Garden Mums – 2019 Production and Protection Tips

This post was contributed to by Drs. Sarah Jandricic and Chevonne Dayboll.

Summer is in full swing, and so too are garden mums. As you get ready for the next few months, here are a few tips to keep your crop on track.

Drip line irrigation can be a more efficient way of delivering water and nutrients to outdoor crops.

Irrigation method matters!

There are plenty of options for irrigation in potted outdoor crops, but not all are created equal if you are trying to maximize your water efficiency. Overhead irrigation by boom, or sprinkler is not efficient if your pots are not spaced tightly. Canopy sizes in the later months of production may make this impossible, especially if you choose to go with final spacing when pots first move outside. These methods of irrigation can also lead to pots that are too dry (not watered) or too wet (over watered). Plants can only use water that makes it into the pot, so low volume drip line or tape is a more effective way to delivering usable water to your outdoor crops.

Continue reading “Garden Mums – 2019 Production and Protection Tips” →

Upcoming Webinars: Plant Growth Regulators and Photoperiodic Responses

learning(1) Our floriculture research friends over at e-GRO are hosting a few webinars in the next few weeks that might be of interest to you or your staff. Take a look at the details below, and follow the links to register if you’re interested! Continue reading “Upcoming Webinars: Plant Growth Regulators and Photoperiodic Responses” →

Considerations for fine-tuning your fertilizer program

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” →

Demonstration Day – Best Management Practices for Outdoor Mum and Hydrangea Growers

Calling all outdoor chrysanthemum and hydrangea growers! Do you currently produce these crops outdoors during the summer months? Would you like to learn more about how adjusting your fertilizer program could potentially lead to savings while maintaining the quality of the crop? How about learning about how to best manage your water and fertilizer program in an outdoor setting? Continue reading “Demonstration Day – Best Management Practices for Outdoor Mum and Hydrangea Growers” →

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!” →

Take advantage of Growing Forward 2 Funding for Energy Savings!

What is happening?

Growing Forward 2 (GF2) Cost-share Funding Assistance Program for Producers is now offering new support for farmers to make changes in their farming operation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is to support producers to transition to low carbon production and encourage energy efficiency and energy conservation on-farms.

Why should you care? One of the new Best Management Practices is especially applicable to greenhouses – A13: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from indoor agriculture facilities.

Have I got your attention? Read on to find out more! Continue reading “Take advantage of Growing Forward 2 Funding for Energy Savings!” →

Improperly ventilated heaters & ethylene damage

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.

Figure 1. Signs of ethylene damage include leaf curling and epinasty, seen here in A) New Guinea Impatiens and B) lettuce seedlings.

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” →

Hydrangeas: Getting the (right colour) blues

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” →

Stalling out: Strategies for success

Starting to feel a bit bummed out by all this gloomy weather? Imagine how your poor plants feel! All clouds and no sun leads to lots of fun with production schedules, nutrition and proper plant development. Continue reading “Stalling out: Strategies for success” →

‘Tis the Season for Powdery Mildew; Here’s what Ontario’s Flower Growers can do .

All through the night while the growers were sleeping, spores of Erysiphe, Leveillula, Microsphaera and Sphaerotheca were teeming.

Caused by one of these many pathogenic fungi, Powdery Mildew is often white and felt-like to the eye.

OMAFRA’s Greenhouse Elves are on the case, giving chemical, biological and cultural controls that curb this pest’s pace.*

*(No need to be worried or terse – the rest of this post won’t be in verse!).

Continue reading “‘Tis the Season for Powdery Mildew; Here’s what Ontario’s Flower Growers can do .” →