Now that poinsettias are safely tucked into their prop trays and the threat of Erwinia (Pectobacterium) is almost over, it’s time to think about other Poinsettia issues.
Root rots, nutritional issues, environmental stress and PGR mistakes can all be costly in this high-value crop. Read on for common pitfalls and how to avoid them.
The floriculture industry in Ontario seems to have mostly avoided heavy aphid AND thrips pressure this spring/summer. But from everything I’ve been hearing, we are NOT going to be that lucky with whitefly on poinsettia this year.
This post goes over preventative measures that should be taken as soon as cuttings come in the door, biocontrol programs for whitefly on poinsettia, and WHEN and WHAT to spray for this so you can avoid resistance issues.
Continue reading “Worried About Whitefly? Control Strategies in Poinsettia for 2018.”
New to a thrips biological control program for chrysanthemums, or just need a refresher on the most effective strategies currently being used in the industry? Then watching the Greenhouse Canada Webinar, “Tips for Thrips Control: From Propagation to Pocketbook” is a good place to start.
Keep reading for the webinar link and some chrsysanthemum IPM tips for 2018.
Continue reading “May IPM Refresher: Effectively Controlling Thrips in Mums”
Weekly-mum producers have seen higher-than-normal spider mite levels coming in on cuttings from the U.S. recently. This might impact seasonal potted-mum growers as well.
Here’s some tips and tricks on two spotted spider mite control within a chrysanthemum IPM program.
Although native bees and honeybees may just be starting to gather strength and are beginning to fly outside, other “B’s” have been of growing concern in the greenhouse for some time now.
These include common spring bedding crop problems like Botrytis cinera (aka grey mold), Broad mites, and leaf burn (from a variety of causes).
Keep reading for tips on how to manage these issues during this time of year.
Continue reading “It’s “B” Season! Watch for Botrytis, Broad Mite and Burn.”
From now until mid-November is when you’ll most likely see plant losses in poinsettia due to severe wilting. These losses can be considerable: anywhere from 2-15% in Niagara operations in past years, with disease pressure seeming especially high this year.
Pythium may be considered the most “likely” culprit in Poinsettia in this area, but this isn’t always the case, and misdiagnosis can mean wasted fungicide applications. Read on for a list of likely suspects and appropriate control measures.
2016 turned out to be a bad year for Lewis mite (Eotetranychus lewisi) in poinsettia. Although it’s too early to say how 2017 is going to go, you should be considering possible preventative measures THIS WEEK for Lewis mite, especially if you have a history of Lewis mite with your cuttings. Treatment of this pest is more difficult later in the crop (though not impossible). Keep reading for biological and chemical control options for this pest.
Poinsettias cuttings are here! Unfortunately, they will likely arrive with unwanted “presents” in tow. This includes Bemisia whitefly, a pest that can be hard to control with natural enemies and can ALSO be resistant to pesticides. So what’s a grower to do?
By implementing some preventative measures RIGHT NOW, and understanding WHEN it’s appropriate to spray, you can help save yourself a lot of headaches later.
Given that it’s the season for pest problems like aphids on spring crops, I’d like to remind everyone of an important new pest management tool we have at our disposal.
Thanks to the hard work of Cary Gates at Flowers Canada Growers, and OMAFRA’s Jim Chaput, Beleaf (flonicamid) can now be used as a drench on greenhouse-grown ornamentals and cut flowers.
Read on for more details regarding the expanded label and potential phytoxicity issues.
Continue reading “Using Beleaf (flonicamid) as a drench: benefits and (potential) drawbacks.”
You know the old rhyme: “April showers bring May flowers, but what do May flowers bring? Aphids“. Or sometimes it seems that way, anyways, with Spring bedding crops.
To help guide your pest management program this year, our friends (superiors?) over at Michigan State Extension have released a handy list of which crops are likely to attract which pests. Keep reading for more info.
Continue reading “Spring crops that are “magnets”for certain pests.”