LED Lighting Incentives can help with On-Farm Trials

Thanks to the IESO for contributing to this post.

Are you aware that the Save on Energy program can help you to complete energy efficient upgrades in your greenhouse? You may have participated in this program in the past, but the current iteration can help you to retrofit items like ventilation fans and upgrade to LED lighting in the warehouse and the greenhouse.

The IESO has developed tools that can help you identify areas where an upgrade might be able to help you save energy. These include a checklist that walks you through the greenhouse, and some videos and other information on their web page.

Continue reading “LED Lighting Incentives can help with On-Farm Trials” →

Register for Grower Day 2017 – June 21st!

Greenhouse Canada’s Greenhouse Grower Day is just over a week away! The 2017 event will be hosted at the Holiday Inn and Suites in St. Catharines, Ontario on Wednesday June 21st from 8:30am to 3:30 pm.

The “Seven Habits of Successful Growers” theme will tackle a variety of topics, ranging from crop lighting and water treatment, to labour management and automation. Other talks will look at the ingredients of a successful family business, the importance of long-range planning, and the keys to marketing to millenials. There will be lots of networking time and opportunity to talk to vendors too.

Pre-registration is encouraged to avoid lineups at the door. (But walk-ins are always welcome!)

Continue reading “Register for Grower Day 2017 – June 21st!” →

MSU Offering Greenhouse and Horticultural Lighting Course

Our extension colleagues at Michigan State University are offering an online course on Greenhouse and Horticultural Lighting. The course works at your own pace, and can be completed anytime between December 2016 and February 2017. Lots of information is available, and the course covers topics by Dr. Erik Runkle who gave some excellent talks at this year’s Canadian Greenhouse Conference. Continue reading “MSU Offering Greenhouse and Horticultural Lighting Course” →

Supplemental Lighting Options for Bedding Plant Seedling Production

Happy spring! With the season in full swing, we know that growers are busy this month. I read an interesting article on the effects of supplemental LED lighting in bedding plants this week, and I’ve summarized it here with the key messages at the bottom of this post. It seems like an appropriate article for the season, especially if you are starting to think ahead to how you might improve production for the 2017 spring season.

Much of the LED lighting research done in ornamental plants has focused on finding the best wavelengths for plant production. This can vary based on the plant being grown, and the qualities desired. Before we dive into the study, let’s review some of the reasons why you might consider LED lights from a plant production standpoint. Continue reading “Supplemental Lighting Options for Bedding Plant Seedling Production” →