Mealybugs, which have long plagued tropical plants, are now appearing in a wider variety of crops, from chrysanthemums to poinsettia. On Wednesday, February 11th, please join Dr. Raymond Cloyd of Kansas State University, for an hour-long exploration of mealybugs and their management.
To attend, please continue reading and click on the registration link in the webinar poster or at the end of the post.
Continue reading “Upcoming GrowON Webinar Feb 11th: Managing Mealybugs”Heath Canada’s Pesticide Compliance Program (PCP) is responsible for promoting safe use of chemicals, as well as monitoring and enforcement, to make sure registered fungicides, insecticides and other agricultural chemicals are used according with their legal label.
As several greenhouses (both vegetable and ornamental) have undergone random inspections in 2025, it’s good to be aware of this federal program, and what an inspection could look like.
While chatting with various growers and IPM technical reps this year, I realized some in Ontario aren’t familiar with the American Floral Endowment’s (AFE) Grow Pro Webinar Series. This is an excellent series that shares floriculture research funded by AFE, as well as other topics.
Previous webinars have focused on things like thrips and botrytis control, biostimulants, growing in reduced-peat substrates, and more.
A webinar I’ll recommend for January is one on oomycete pathogens, like Pythium and Phytophthora:
| Ruh Roh, Root Rot! Managing Oomycete Pathogens in Floriculture Production Speaker: Dr. Johanna Del Castillo, UC Davis Tuesday, January 20th at 1PM EST Oomycete pathogens remain a persistent threat in floriculture production, causing significant losses when conditions tip in their favor. In this webinar, Dr. Del Castillo will dive into the biology of Pythium and Phytophthora, how to diagnose root rot issues, and the most effective management approaches. Attendees will gain actionable strategies to improve root-zone health and reduce disease pressure in their operations. When you’re thinking “ruh roh,” it’s already too late—join us to get ahead of root rot and outsmart oomycete pathogens. |
You can find out more about previous webinar recordings, upcoming webinars and registration (it’s free!) using this link: https://endowment.org/growpro
On Wednesday, December 17th, please join Greg Bryant , Technical Lead at Beneficial Insectary, for an hour-long exploration of what nematodes can do, if you treat them right.
To attend, please continue reading and click on the registration link in the webinar poster or at the end of the post.
Continue reading “REMINDER: GrowON Webinar TOMORROW on Nematode Application and Efficacy!”
Just when we think we have Thrips parvispinus under control, a new pest is threatening tropical ornamentals. The two-spot cotton leafhopper (Amrasca biguttula) is mainly a pest of – you guessed it, COTTON – but also attacks hibiscus. Growers in Ontario should be aware of this pest if importing hibiscus cuttings from the Southern U.S., where this pest has currently invaded.
There’s been lots of good information shared on this pest recently. Read on for a summary relevant to ornamental growers, including what to look for, effective pesticides and what actions you should take NOW.
Continue reading “In Case You Missed It: Two-Spot Cotton Leafhopper – a New Pest of Hibiscus.”As December winds down, thoughts are now turning to spring crops. This can include spring bedding crops or nursery plants coming out of their winter sleep. Both of these can bring onslaughts of pests like thrips, fungus gnats, shore flies and even weevils. Nematodes are an important natural enemy in fighting these pests, and are often the gateway into using more biocontrol. But are you using them to the best of their abilities?
Please join Greg Bryant , Technical Lead at Beneficial Insectary, for an hour-long exploration of what nematodes can do, if you treat them right.
To attend, please continue reading and click on the registration link in the webinar poster or at the end of the post.
Continue reading “GrowON Webinar, December 17: Worms at War – Maximizing Nematode Efficacy for Greenhouse and Nursery Crops.”
This year at the Canada Greenhouse Conference, we are featuring 8 stations where suppliers and researchers can give small, hands-on demonstrations to growers. The aim is to teach growers a new skill that can help them with their IPM or production needs.
Read on for more details on the demo topics and where to find us!
Continue reading “Going to CGC? Check out the “Tools of the Trade” Workshop Wed&Thurs!”Part of running a greenhouse is keeping it safe – whether that be from hackers or from invasive pests! We recently recorded a webinar on cybersecurity for operational tech and smart devices – and why small businesses are a prime target. We also recorded webinars on Thrips parvispinus and Thrips setosus, the two invasive pests that have been affecting floriculture crops the past 4-5 years.
Keep reading to get more details on these webinars, and to view the recordings.
Although greenhouse growers’ thoughts in late summer tend to turn to pests of poinsettias, thrips are never fully forgotten (being the #1 pest and all).
Ever since a bunch of new thrips began invading North American greenhouses a few years ago, proper thrips identification has become a necessary evil. If you missed our Vineland/OMAFA Thrips Identification Workshops in 2024, have no fear. Ashley Summerfield from the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre has compiled much of the workshop content in a series of easy-to-follow videos. Keep reading for what you’ll need and links to the videos.
Continue reading “Missed our Thrips Identification Workshop? “How-to” Videos are Now Available Online!”To make sure growers have the latest information on new thrips pests affecting greenhouse crops, GrowON is running a 3 part webinar series on thrips besides western flower thrips. The second installment will be on Thrips parvispinus (also known as pepper thrips) on Wednesday, September 24th with Sarah Jandricic (OMAFA).
To attend, please use the registration link in the post below.
Description:
When it comes to Thrips parvispinus control, many growers are asking, are we there yet? Join us to learn where we are in terms of biocontrol and chemical control for this invasive pest. This presentation will summarize research being conducted in Ontario, Florida and Europe, and put it into context in terms of strategies growers can implement now. Future research directions will also be discussed.
Note, this presentation was given live at Greenhouse Canada’s Grower Day in June 2025. This webinar is hoping to reach those that weren’t able to attend in person!
Time: Wednesday, September 24th, 12-1pm
Registration:
Please register for Part 2 of this Webinar series by using this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_30N3jt1KRbOyva0s7oh5Dg