Early Season Downy Mildew Management in Hops

Posted on April 14, 2021 by Melanie Filotas

Hop shoots are emerging in much of southern Ontario and with the onset of warm, rainy weather it’s time for growers to start thinking about early season downy mildew management. Some of the most common questions we get from hop growers at this time of year center around initial fungicide applications and management of those first shoots emerging in the yard.

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New Episode of the What’s Growing ON Podcast

Posted on April 12, 2021 by Sean Westerveld

In the latest episode of the What’s Growing ON podcast, OMAFRA Horticulture IPM Specialists, Wendy McFadden-Smith (tender fruit and grape) and Melanie Filotas (specialty crops) talk about the importance of regular pest scouting, from how often and how much to what to look for and where in perennial crops.

Listen to it on onfruit.ca/podcast/ or wherever you get your podcasts.

What’s Growing ON is an Ontario horticulture podcast featuring conversations with agriculture professionals including OMAFRA crop specialists on production, pest management and other best management practices for fruit, vegetables and specialty crops. Have a question, comment or topic you’d like to hear covered? Email us at ONhortcrops@gmail.com.

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Reminder: ONHoppenings Lunch and Learn, Monday, April 12, at Noon

Posted on April 9, 2021 by Evan Elford

Overview: Join OMAFRA specialists Evan Elford and Melanie Filotas for bi-monthly online Zoom discussions about Ontario hops. Building on the 2020 season webinars, Evan and Melanie will be continuing to host a series of hop related discussions in 2021 with some guest speakers to provide insight into new and exciting areas of hop production, pest management and marketing.

All ON Hoppenings will take place on Monday’s from 12-1pm unless otherwise stated. Attendance is free and open to anyone, however you must pre-register to receive the meeting log-in details. Anyone wishing to ask questions in advance can email Evan (evan.elford@ontario.ca) or Melanie (melanie.filotas@ontario.ca) by 8:30 am on the Friday before the scheduled webinar OR enter it in the question field when you register and we will do our best to have a thorough answer during the session. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

April 12: Soil fertility; Early season downy mildew. REGISTER HERE for April 12: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwscuioqDsqE9B88BduJvUCAPxr958cNP_q

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Ontario Hoppenings Lunch and Learn – Spring & Summer Dates for 2021

Posted on March 29, 2021 by Evan Elford

Overview: Join OMAFRA specialists Evan Elford and Melanie Filotas for bi-monthly online Zoom discussions about Ontario hops. Building on the 2020 season webinars, Evan and Melanie will be continuing to host a series of hop related discussions in 2021 with some guest speakers to provide insight into new and exciting areas of hop production, pest management and marketing.

All ON Hoppenings will take place on Monday’s from 12-1pm unless otherwise stated. Attendance is free and open to anyone, however you must pre-register to receive the meeting log-in details.  Anyone wishing to ask questions in advance can email Evan (evan.elford@ontario.ca) or Melanie (melanie.filotas@ontario.ca) by 8:30 am on the Friday before the scheduled webinar OR enter it in the question field when you register and we will do our best to have a thorough answer during the session. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Spring/Summer 2021 Dates & Tentative Topics

  • May 17: Irrigation; IPM Scouting Overview
  • June 21: Pre-recorded Q&A based on grower submissions (all topics/questions welcome). This is an experimental format for mid-season to see if it is useful. It will be posted to the blog for growers to access on their own time. If we don’t get questions we won’t post anything 🙂
  • July  26: Foliar Fertilization; Late season cone pest issues
  • Sept 20: Season wrap-up

Posted in Hops, Hops Meetings, Hops Other, Hops Pest Management, Hops Production, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Is It Time to Take Off Row Covers in Lavender?

Posted on March 18, 2021 by Sean Westerveld

One of the big questions lavender growers face annually is when to take their row covers off. Row covers have proven effective at protecting sensitive cultivars over the winter, but it can be difficult to know when to put them on and take them off again. If you take them off too early, a late winter or early spring cold snap can still cause a lot of damage. On the other hand, if you take them off too late, the higher sun angle around this time can cause a greenhouse effect under the cover and this can cause plants to advance too fast and become more sensitive to normal spring frosts in April and May. This is especially true if there is an extended sunny period with above normal temperatures.

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Have You Heard the What’s Growing ON Podcast?

Posted on March 9, 2021 by Sean Westerveld

In the latest episode of What’s Growing ON podcast, Sean Westerveld talks about the benefits and challenges of growing lavender in Ontario and the importance of agri-tourism for the industry.

Listen to it on onfruit.ca/podcast/ or wherever you get your podcasts.

What’s Growing ON is an Ontario horticulture podcast featuring conversations with agriculture professionals including OMAFRA crop specialists on production, pest management and other best management practices for fruit, vegetables and specialty crops.

Have a question, comment or topic you’d like to hear covered? Email us at ONhortcrops@gmail.com.

Posted in All Specialty Crops, Herbs, Lavender | Tagged , , | Leave a comment