Going to the Canadian Greenhouse Conference in October? Check out the “Mite Murder Mystery” Workshop Wednesday Afternoon!

What is it?

Not sure what pest mites you have in your greenhouse, or which of your predators are establishing? Join us for the Mite Murder Mystery to help you identify the victim and the perpetrator!

You’ll learn different sampling methods for mites and how to identify important mites in Canadian greenhouses using a simple illustrated key. We’ll also cover strategies for managing mite pests.

Read on for more details, including how to register!

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Controlling Parvispinus, Oleander Aphid and Spider Mites in Mandevilla: Part 2 – Spider Mite Resistance Management.

Last week, I posted an updated IPM plan for Mandevilla that balances Thrips parvispinus (“Parvi”) control while taking into consideration other pests, as well as costs. The last post covered propagation in detail, including biocontrols and chemicals.

This week I’ll be going over the best way to balance control of Thrips parvispinus (“Parvi”) and two-spotted spider mite (TSSM) in production. I’ll provide a working Parvi spray program that gives you high-quality plants by sale, but also makes sure spider mites don’t walk away with your crop (or your wallet!).

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How To Manage Parvispinus, Oleander Aphid and Spider Mites Effectively in Mandevilla: Part 1 – Propagation.

When Thrips parvispinus first came on the scene in Ontario, our one goal was to knock back this pest any way we could. Four years later, we are suffering the effects of an all-chemical program. This includes high costs, along with insecticide resistance developing in two-spotted spider mite, which used to be managed biologically before Parvipsinus came along.

Based on OMAFA’s work with commercial farms, along with input from technical reps from biocontrol companies, we’ve come up with a more refined IPM program for Mandevilla that balances Parvispinus control while taking into consideration other pests, as well as costs.

I’ll be going over this program in detail over a 3 part series, so buckle up!

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Managing Pesticide Resistance in Greenhouse Crops

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 channel.) Keep reading to watch the video as well as links to other resources on resistance management.

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New Tool to Fight Mites and Bemisia Whitefly in Greenhouse Floriculture: Magister SC

As growers are continuously battling new pests, as well as old nemeses, any new tool is a welcome addition in the pesticide toolbox.

The Pest Management Regulatory Agency recently registered an interesting new product: Magister SC (fenazaquin), which is a miticide, insecticide AND a fungicide!

Although registered against powdery mildew in some crops, only the miticide/insecticide use pattern is allowed in greenhouse ornamentals. More information on this product is available below.

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Looking Ahead to 2023: Preparing for Spring Crops

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

It’s hard to believe, but as the first snow hits the ground here in Niagara, that means its time to think about spring crops again!

This post gathers some of the most important things to plan and prep for in the greenhouse, including ordering inputs, preventative maintenance, and your pest management and PGR plans!

Think of this post as your “to-do” check list for the month of December, as the time to plan all this is NOW, before your spring production begins.

We’ve also linked to some helpful videos we’ve recorded from our GrowON webinar series that are relevant to spring crops. They’re worth a re-watch – or a first watch – if you haven’t seen them before!

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NEW: Free Online IPM Training for Greenhouse Staff

Need a refresher on specific pests of floriculture, and what to do about them? Want to see how Canada – a world leader in biological control in ornamental crops – does things?

Then the following IPM training videos, made by specialists and consultants in Ontario, are for you!

Keep reading to learn how to access these videos, and the topics they cover.

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LOOK OUT! Here comes the Spider Man! (Oops. I mean Mites. Spider mites. Sorry; way less exciting).

spider mite-GillianF 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.

Continue reading “LOOK OUT! Here comes the Spider Man! (Oops. I mean Mites. Spider mites. Sorry; way less exciting).” →

Spring crops that are “magnets”for certain pests.

aphid_cali_UMAss 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.

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Where do thrips come from? YOUR MUM(s).

mum_damage_closeup — Thrips damage on mums.

Hopefully my bad attempt at a “Your Momma” joke will get your attention, because this is an important post.

Ongoing research by Rose Buitenhuis’ Lab at Vineland has shown that an incredible number of thrips and spider mites come in on imported mum cuttings. Here’s the scoop and what you can do about it.

Continue reading “Where do thrips come from? YOUR MUM(s).” →