GrowON Webinar “Squeaky Clean Start to 2023” Now Available on Demand.

Getting off on the right foot in the new year is important personally AND in your greenhouse, especially when it comes to pest management.

Two of our Canadian greenhouse experts gave some great talks on where, when and how to sanitize in your greenhouse to avoid pest outbreaks, and new research findings on dipping vegetative cuttings to reduce incoming pests.

If you missed this webinar last week, see how you can watch a recoding of this Grow ON Webinar, below.

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Upcoming Webinar: “Squeaky Clean Start to 2023”

Getting off on the right foot in the new year is important personally AND in your greenhouse, especially when it comes to pest management.

Join two of our Canadian greenhouse experts for some great talks on where, when and how to sanitize in your greenhouse to avoid pest outbreaks, and new research findings on dipping vegetative cuttings to reduce incoming pests.

More details can be found below on how to register for this joint event between Michigan State Extension and OMAFRA’s Grow ON Webinar series.

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Preventing Issues in Your Spring Crops: Sanitation, Dips and Bio Tips.

With the holiday season almost upon us, it’s time to turn our attention to Spring bedding crops. Although here for a brief window, the diversity of these crops means you’re bound to encounter some sort of disease and insect problems.

One way you can head off issues is to plan and prepare now. This post from January 2020 has important tips on sanitation for common spring crop diseases, dips and early sprays to prevent key pests, as well as tips on where to spend your biocontrol dollars.

Continue reading “Preventing Issues in Your Spring Crops: Sanitation, Dips and Bio Tips.” →

Dipping Poinsettia Cuttings to Reduce Whitefly 101: 2020 Edition

dipping cuttings — Dipping poinsettia cuttings to help lower Bemisia numbers was investigated and perfected by the Biocontrol Lab at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre in Ontario.

Although we’ve been talking for years here in Canada about dipping your poinsettia cuttings in low-risk pesticides, some growers have yet to take the plunge.

This preventive technique improves efficacy of BOTH biocontrol and pesticide programs for Bemisia, since it lowers your starting pest pressure.

If you’re still unsure of how or when to apply cutting dips, check out the rest of this post.

Continue reading “Dipping Poinsettia Cuttings to Reduce Whitefly 101: 2020 Edition” →

Preventing Issues in Your Spring Crops: Sanitation, Dips and Bio Tips.

With the holiday season over, it’s time to turn our attention to Spring bedding crops. Although here for a brief window, the diversity of these crops means you’re bound to encounter some sort of disease and insect problems.

One way you can head off issues is to plan and prepare now. This post has important tips on sanitation for common spring crop diseases, dips and early sprays to prevent key pests, as well as tips on where to spend your biocontrol dollars.

Continue reading “Preventing Issues in Your Spring Crops: Sanitation, Dips and Bio Tips.” →

Now’s the Time for Whitefly Prevention: Registered Products for Poinsettia Dips

Here in Canada, we’ve been talking for years about research on the highly effective method of dipping your poinsettia cuttings in low-risk pesticides to reduce starting whitefly populations.

Thanks to Dr. Rose Buitenhuis (VRIC), Cary Gates (FCO) and BioWorks, the label for BotaniGard WP has now officially been expanded to include dip applications. This now adds to our arsenal (see below for more dip products).

Read on for the current BotaniGard label and how dipping can help improve your Bemisia whitefly program this year, whether you’re using pesticides or biocontrol.

Continue reading “Now’s the Time for Whitefly Prevention: Registered Products for Poinsettia Dips” →

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).” →

Pests on Points: head off problems now!

Many of you will be getting in your poinsettia cuttings a few short weeks from now. Why not head off whitefly issues as soon as the points come in the door?

Whitefly on poinsettia. Photo by Graeme Murphy.

Drs. Rose Buitenhuis and Michael Brownbridge of the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre put on their thinking caps and came up with an elegant solution to prophylactically treat the whitefly that inevitably come in with poinsettia cuttings. By dipping cuttings in reduced-risk insecticidal products (BotaniGard, horticultural oils) before sticking, whitefly populations can be reduced in the crop by over 70%. And, because the dip materials are “soft” pest control products, you can (and should) begin your biocontrol program immediately. Dips should be effective against both biotypes Bemisia (aka silverleaf whitefly), as well as greenhouse whitefly.

For more details on products, proceedures and rates, click here: http://www.flowerscanadagrowers.com/uploads