How did it get to be February?!  And almost Valentine’s Day?  A great excuse to buy flowers and plants….maybe tomatoes?  They are ‘love apples’ after all.

Instead of thinking ‘babe magnets’ how about pest magnets – those plants that always get an insect pest first.  The best thing about them?  They are great places to scout to find out who’s bugging you early before populations rise.  Michigan State has a handy list of insect magnets.

Ball Hort has a large collection of upcoming and recorded webinars on pest management topics, among other things.  Root rot, mites, nematodes, weeds – what’s not to love?  And several are aimed at nursery operations, too.

Want a home grown webinar series?  We (Brian’s in there, and John and Neil and Jud Reid and more) are putting on webinars aimed at training Extension Educators (those folks who help you get questions answered) in greenhouse and high tunnel vegetable crop IPM.  They will be archived shortly after they are completed.  Here are the topics to come:
Feb 16: In-ground fertility/water management – Judson Reid
Feb 23: Production factors for greenhouses and high tunnels that relate to IPM – Amy Ivy
Mar 2: Disease management in greenhouses and high tunnels – Brian Eshenaur/Amy Ivy
Mar 9: Insect management in greenhouses and high tunnels – John Sanderson
Mar 16: Weed management in greenhouses and high tunnels – Betsy Lamb
Mar 23: How to write/use an IPM plan – Betsy Lamb

A note from an MSU newsletter that is worth keeping an eye out for:
With respect to disease, there has been documentation of strains of Pythium found in Michigan greenhouses that are resistant to mefenoxam (Subdue MAXX). Growers should be documenting rates and timing of pesticide applications and be making notes on efficacy.

Sierra Biologicals – a producer of beneficial nematodes –  is moving to the Buffalo NY area.  Cool!  We’ll keep an eye out for them and their products.

Some nutrition basics videos: Part 1 and Part 2 – good for a cold damp night like tonight!

Sneaky orchids? Okay, I’m a bug and plant geek, and think this is cool from the plant’s point of view, but don’t get me one of these for Valentine’s Day, please!

Enough for today! Stay warm and have a great week!