disease or pest issue

Keep reading to learn more about different nutrient deficiencies and how to spot them in poinsettias and other crops.

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In Case you Missed it, GrowON Presents: How to use Light Spectral Combinations to Steer Plants

This post was written by Abigail Wiesner, Acting Floriculture Production Specialist.

In case you missed the recent GrowON presentation on July 22nd, by Dr. Youbin Zheng (University of Guelph) we’ve now uploaded to YouTube!

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Greenhouse Biosecurity Workshop – Now in Vineland!

Register for the OSCIA Greenhouse Biosecurity workshop held in-person in Vineland, on August 7th, 2024! Seats still available!

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Points for Points! Production Pointers for 2024 Poinsettias

This post was originally written by Abigail Wiesner, Acting Greenhouse Floriculture Production Specialist, with contributions from Chevonne Dayboll.

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, PGR mistakes and early diseases can all be costly in this high-value crop. Read on for common pitfalls and how to avoid them, as well as links to pest management information in early production.

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Garden Mums 2024 – Tips, Tricks, and Production Bits

This post was contributed to by Abigail Wiesner, Drs. Sarah Jandricic, and Chevonne Dayboll.

As we feel temperatures rising, summer is on its way – and so are garden mums! This post has updated information to help you optimize your irrigation, fertilizer, pest management programs and more in garden mum production.

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Save On Energy Webinar: Battery Energy Storage System Safety for Greenhouses

This post was originally written by Abigail Wiesner, Acting Greenhouse Floriculture Production Specialist.

Join Save On Energy, offered through the Independent Electricity System Operator (ISEO), for an upcoming webinar exploring the safety of battery energy storage systems on May 14^th 2024 from 1:00pm to 2:00pm. Keep reading to learn how to register.

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