Lavender Crop Update – August Tasks – July 31, 2026

Posted on July 31, 2026 by Sean Westerveld

Lavender bloom is wrapping up in most areas, and growers will soon focus on harvest for oil extraction followed by pruning. While growers are focused on harvest and distillation, it is easy to forget about the crop. However, this is a critical period of the year to ensure plants are not stressed, so they can put on as much vegetative growth as possible by the fall and properly harden off before winter.

Problems Associated with Wet and Dry Conditions

Rainfall has been highly variable this summer. Some growers have experienced heavy rains, which increases the risk of root diseases, while others are very dry. Both of these conditions can lead to poor health of the plants:

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Ginseng Crop Update – Mid-Season Reminders – July 31, 2026

Posted on July 31, 2026 by Sean Westerveld

Rainfall has been highly variable in the ginseng growing area, with some areas getting very dry and others having experienced heavy rains from thunderstorms. Other than some heat stress issues from the heat earlier this month, the crop is progressing normally with no unusual issues reported.

Except for those fields that had flooding and high Phytophthora pressures, if you have high disease pressures at this time of year, you may need to consider one of two possibilities:

  1. You are not getting good coverage of all plant surfaces. This is a good time to recalibrate your sprayers and/or replace nozzles. For a refresher on sprayer considerations for ginseng and proper sprayer setup and calibration, consult “How to Spray Ginseng” and “How to Set up a Crop Sprayer” on Sprayers101.
  2. You may be dealing with resistance of the pathogen to one or more of the fungicides in your rotation. Resistance is the ability of a fungus to withstand a pesticide spray that was once able to control it. It builds up over time when a pest is repeatedly exposed to the same active ingredient or group, and individuals with mutations that allow them to survive a spray multiply and gradually (or sometimes rapidly) take over the population. See below for resistance management strategies.
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Ginseng Crop Update – Diagnosing Unusual Foliar Symptoms – July 10, 2026

Posted on July 10, 2026 by Sean Westerveld

The hot conditions over the past two weeks can obviously stress ginseng. Each hot day likely reduces yield as the plant virtually shuts down in the heat of the day. A University of Guelph study in the past showed that heat impacts the yields of cool-season crops like ginseng. The study was done on cabbage and showed that cabbage yield decreased by 1% for every day the air temperature went above 30 °C. Cabbage is regularly irrigated, so these temperature effects cannot be easily reduced by ensuring adequate soil moisture. As a multi-year crop, the yield effects of any single hot day would be less in ginseng but still significant.

Pest Updates

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Lavender Crop Update  – Things to Monitor During Bloom – July 9, 2026

Posted on July 9, 2026 by Sean Westerveld

Lavender is in full bloom across the province. Bloom was late to arrive this year, but may progress faster than normal due to the above-normal temperatures. Although growers are focused on many activities at this time of year and the lavender itself can be an afterthought, it is important to keep an eye on the crop to ensure it remains healthy and can recover quickly after bloom. Here are some things to watch out for:

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Lavender Crop Update – June 12, 2026

Posted on June 12, 2026 by Sean Westerveld

Despite warmer weather over the past two weeks, it still appears that lavender bloom is behind schedule. Normally, the first blooms on the earliest cultivars begin to open in Simcoe around June 15-18. This year, bud heads are just beginning to change colour, suggesting bloom will not begin until around June 20-25.

Pests and Scouting

Four-lined plant bugs are at the late nymphal stages and will soon become adults. This is the stage when they cause the most damage to leaves and stems. It is too late at this stage to control them. Take note of where levels of damage are high, because these areas are likely to have similar or higher damage next year. Insecticidal soaps can help suppress populations, but only if applied when the nymphs are still small. Damage appears as distinct brown spotting on leaves, and blocky, elongated brown or yellow lesions on stems. For symptoms and more information on this pest, visit the lavender module of Ontario CropIPM.

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Ginseng Crop Update – Avoiding “Heat” Stress – June 11, 2026

Posted on June 11, 2026 by Sean Westerveld

Rainfall has been highly variable over the past few days. Based on CoCoRaHS observations (https://maps.cocorahs.org/) and local rain gauges, rainfall ranged from 30+ mm from a line north of about Langton to Simcoe to 0 mm closer to Lake Erie, including Port Rowan to Port Dover. Rainfall was also lower in the Strathroy area, but this area had higher rainfall on the weekend. Monitor soil moisture closely if you do not have rain gauges and/or soil moisture monitors in each of your field locations, as irrigation may be necessary in some fields.

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