Prevent lateral stem breakage on poinsettias
Even though a poinsettia may look healthy, it's prone to lateral stem breakage. Here are some possible causes from Tina Smith and Douglas Cox, Univ. of Mass.: too many nodes left after the pinch; not enough calcium in the fertilizer; plants are pinched too early; low light levels during vegetative growth; or a lack of attention while hand-watering. Stem breakage tends to occur late in the production cycle or during shipping. Once a branch wilts, it will not recover. Remove it.
Sun Gro acquires Grow Best Holdings
Sun Gro Horticulture, together with its wholly owned subsidiary, Sun Gro Holdings, has acquired all of the outstanding shares of Grow Best Holdings for $20.3 million. Grow Best Holdings owns Florida Potting Soils and Sunshine Peat, both based in Orlando. Sun Gro Holdings will also purchase real estate and equipment used in the business for $2.1 million. Florida Potting Soils primarily sells bulk bark growing mixes to nurseries in Florida and surrounding states. Sunshine Peat harvests muck peat from central Florida and supplies it to Florida Potting Soils for use in custom mixes. Florida Potting Soils manufacturing facilities are near Orlando and Valdosta, Ga.
Growers find strawberry root rot prevention
USDA ARS researchers found that field strawberries grown with compost-filled mesh socks are less susceptible to black root rot and produce more marketable fruit than those planted in unfumigated, unamended soils. The socks provide an alternative to soil fumigation. The socks can be made of cotton, burlap, textile fibers or plastic. The compost can consist of a combination of leaves, yard trimmings, grass and poultry manure.
Study rates verbena susceptibility
Cornell Univ. plant pathologist Margery Daughtrey conducted a powdery mildew trial on verbena to determine the susceptibility of more than 30 cultivars. After a 3-month period she measured the percentage of disease coverage on plant foliage. Cultivars that showed little (less than 1%) to no coverage included: Superbena Coral, Superbena Pink Shades, 'Aztec Dark Red,' 'Rapunzel Lilac' and 'Lascar White.'
Study looks at birds and food contamination
Scientists at Ohio St. Univ. are studying the relationship between wild birds and E. coli contamination on farms. The research could lead to effective preharvest control strategies to minimize food-borne illnesses. OSU microbiologist and veterinary scientist Jeff LeJeune said there is strong evidence that European starlings harbor E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter, and that they can spread the pathogens. LeJeune's studies have found that E. coli O157-H7 strains isolated from European starlings are found on dairy farms in close proximity.
Hort. distributor expands
Griffin Greenhouse & Nursery Supplies, headquartered in Tewksbury, Mass., acquired the greenhouse and nursery supplies division of Penn State Seed Co. Penn State Seed's Mount Holly, N.J., and Bird-in-Hand, Pa., locations will now operate as Griffin Greenhouse & Nursery Supplies. Griffin has 12 distribution facilities in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
Worth a visit
Texas Cooperative Extension entomologist Carlos Bográn talks about Spanish IPM workshops. Only on GreenBeam.com.
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