Safely transitioning your greenhouse operation into Step 3

Ontario continues to make tremendous progress in its vaccine rollout. Keeping your greenhouse safe during reopening is a priority for the sector, and having a vaccinated workforce is a key measure in this effort. Receiving a vaccine is a voluntary and personal choice: read on for resources to enable your greenhouse staff to make informed decisions.

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New tool can help identify gaps in your pest management program

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Do you have a strategy to help mitigate pests coming into your facility, like dipping cuttings upon receipt?

The CFIA has recently released the Floriculture Sector Biosecurity Guide.  Despite it’s imposing name, this is an excellent “road map” to help protect your facility from unwanted pests.  The Guide offers biosecurity strategies from the time plants come in the front door ’till they’re out in the compost bin.

Don’t have a facility-wide Pest Management Program in place?  This guide can provide the framework. (Why start from scratch?).  Already have a strategy to mitigate risks from pests at your farm?  Compare YOUR plan with the Floriculture Guide to see if you’ve overlooked anything.

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Guide to Weed Control in Ontario

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Publication 75 covers herbicides for outdoor ornamentals and non-crop areas outside the greenhouse.

Ontario’s latest Guide to Weed Control is now available as a free PDF from OMAFRA.  Chapter 16 covers weed control in outdoor ornamentals, and includes effectiveness ratings for registered products.  This publication may also be useful for cleaning up weeds outside the greenhouse.

Note that the only herbicides currently registered for use INSIDE the greenhouse are EcoClear and Munger.  Both are acetic acid-based products appropriate for the control of broadleaf and grass weeds.

A hardcopy of the guide (Publication 75) can be ordered from OMAFRA here for a nominal fee.