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.”
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
Welcome to this blog series, where we will discuss common production issues and practical solutions you can consider implementing in your own greenhouse.
In this post, we’ll focus on preventing disease and increasing crop uniformity. We’ll discuss two key practices that can help both issues: selecting the right growing media and maintaining greenhouse sanitation. Small changes in these areas can reduce the risk of disease and shrink, while promoting more consistent growth across your crop and prevent things like plant stunting.
Throughout this post I’ll use Kalanchoe production as an example. Even if you are not a Kalanchoe grower, there will relevant information that you can apply to your own crops. Read on for more details.
Continue reading “Common Issues and Practical Solutions: Disease Prevention & Crop Uniformity”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 first installment will be on Japanese flower thrips on August 27th, with Judy Colley (Plant Products) and Sarah Jandricic (OMAFA).
To attend, please use the registration link in the post below. If you’ve already registered, you’re still good for the new date of the 27th!
Description:
Another new thrips on the block? Thrips setosus, also known as the Japanese flower thrips, affects hydrangeas, cyclamen, herbs and more. Judy Colley, technical lead for Plant Products, will share information on greenhouse trials for controlling this pest. She will be joined by Dr. Sarah Jandricic (OMAFA) who will cover biology, hosts plants, damage and current research. She will also go over pesticide options.
Time: Wednesday, August 27th, 12-1pm
Registration:
Please register for Part 1 of this Webinar series by using this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_30N3jt1KRbOyva0s7oh5Dg
Over the past few years, we seem to be battling a whole new posse of thrips species. First it was onion thrips moseying on up into our chrysanthemums and gerbera. Then, it was Parvispinus, which was like a runaway train in our tropicals. Now, it’s Japanese flower thrips (Thrips setosus), riding into town on crops like hydrangea.
To make sure growers have the latest information on these pests, GrowON is running a 3 part webinar series on thrips besides western flower thrips. The first installment will be on Japanese flower thrips on August 20th. Read on for how to register for this free webinar.
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.
Let’s face it: although Lewis mites (Eotetranychus lewisi) used to be more of a cyclical pest, this mite has been consistently bad in poinsettia the last few years. As regular Lewis mite infestations now seem to be the new normal in poinsettia, this week is the time to to start thinking about your pest control plan for Lewis mite.
Whether you choose the preventive route or the wait-and-see approach, knowing which strategies and chemicals are working is critical. Read on for tips on dipping to prevent mites along and what we learned from last year‘s chemical approaches.
Continue reading “Lewis Mites 2025 – a Poinsettia Problem that’s Here to Stay?”