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Organic Greenhouse Practices

Organic Greenhouse Practices. Beth Christofferson. Overview. Organic Program Container Media Fertilizer Integrated Pest Management Plant Growth Regulators The Organic Greenhouse Money-maker!?. Container Media. Commercial Blends Custom blend Pre-packed Making your own Experimentation

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Organic Greenhouse Practices

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  1. Organic Greenhouse Practices Beth Christofferson

  2. Overview • Organic Program • Container Media • Fertilizer • Integrated Pest Management • Plant Growth Regulators • The Organic Greenhouse Money-maker!?

  3. Container Media • Commercial Blends • Custom blend • Pre-packed • Making your own • Experimentation • Recipes • Implementation

  4. Container Media • Ingredients allowed • Field or garden soil • Must be certain it has not been treated • Sand • Compost • 20-30% • Bark • Peat Moss • Coir • Newspaper

  5. Container Media • Alfalfa • Kenaf • Sawdust • Clay • Perlite • Vermiculite • Limestone -ATTRA Potting Mixes for Certified Organic Production

  6. Fertilizer • Incorporated • Nitrogen • Phosphorus • Potassium • Soluble • Nitrogen • Phosphorus • Foliar ATTRA-www.attra.ncat.org

  7. Integrated Pest Management • Always remember • Clean greenhouses regularly (once a week) • Check plants for pest infestations once to twice a week depending on susceptibility • Quarantine incoming plants • Screens • Avoid over fertilization • Allow for fallow times • Use several small IPM releases • If you are using a pesticide be wary of immunity build up

  8. Integrated Pest Management • Mealy bugs • Soft Scales • Thrips • Two-spotted Spider mite • Whitefly • Fungus Gnats • Aphids

  9. IPM: Mealy bugs • The “fluff” • Produce white wax and honeydew substances • Leaf yellowing, curling and drop • Females live about thirty days • Citrus • Longtail • Management • Washing or wiping with a cloth • Sticky traps

  10. Insecticidal soaps or oils • Biological Controls • Mealy bug destroyer ladybeetle (Cryptolaemus montrouzieri) • Parisitoids • Stingless wasps-Encyrtids and aphelinids Minnesota Department of Agriculture- Biological Control Program

  11. IPM: Soft Scale • Produces honeydew substance • Leaf yellowing, drop and stunted new growth • Adult females live attached to leaves • Hemispherical scale • Brown soft scale • Green soft scale • Management • Washing for soft scale

  12. Insecticidal soap or oil • Biological control • Mealy bug destroyer ladybeetle (Cryptolaemus montrouzieri) • Ladybeetle (Rhyzombius lophanthae) • Parasitoid • Stingless wasps-Encyrtid wasps Minnesota Department of Agriculture- Biological Control Program

  13. IPM: Thrips • Makes leaves look splotchy • Also causes rolling, blistering, discoloration, and at times leaf drop • Some thrips can also carry viruses • Management • Sticky cards in blue or neon pink • Weed free environment • Light colored clothing • Fallow period

  14. Insecticidal soaps and oils, hot pepper wax, and garlic extracts • Biological Control • Green lacewing, minute pirate bug, pink-spotted ladybeetle, and Hypoaspis miles (predator mite) • Parasitoids • Thripobius semiluteus parasitizes the greenhouse thrips’ nymph • Steinernema spp. of nematode attack soil stages Minnesota Department of Agriculture- Biological Control Program

  15. IPM: Two-spotted spider mite • Leaves look spotted/stippled and covered in webbing • Feed on plants one cell at a time • Adults can live up to 21 days • Management • Insecticidal soaps or oils • Lower temperatures below 75F • Remove weeds and other plants from near vents and around greenhouse

  16. Biological controls • Phytoseiulus persimilis-quick control and actively seeks the spider mites, prefers 60-85F and above 50% humidity • Neoseiuluscalifornicus-survives a period without prey and works well indoors with variable conditions • Stethorus punctillum-tiny beetle that thrives in variable conditions • Orius insidiosus (Minute pirate bugs)-adapted to conditions favorable to spider mites Minnesota Department of Agriculture- Biological Control Program

  17. IPM: Whitefly • Cause stunted growth, yellowing and reduced yields • Management • Yellow sticky cards • Remove plants and weeds from around greenhouse • Avoid re-infestation • Proper disposal of infested plants

  18. Biological control • Black ladybeetle (Delphastus spp.) • Parasitoid • Stingless wasp (Encarsia formosa) Minnesota Department of Agriculture- Biological Control Program

  19. IPM: Fungus Gnats • General diminished plant health and stunting • Spread plant pathogens and cause plants to be more susceptable to disease • Adult females deposit up to 1000 eggs in their 7 day adult stage • Management • Yellow sticky cards • Avoid over-watering

  20. Keep growing areas dry and free of weeds and algae • Biological control • Soil application of Bacillus thuringiensis • Beneficial nematodes (Steinernema sp.), rove beetles (Atheta sp.), ground bettles, and soil centipedes • Predator mite Hypoaspis miles Minnesota Department of Agriculture- Biological Control Program

  21. IPM: Aphids • Leaf curling, yellowing, distortion, stunting and death of new growth • Honeydew • Ants protect aphids for honeydew • Green peach aphid • Potato aphid • Cotton or melon aphid • After birth an aphid can mature in 7-8 days

  22. Adult females can then produce up to 10 aphids a day • Management • Washing • Insecticidal soaps or oils • Biological controls • Ladybeetles (Harmonia axyridis, Hippodamia convergens, and Coleomegilla maculata) , lacewing (Chrysopa or Chrysoperla) , predator midges (Aphidoletes aphidimyza) and minute pirate bug Minnesota Department of Agriculture- Biological Control Program

  23. Growth Regulator • Reduce “leggy” plants • High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps • Non-chemical • Brushing • Temperature • Brushing • Brush the plant tops • Study at Cornell

  24. Temperature • Cooler temperatures slow growth • Reduced differences in day and night temperatures ATTRA-www.attra.ncat.org

  25. The Organic Greenhouse Money-maker • Supplier of organic plugs and seed • Reduced competition • Commercial suppliers “recommended” on ATTRA • Mountain Valley Growers, Inc. • Greystone Gardens • Patchwork Farm and Greenhouse • There are many smaller businesses listed on the ATTRA • Few are in or near Minnesota

  26. You could transport products to customers faster • Locally grown • Supply to the public • Offer starter plants of organic vegetables and herbs • Houseplants! ATTRA-www.attra.ncat.org

  27. Sources Cited • ATTRA. “Potting Mixes for Certified Organic Production.” Sept 2004. <www.attra.ncat.org> • Cunningham, Neil. Biological Control Program Fact Sheet. Minnesota Department of Agriculture.<www.mda.state.mn.us/biocon/plants cape/default.htm> • Lacey, Roy. The Organic Greenhouse & Conservatory. Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 2004. • All pictures used are from location cited on the page it is located, from my personal collection or clip art.

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