Join us at the 2025 Canadian Greenhouse Conference (CGC) in Niagara Falls, Ontario, on October 8 and 9. Check out the excellent lineup of speakers, trade show exhibitors, greenhouse bus tour, and much more! Registration is now open. See you in October.
Do you work in a greenhouse that uses a climate control system, sensors, automation or robotics? If your answer is yes, this webinar is for you. No matter the size of your operation, if you are using digital tools, you are a potential target for a cyber attack. This informative webinar breaks down what threats to watch for, how to protect your systems, and why it matters more than ever. Join us from 12 – 1pm on August 13th to learn more.
Continue reading “GrowON Webinar: Cybersecurity for Greenhouses, August 13th @ noon”Don’t miss the opportunity to apply for 1:1 cost-share funding up to $100k through the Critical Industrial Technologies Initiative (CIT)! The application deadline is May 30th, 2025.
This program is geared towards small and medium-sized Ontario-based companies developing a solution or product that incorporates at least one of these six critical technologies: 5G & advanced networks, AI, Blockchain, Robotics, Cybersecurity or Quantum.
Some examples of greenhouse-specific projects that would fall under this program: robotics for planting or harvesting, AI for sorting on a production line, or 5G connected sensor systems for greenhouse monitoring.
Continue reading “Are you developing a Product for the Agri-food Industry that uses Innovative Tech? Learn more about the CIT Cost-Share Initiative!”This post was written by Abigail Wiesner, Acting Floriculture Production Specialist.
In case you missed the recent GrowON presentation on July 22nd, by Dr. Youbin Zheng (University of Guelph) we’ve now uploaded to YouTube!
Continue reading “In Case you Missed it, GrowON Presents: How to use Light Spectral Combinations to Steer Plants”This post was originally written by Abigail Wiesner, Acting Greenhouse Floriculture Production Specialist.
Join Save On Energy, offered through the Independent Electricity System Operator (ISEO), for an upcoming webinar exploring the safety of battery energy storage systems on May 14th 2024 from 1:00pm to 2:00pm. Keep reading to learn how to register.
Continue reading “Save On Energy Webinar: Battery Energy Storage System Safety for Greenhouses”This guest post was written by Jessie deHaan, Research Technician at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (Vineland).
Economical and high quality plant production has always been a balancing act between fertilizer, light, irrigation and other input costs.
Unfortunately, supply chain issues caused by the pandemic slow-down, and exacerbated by the subsequent war in Ukraine, have negatively affected the global supply of fertilizer and plant nutrients. These supply issues are leading to rising fertilizer prices for growers.
As input costs rise, how can growers respond and save money, while still producing first-rate products?
Continue reading “Is Lowering Fertilizer Right For You?”This post was jointly written by Dr. Chevonne Dayboll and Dr. Sarah Jandricic
It’s hard to believe, but as the first snow hits the ground here in Niagara, that means its time to think about spring crops again!
This post gathers some of the most important things to plan and prep for in the greenhouse, including ordering inputs, preventative maintenance, and your pest management and PGR plans!
Think of this post as your “to-do” check list for the month of December, as the time to plan all this is NOW, before your spring production begins.
We’ve also linked to some helpful videos we’ve recorded from our GrowON webinar series that are relevant to spring crops. They’re worth a re-watch – or a first watch – if you haven’t seen them before!
Continue reading “Looking Ahead to 2023: Preparing for Spring Crops”
If you missed our presentation by Dr. Neil Mattson (Cornell University) on November 18th, fear not! There’s a few ways to still watch his presentation!
You can either register for the original webinar here, which will then give you access to the recording on Zoom.
Or, you can check out the recording on our ONFloriculture YouTube Channel! An added bonus? By subscribing to the channel, you’ll always be notified when we post new videos. A direct link to Dr. Mattson’s talk can be found here.
Continue reading “Missed Our Webinar on Strategies to Improve Spring Crops? View it Here!”This post was jointly written by Dr. Chevonne Dayboll and Dr. Sarah Jandricic
It’s time to think about spring again! This post gathers some of the most important things to plan and prep for in the greenhouse before your spring production begins in earnest.
1. Make sure your inputs are ordered
We can’t emphasize this one enough. COVID-19 and container boat issues are still causing shipping delays that are affecting many industries including greenhouses. Make sure you order potting mixes, plastic trays and pots, fertilizers, and production inputs well ahead of when you will need them. If you are planning on doing greenhouse upgrades in between seasons make sure you confirm delivery and installation timelines with your contractors. Many of them are facing delays too!
2. Now is the time for preventative maintenance
Now is a great time to schedule preventive maintenance for your boiler, irrigation and shading systems. Make sure that all motors and alarms are working before you need to rely on them. No one wants to find out that their temperature alarm failed on a cold February morning! Ensure you are getting the pressure you expect all along your irrigation system. If you rely on propane heaters for early spring production make sure they are venting properly. Damage from improper venting can present as stunted growth or leaf burn.
Take some time to inspect the greenhouse for wear-and-tear. Repair cracked poly and broken glass to keep heat from escaping. Make sure old torn energy curtains are replaced. A heat sensitive camera can help to identify areas of energy loss and help you plan for energy efficient upgrades in the future.
Continue reading “Time to Prepare for Spring 2022”It’s almost November, there’s a chill in the air, leaves on the ground and spring is right around the corner! We’re sure that many of you are planning for 2022, and the next webinar in our series should help with your spring preparations.
Dr. Neil Mattson joins us to share his tips for spring production based on his extensive research in ornamental plant production. Dr. Mattson is a familiar face to many in the floriculture sector, and we are looking forward to his insights. Check out the details below, and don’t forget to register!