Here’s the Weekly Round Up May 2020 archive. We covered topics ranging from pest updates, the pollinator and beneficial habitat plantings, and how to extend the life of your bedding plants.
Weekly Round Up May 20, 2020
Guest: Dr. Amara Dunn, NYS IPM biocontrol specialist
Dr. Amara Dunn joins me this week to talk about her research project, looking at installation of beneficial habitat plantings on a Christmas tree farm. Now in its third year, Amara has been posting updates and observations from her study plots on her blog Biocontrol Bytes (https://blogs.cornell.edu/biocontrolbytes/).
Wildflower plantings on farms can provide a number of ecosystem services, including providing food resources for pollinators, shelter and space for natural enemies like ground beetles, and serve as an additional source of prey insects that are not necessarily crop pests. Amara’s research is looking at whether these plantings that draw in beneficial insects also increase natural enemy presence in nearby crops.
In this episode, we talk about why floral bloom time is important for beneficial arthropods (even non-pollinators!), different installation methods, some insect collection data, and what to consider for seed mixes. She has all of this information with pictures and tables on Biocontrol Bytes.
Weekly Round Up May 20, 2020
Guest: Dr. Neil Mattson, Associate Professor-Cornell University
Dr. Neil Mattson from Cornell University joins Lindsey Christianson to discuss how to extend the life of your bedding plants in your greenhouse, and answers some questions about how water quality can affect your soil pH and plant health. Just a warning that I was having some microphone issues, so the sound quality is a little off this week. But Neil gives some great tips on how to slow the growth of the plants in your greenhouses during the start of the growing season when you may not be selling as many plants as you’d like due to cold springs keeping the gardeners from purchasing many plants for their yard.
In this week’s episode, we reference a recent E-gro alert that discusses a variety of methods, including cool night time temperatures and plant growth retardants (PGRs) that we cover in our chat. PDF to the E-gro alert: http://e-gro.org/pdf/2020_920.pdf
By slowing plant growth early in the season, you can prevent excessive growth, that can lead to overcrowding in your greenhouses before you’re able to move or sell that product. Photo examples by Neil Mattson.
Decreasing night temperatures to harden off or tone plants should be done during the final 2-3 weeks of production. (Note: This will not be beneficial for heat loving plants such as impatiens.) If you need to hold plants longer than normal, lower temperature exposures can slow down growth and development. We reference this table in our discussion of those lower set points:
<39°F (Low Base Temperature)
Argyranthemum, Alyssum, Bidens, Dianthus, Diascia, America marigold, French marigold, Nemesia, Osteospermum, Petunia (Bravo, Dreams, and Easy Wave), Snapdragon (Liberty Classic and Montego), Stock, Viola
40-45°F (Moderate Base Temperature)
Bracteantha, Calibrachoa, Calendula, Cosmos, Cupflower, Dahlia, Gazania, Geranium, Flowering Tobacco, Impatiens (seed), Lobelia, Petunia (Shock and Wave Purple Classic), Rudbeckia, Verbena, Wax begonia
>46°F (High Base Temperature)
Ageratum, Angelonia, Blue salvia, Browallia, Celosia, Gerbera, Globe amaranth, Pentas, Portulaca, Torenia Vinca, Zinnia
For PGR recommendations (tank mixes or other specifics), please refer to the linked E-gro article (above)
Neil made a few points about water quality for plugs/seedlings also. Just like testing your soil annually (ideally), you may want to test your water/irrigation source as well. You definitely want to test any new water sources or if there may be a reason you would see any major changes to your water source, such as drought. It’s recommended you use horticultural labs for these tests, such as JR Peter’s Lab, MMI Labs, or ICL Testing Lab. In your test results, you’re looking for a slightly acidic pH (5.5-6.5), alkalinity of 60-80 ppm calcium carbonate (CaCo3), electrical conductivity (EC) of less than 0.75 d S/m, less than 40ppm sodium (Na), and less than 70 ppm chloride (Cl).
You can use your own handheld EC meter (~$100) to measure fertilizer and non-fertilizer salts. You can use this to check your water source, check to make sure your fertilizer injector is working properly, and monitor your crops to make sure you’re supplying the correct amount of fertilizer. UMass Extension has a thorough factsheet on how to use a handheld EC meter and interpret your results: https://ag.umass.edu/greenhouse-floriculture/fact-sheets/how-to-use-ph-ec-pens-to-monitor-greenhouse-crop-nutrition
Next week, Amara Dunn from NYS IPM will join me to talk about some updates to her beneficial habitat plantings in Geneva.
Weekly Round Up May 13, 2020
Guest: Stephen Hadcock, CAAHP Farm Business Management Educator
On this week’s podcast episode, Steve Hadcock and I discuss a few specifics for business operations and general economic expectations during COVID-19, especially for the ornamental horticulture industry. When we recorded the podcast, we had been informed that some updated guidelines were coming, and we’re still waiting for some clarification for the Capital Region since our area has not met the criteria required to start Phase 1 reopening, as detailed in Governor Cuomo’s New York Forward Plan. Some low-risk activities have been approved to begin or open state wide, but we are still unclear about specifics, especially if the statewide reopenings include cut flower operations. Please note that if your business is in a group that falls under a category in either statewide or regional Phase I reopenings (EDIT: This includes currently operational essential businesses too!), there are a couple things you need to do to prepare for reopening your business.
- Read and affirm the Non-Food Agriculture Master Guidance PDF (a link at the bottom of the PDF will send you a “Business Affirmation” page on the New York State website.
- You need to have your reopening plan ready!
While you do not need to submit your plan to an agency for approval, you do need to have one on the business premises and available in case of an inspection.
If you are in the Capital Region or other Region that does not meet the metrics to begin Phase 1 reopenings, you will still need to submit a waiver to the Empire State Development Corporation if you wish to be deemed an essential business. Email COVID19BusinessWaiver@ESD.ny.gov to obtain a form and directions for the waiver. We will send out more information as we receive clarification on approved activities in our region.
Links for more information:
Ag & Markets Coronavirus guidance: https://agriculture.ny.gov/coronavirus
-specific Farmer’s Market guidance (PDF): https://agriculture.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2020/04/interimguidancefarmersmarkets.pdf
NY Forward, the Phased Reopening guide for New York State: https://forward.ny.gov/
-the PDF guide: https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/NYForwardReopeningGuide.pdf
NYS IPM Ornamentals blog (recent FAQs for ornamental industry reopenings): https://blogs.cornell.edu/ornamentalcropsipm/
Up next week: Dr. Neil Mattson joins me to discuss how to extend the life of your bedding plants and some water testing and irrigation questions.
As always, stay safe and well, and hopefully I will see you soon.
Lindsey
P.S. I am currently working on full text transcripts for Weekly RoundUp podcast episodes. If you have any questions about obtaining a transcript for this series, please email me at ldc74@cornell.edu .
Weekly Round Up May 6, 2020 – Pest Update with NYS IPM
Guests: Betsy Lamb, Brian Eshenaur, Elise Lobdell
Elise has seen at least a couple instances of Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV) already, which is spread by the western flower thrips. Do you have your sticky cards up to monitor for thrips? Make sure you are placing them near the canopy level of the plants as thrips are not great flyers. Long Island Horticultural Research & Extension Center blog post on TSWV, including lots of photos.
I want to include a note from Betsy for the next disease update, and this will be in the CAAHP E-news this week too.
“Ralstonia solanacearum Race 3 Biovar 2 is a bacterium that causes a serious wilt disease in geraniums, tomato, eggplant, pepper, and potato. It causes wilting and leaf yellowing and necrosis and often comes in on cuttings. It can spread by water movement–most specifically bottom watering. The symptoms will appear more quickly with warmer temperatures (for example, 13 days at 81/68F day/night).
“So far it has only been found in one greenhouse–not in the northeast–and a single cultivar and trace backs and trace forwards are in progress as it is a federally regulated disease.
“Some things you can be doing:
- Check your geranium crop
- Isolate new shipments of geraniums–even separating cultivars and suppliers–and work in those blocks, washing hands between them
- Keep geraniums away from vegetable transplants”
Since Ralstonia is federally regulated, if you suspect it in your greenhouse, contact your local NYS Ag & Markets horticultural inspector and have them confirm.
USDA APHIS photos of Ralstonia and a comparison with Xanthomonas on geranium
Ralstonia Information in UMass Greenhouse Updates
Besides disease information, we talk a bit more about insect pests, some biocontrols, and some successful COVID-19 marketing strategies that we are seeing around the state. The NYS IPM Ornamental Crops Blog has more information on pests (not just greenhouse pests), webinar schedules, and management discussions too.
Next week will have more of a business slant, as Steve Hadcock joins me to discuss the ornamental horticulture industry outlook for the season.
If you have any questions about this week’s episode, you can contact me at Ldc74@cornell.edu
Until then, stay safe and well, and hopefully I will be seeing you soon.
Lindsey Christianson
Commercial Ornamental Horticulture Educator
Weekly Round Up April 29, 2020 – Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus: What is it and why should we be concerned?
Guest: Dr. Margaret McGrath
The Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV) is a new seed-borne virus, closely related to the tobacco mosaic and tomato mosaic viruses. While it has not been identified in New York yet, the state is inspecting for it. Dr. Margaret McGrath gives us a little background on the mechanical transmission of the virus and some sanitation steps growers can take to help prevent viral transmission from plant to plant in the greenhouse.
If you suspect ToBRFV in your greenhouse, there are a few steps you can take:
- Send pictures to your local horticulture extension, or a specialist like Dr. McGrath. Close-up photos of symptoms, comparisons to nearby healthy plants, and wider angle shots that show the distribution of symptoms are very helpful in identifying possible culprits.
- Send in samples to the diagnostic clinic. Operations are slightly different during the COVID-19 work from home orders, so please get in touch with the clinic by email prior to sending in any samples. You can find their contact information on the Plant Diagnostic Clinic website.
For more information and photo examples of ToBRFV symptoms, Michigan State University Extension has a factsheet that shows a range of foliar and fruit symptoms.
Next week, NYS IPM joins me for a discussion of pest issues that have been popping up around New York.
Weekly Round Up April 22, 2020
Welcome to the Weekly Round Up in our new podcast format for the 2020 growing season! We’ll be covering a variety of topics, mainly focused on the ornamentals industry: pests and diseases of particular concern, pest updates from around the state, research updates from campus, and some business management discussions.
Today’s episode is short, but a couple quick notes: If you’re a farmer in NY’s Capital Region that wants to start doing direct sales and want one easy way for potential customers to find you, check out Harvest Connection.
- Avoid direct contact by using 6 foot distancing during the drop-off/pick up process.
- Clean/sanitize hands immediately before and after drop-off/pick up.
Starting next week, the Weekly Round Up podcast will be posted on Wednesdays throughout the growing season. Tune in on April 29th for a discussion with Dr. Margaret McGrath for a discussion on the Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus and best management practices to reduce the spread of plant pathogens in a greenhouse operation.
