Okay, so Poinsettia don’t really get that many problems. But when issues arise, they can hit a crop fast and hard. Whitefly, Lewis mite, root rots, and nutritional issues can all quickly derail a quality crop.
Here’s a month by month guide on what you should be looking for to prevent small problems from becoming big issues.
Continue reading “99 Poinsettia Problems: Your Monthly Scouting Guide”
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.
This post was co-authored by Dr. Jeanine West, Flowers Canada Ontario’s Environment Specialist
Do you grow hardy mums and hydrangeas outdoors? If so, this blog post is for you! Flowers Canada Ontario, the Soil Resource Group and OMAFRA have collected data about fertilizer and water management in outdoor greenhouse crops over the last few summers, and have some updated production information for growers to think about over this year’s season.
The goal of the study was to look at ways to improve fertilizer and irrigation efficiency outside of the greenhouse. Continue reading “Tips and Tricks for Outdoor Mum and Hydrangea Production this Summer”
Oedema, that physiological disorder that appears during periods of low light and high humidity. There’s been quite a bit of it reported in Ontario greenhouses this spring, and unfortunately it’s related to the long rainy (or snowy!) spring we’ve been having. If you’ve noticed salt-like crystals, odd tumour-like growths or water-soaked spots on either side of your plant leaves this disorder might be the culprit.
The disorder affects a wide variety of greenhouse ornamentals. It’s usually noticed in spring crops like sweet potato vine (ipomea), geranium, begonia and/or petunia. Continue reading “Oh dear! It’s Oedema.”
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.”
How do you typically fertilize floriculture crops in your greenhouse? Based on how the plant performs? Maybe based on recommendations from your consultant or supplier? Do you do it the way it’s always been done? Do you know why it was always done that way? Continue reading “Considerations for fine-tuning your fertilizer program”
With the intense period of rain we just had, and with MORE rain coming on Friday, it’s time to think about Botrytis control and prevention. One of the most common and destructive diseases of greenhouse crops, outbreaks usually follow periods of cool, damp, cloudy weather. Unfortunately, I can’t order up more sun for you, but I CAN suggest some management tactics.
Spring is here, and we know you’re busy! Here’s a quick but very important refresher on fertilizer injector maintenance. Ensure they’re working properly on a regular basis to avoid extra headaches.
How do I know if my injector is working properly?
Hopefully damage to foliage wasn’t your first sign things were a little off! Some things to remember:
There are two common methods to check if your injector is working as expected. Regular calibration is needed to ensure that an injector is operating properly. You should complete both methods listed here to ensure accuracy. Continue reading “A Reminder about Fertilizer Injector Maintenance”
Spring is on its way, and with cold nights and warmer days we are seeing a common spring problem – poor air quality damage on spring bedding crops. Symptoms, solutions and preventative measures are included in this 2017 update to a previous post.
Natural gas and propane are popular choices when it comes to heating a greenhouse. The products of burning fuel are carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H20); both compounds we know are good for your plants. However, combustion is often (if not always) incomplete, and impurities such as carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and ethylene (C2H4) are also released leading to poor air quality if your heater is not properly vented.
Typically symptoms from ethylene damage and sulfur dioxide damage can been seen fairly quickly after exposure.
In the short term (a few hours to a few days), ethylene damage results in leaf curling, epinasty (leaves bending downwards from the petiole) and flower drop. If the stress continues over a Continue reading “Improperly ventilated heaters & ethylene damage”
Forcing hydrangeas for Easter? Our friend Dr. Brian Whipker at North Carolina State University has released a great resource on managing nutrients to ensure your blooms are blue and not bluish-purple. Continue reading “Hydrangeas: Getting the (right colour) blues”