Peat moss report 20 2022 Canadian Harvest of Horticultural Peat Moss
Pot-bound perennials 28 Highlighting some impressive plants
Perennials showcase 32 Top picks and sneak peeks
CGC Report 42
CGC returns to live event in Niagara Falls
Inside View 46 Going underground
8 22 24
Talking carbon Carbon management program launch featured panel on tackling emissions.
CAST Part 3
The final installment of the California Spring Trials.
Growing for long-term successful cultivars. See page 12. Photo: Sawaya Gardens.
BY ANDREW SNOOK
BY RODGER TSCHANZ
The electricity crisis in Leamington Canada’s greenhouse hotspot lacks the required electricity to grow. BY
TREENA HEIN
Growing my industry knowledge
Fall has always been my favourite season. The cool (but not freezing) weather, the changing colours of the leaves, and celebrating Halloween, which has become exponentially more fun accompanying my three kiddos on their trick-or-treating from door to door.
Another reason I look forward to the fall season are all the great industry shows available to attend.
In October, I attended the Canadian Greenhouse Conference (CGC) at the Niagara Falls Convention Centre in Niagara Falls, Ont. and the event was fantastic!
There were dozens of sessions and more than 200 exhibitors, so there was no shortage of new products to see and presentations to attend. My only struggle was having to choose between the 60-plus educational sessions, because I would have been happy to sit in on all of them.
I ended up sitting in on several presentations related to disease management, energy and cannabis production (cannabis being the theme of our December issue). It was a lot of fun listening to all the great speakers talk about their latest research. In addition, I found a ton of interesting ideas for future articles related to water management, lighting, integrated pest management, vertical farming, garden centre retailing, biocontrol, strawberry production, and more, within the CGC Show Guide.
Networking opportunities were great at the show as well. I was able to meet a ton of new people, some of whom I will be collaborating with for new articles in the near future.
The CGC was a great example of
how helpful industry shows can be when they’re well organized, well supported and well attended. I can’t wait for the 2023 edition of CGC, taking place on October 4 and 5, 2023 in Niagara Falls.
Next on my fall agenda is the Green Industry Show & Conference (GISC) on November 17 and 18. I’m looking forward to meeting members of this great industry in Western Canada. This looks like another fantastic show!
The theme for the GISC conference “Refresh. Reignite. Revitalize.” The event takes place in Red Deer, Alta., which is a huge bonus, as I will happily find any excuse I can to visit Alberta (my favourite spot to visit is Drumheller).
I’m looking forward to the industry bus tour hosted by Dr. Mohyuddin Mirza, my first tailgate party on a trade show floor, and checking out many of the interesting educational sessions.
If you’re exhibiting, presenting or attending at GISC, and see me walking the aisles, feel free to pull me aside, introduce yourself and tell me a little about your company.
I’m always interested in hearing about the latest products, services and technologies, as well as learning more about the types of research and projects people are working on.
Who knows, there might be an opportunity for us to work together on an article for Greenhouse Canada!
I’ll be the tall, lanky gentleman with the camera taking photos of everything.
Hope to see you at the show!
Your Complete MUMS Supplier
Province supporting made-in-Ontario fertilizer solutions for farmers
The Ontario government is investing up to $2 million over two years in the Fertilizer Accelerating Solutions & Technology Challenge. This funding will support made-in-Ontario solutions to increase the availability of fertilizer options, alternatives and technology, ensuring farmers have the tools they need so that Ontarians can rely on a safe and stable food supply.
Following consultations with farmers and the agri-food sector, Ontario is launching the Challenge to address the ongoing supply chain challenges for fertilizer, while promoting innovation in the province’s agri-food sector. The Challenge is a competitive opportunity for agri-businesses and
organizations that will focus on investing in projects, such as new solutions like biofertilizers, that can help reduce dependency on imported products.
This investment will encourage both immediate and long-term innovative solutions to help meet Ontario farmers’ fertilizer needs by accelerating the development of new and alternative products for the agri-food sector.
This important investment, together with additional investments and opportunities the province has made to support farmers, will help support the province’s position as a world leader in food production and ensure that Ontarians have a safe and stable supply of food.
VINELAND PARTNERS WITH LETSGROW.COM ON WATERING ALGORITHM SOLUTION
With 70 per cent of all freshwater withdrawals accountable to agriculture, combined with worldwide population growth pressures and the subsequent increase in food demand, sustainable water consumption has become increasingly important to horticultural growers and suppliers.
Growers spend an average of 240 hours per acre to manage and monitor their irrigation systems. This manual process leads to costly crop management, inconsistent yields or even crop loss.
“For the past three years, Vineland has worked in close collaboration with LetsGrow.com to develop a machine learning algorithm to complement the LetsGrow.com software suite to directly address this challenge,” says Hussam Haroun, director of automation at Vineland Research and Innovation
BY THE NUMBERS
Centre. “Combined with greenhouse environmental data, this new software innovation is able to learn the grower irrigation strategy and provide decisions to create irrigation consistency, as well as, optimize water usage and consumption.”
“Our collaboration with Vineland allows for an important expansion in our platform technology to further collect, refine and analyze water usage data that is crop specific,” says Ton van Dijk of LetsGrow. com.
This international collaboration serves to advance Vineland’s mandate to facilitate cooperation and create partnerships that expand innovation and commercialization in horticulture both in Canada and abroad.
Inflation adjusted neutral imports from January to June 2022 were up 42.9% over the five-year average for the period and up 20.9% over 2021.
Year-to-date totals for competitive imports are up 8.6% over the five-year average and 4.8% above last year’s sum.
Year to date (January to June) inflation adjusted input imports in 2022 were $149.8 million, up 21.9% from the five-year average, but actually down -0.33% over 2021.
TALKING CARBON
Carbon management program launch featured panel on tackling emissions
MBY ANDREW SNOOK
anaging carbon was the topic of the day at 360 Energy’s 360 Carbon Excellence program launch held on Sept. 21 in Oakville, Ont.
The Carbon Excellence program is an actionable and measurable corporate strategy that publicly shows a company’s tangible commitment to sustainability. Attendees comprised a combination of greenhouse operators, manufacturing executives, government officials and environmental reporters.
The event featured a panel discussion on carbon management with a wide range of guests including Kate Flynn, general manager for the Centre for Climate Change Management at Mohawk College; John Lennartz, vice-president of environment, energy and real estate at Samuel, Son & Co. Ltd.; Michelle Albanese, principal at ESG Global Advisors Inc.; and John Pooley, corporate energy and carbon advisor, and vice-president of program development for 360 Energy Inc.
The panel was moderated by Melissa Durrell, CEO and chief strategist of Durrell Communications.
The first question posed to the panel was, “What are the barriers today for businesses wanting to reduce their emissions? And what are some of the incentives?”
Albanese said one of the biggest barriers is that many companies simply don’t know where to start. This is particularly true for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
report and reduce their carbon emissions, so these companies require additional support.
“I was in a company that was asking our suppliers to do this. If you’re familiar with carbon emissions in the supply chain, that’s called Scope 3 emissions. And more and more companies are asking their suppliers to report it and reduce their emissions. But the suppliers are really struggling,” Albanese said. “So, I would say that there’s a large barrier there. There’s a lot of incentives coming in, and a lot of directives to report on emissions. But I think we need to think about how to support these companies, how to collaborate across industries. And if you’re asking your suppliers, too, how can you support and guide them to the right resources to help everyone achieve the same goal?”
“Some of the publicly-traded companies, the larger companies, the larger manufacturers, they have the resources, they have the expertise. They can pull in the right expertise to support them,” she told the crowd. “There’s thousands and thousands of SMEs who really are struggling with this. They’re struggling with ESG in general, but then also, when you get down to the technicalities of measuring carbon and knowing how to reduce carbon, where do they find capital if they need support to do some type of improvement or by technology?”
ABOVE (L to R): The day’s discussions on carbon management included speakers Michelle Albanese (ESG Global Advisors); David Arkell (360 Energy); Kate Flynn (Mohawk College); John Lennartz (Samuel, Son & Co. Ltd.); and John Pooley (360 Energy), who joined the event remotely.
Lennartz added that data collection is a must for understanding what a company’s energy consumption is, and for knowing the related emissions being produced. He added that many of the technologies for helping companies reduce their emissions are still only emerging.
Many SMEs are also now being asked by their customers to
“I think some of the technologies that they may have to
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utilize haven’t really even been invented yet,” he said. “So, as an incentive, obviously, there’s the cost reductions from reducing your energy consumption. I think we’re going to get to the point, where we’re seeing more and more customers asking us what we’re doing about it. I think there will be a tipping point where you start to get these large, public facing companies that will stop doing business with companies that aren’t doing something about it as they go to try and reduce their Scope 3 emissions in their value chain.”
Flynn added that understanding your carbon consumption and your production is really about asking a company to think about its strategy in a more comprehensive way, and that having tools to help generate these reports will be extremely advantageous.
“Where’s your company going to be in five years? And how are you going to utilize and keep up with the changing policies and the demand? I think, for understanding where your supply chain is going to be at a time of climate change, how you’re going to measure those emissions, how you’re going to report, I think we’re going to see companies really benefit from having those answers,” she said.
UNDER PRESSURE?
The panel was also asked if there is currently pressure for companies to commit to Net Zero 2050, and if so, what does that pressure look like?
Albanese said there is a lot of pressure for companies to commit and many companies are coming out with announcements, but that most lack details behind their plans and targets.
“The reality is nobody knows exactly how they’re going to get there, because it’s just too far out. We don’t have all the technology available, but I do think that it’s important to set that
goal to start on that journey,” she said.
Pooley said that new technologies will be vital for companies meeting future carbon reduction targets, but they need to take a cautious approach.
“We’ve got to be a little weary if we rush into certain technologies too soon. On the other hand, that shouldn’t be an excuse for inactivity. But we’ve got to keep revisiting technology, it’s got to be there,” he said.
While a technology may not prove to be cost effective one year, it may make sense to invest in it later down the road, because situations change, Pooley added.
“Look how energy prices have risen, that could change as a payback on a technology. So, we’ve got to get better at understanding the right technologies, we’ve got to be careful about jumping too soon. But on the other hand, not be paralyzed into doing nothing,” he said.
NAVIGATING EMISSIONS
The panel was then asked about how technological advances will shape carbon markets in the future. Flynn said, first and foremost, it’s important to start with a conversation on energy efficiency.
“That benefits basically every company. Even if you’re a software company, it’s going to help; and I think it’s really important to measure and understand where your energy needs are coming from,” she said. “I think we’re entering an age where people are waking up to the fact that energy costs are incredibly volatile, and they’re completely out of our control. Even the biggest companies are often looking to even just primary hydrocarbon resources and are astonished to find the next year that they’re paying twice or three times as much. I think companies are going to want to try and control this much more carefully. And I think that they’re going to look to energy efficiency first.”
Flynn added that increased electrification will have a big role moving forward.
“We’re going to move in substantial ways to a clean energy system. Because if we electrify, we basically can use clean energy much more efficiently than we’re currently now,” she said. “I think we’re going to see this mass movement to electrification, and hopefully plenty of infrastructure that enables us to use clean energy from the grid and other resources. And then it gets more complex from there. So, a lot of companies are going to be looking at a myriad of solutions.”
No matter what technologies emerge in the future, companies need to be prepared and have the right teams in place to utilize them efficiently.
“I think that we’re going to see a lot of really cool technologies come along, I think we’re going to see, hopefully, the grid infrastructure improve over the next decade or so. I think the federal government and provincial government will come alongside and do that very systematically, because they kind of have to. And then, I think we’re going to have to also ask ourselves, within our companies and organizations, some tough questions about, ‘Do we have the skill set needed?’ and how do we upskill people to be able to make and integrate these kinds of technological questions; but also, [add] people-centric questions into our business decisions on a regular basis?” Flynn added.
To learn more about 360 Carbon Excellence Program, visit: carbonexcellence.com.
The Carbon Excellence program is an actionable and measurable corporate strategy that publicly shows tangible commitment to sustainability.
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THE LONG GAME: SUCCESS FACTORS FOR CULTIVARS
Sawaya Garden Trials 2022
BY MELHEM SAWAYA
This was the 22nd year since the trials started. Many cultivars went through our trials. Some cultivars are in production for the 22-plus years and are still going, while others did not make it past one or two seasons. Many of the cultivars even have the same name. Many improvements have gone into these cultivars through the years, but the breeders are working with cultivars that are winners by acquiring the consumer satisfaction with improving minor characteristics.
Through my 44 years in the horticulture business collaborating with breeders, growers, buyers, and consumers, I have learned what makes a successful cultivar that stands the test of time past trends.
Every trial season, I share some cultivars that proved to perform well through the trial period, but the next season some of these cultivars are not mentioned again, while others are mentioned over and over. This is because there are other factors for a successful sustainable variety to stand the test of time.
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For the past 22 years, we at Sawaya Garden Trials concentrated on the garden performance, which is extremely important. Starting next year, we will track the other factors that make a long-time successful cultivar.
Here are the factors:
Source starting material
• Availability
• Delivery
• Quality
• Germination/propagation %
• Pest-free
I have a good pulse on these factors through my consulting business, where I deal with 49 different greenhouse operations that include the three major rooting stations, large growers and small growers that propagate vegetative and seed material.
For the past 22 years, Sawaya Garden Trials concentrated on garden performance. Starting next year, it will track the other factors that make a long-time successful cultivar.
PHOTOS: SAWAYA GARDENS.
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2.
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Powered by naturally occurring Bacillusamyloliquefaciens bacterium, Taegro 2 provides exceptional protection against powdery mildew, botrytis, blights and soilborne diseases like rhizoctonia, fusarium and sclerotinia. It employs three modes of action that not only attack diseases, but also help the plant heal and mount a defense against them for better tolerance in the future.
This biological activity makes it an ideal tool for IPM programs because it won’t contribute to resistance issues and offers flexible application options.
Growers can apply via drench to transplants to help prevent root rot and give plants a strong start or mid to late season as a foliar to help keep blights, rots and spots from taking over after fruits are set.
“It’s incredibly smart technology that adapts to use different modes of action depending on how and why it’s applied,” says Barnhart.
Taegro 2 is also a durable and safe tank-mix partner that provides protection with a low use rate.
It’s stored as a spore with a hard cased capsule that activates when it reaches other living things. This gives it a shelf life of three years. Just 2.6-5.2 oz. per acre provides protection, and growers can spray one day and harvest the next because it’s made from Mother Nature’s problem solvers.
To discover if Taegro 2 is a good fit for your IPM, visit us to learn more about its benefits and talk to your local retailer.
Point of purchase
• Presentation
• Shelf life
• Stores abuse
• Ease of care
• Consumer first impression
Now we can monitor firsthand with our garden centre, where I learned amazingly fast that the varieties I love don’t necessarily sell. Also, I work with 13 different grower garden centres, which gives me a good picture – at least in Ontario, Canada. That’s where we can evaluate customer appeal for new products or new presentations.
Trial garden performance
• True to family performance, not adopted cultivars (similar habit)
• Plant habit
• How long the cultivar looks good
• Plant body (foliage health and habit)
• Flower power performance (how long and regeneration)
• Rain recovery time
• Drought tolerance
• Deadheading requirement
• Garden appeal from one metre
• Garden appeal from 10 metres
• Disease resistance
• Insect resistance
• Fragrant
• Colour appeal
Taking all these factors into consideration, Sawaya Gardens’ next phase is to:
• Evaluate all participant varieties with numbers attached to them.
• Work with breeders on variety selection through trials of potential market introduction through the parameters mentioned before.
• Establish a production cookbook for every new introduction for the growers.
• Perform market testing on a small scale.
This will accomplish the following:
• Breeders do not have to spend huge amounts of capital for varieties that will not make it more than one or two years.
• Growers do not have to grow a variety that did not go through the before mentioned criteria. This will avoid wasted capital and better use of greenhouse space for tested varieties.
• Buyers will not be tempted to order an exclusive variety that the grower does not know how to produce efficiently, or not know what the consumer appeal is.
• The consumer will buy a variety that they will have a better chance of enjoying, rather than getting disappointed with the plant performance and could turn them away from buying plants completely.
In addition, Sawaya Gardens now opens its doors to the public, offering educational tours, so we can equip consumers with practical knowledge of variety choices and knowledge of plant care. Now we can accomplish all this in our new location with the greenhouse structure built to be able to
answer as many questions as possible that are needed by the horticulture industry.
Any suggestions for trials set up, information communication, or any suggestion are all welcomed.
KEY
EXAMPLES FROM TRIALS
So, here are some varieties to share with you. By no means are these the only great performers, but due to limited publishing space, 42 varieties are shared in this issue and another 40 in the next issue.
The weather this year is moderate compared to other seasons, no long stretches of extreme heat or rain, with some cool nights that enhanced the performance of many varieties that will not survive long hot night temperatures like Lobelia, Diascia, and Dahlia; and the flowers lasted longer before burning off due to high average temperatures.
Alstroemeria (1) Princess Fabiana is one colour of the princess series that flowered the whole summer even in hot days. This series is bred for pot plants that can be grown in containers or landscape.
Angelonia (2) Angel Dance Violet Bicolor are great habit, great looking, dense variegated flowers that will make any landscape a great show. Angel Dance, like other Angelonia, is one of the best garden performers the whole summer long until frost.
Basil (3) Everleaf Emerald Towers is an upright habit great performer and downy mildew resistant. As a matter of fact, we did not see any disease symptoms the whole summer, with good tasting.
Begonia (4) Hula Pink is early
flowering, vigorous growing, great for large hanging baskets and covers large area in the landscape. The plants have lots of flowers and rain does not affect it negatively. It thrives in the sun and survives the shade.
Begonia (5) Viking Explorer Red on Green is one of my new favourite large begonias because the foliage is dense, and it has strong stems with some cascading habit that makes it great as large pot or large hanging baskets. All fibrous begonias do better in the sun, but they survive the partial shade with less flowers.
Begonia x Hybrida (6) Bright Orange is a boliviensis begonia that has a good garden performance. Leaves look thicker compared to other bouliviansis cultivars, which is
critical for the transportation of vegetative cuttings.
Begonia x tuberhybrida (7) Illumination Apricot Shades is a trailing tuberous non-stop begonia that has good garden performance in hanging baskets and thrives in the sun. It is my wife’s favourite. Yes, you guessed it. That is what we have around our house.
Bougainvillea (8) Vera Purple is by far the best bougainvillea variety, and this year Vera showed its potential in our trials due the fact there were many cool nights and warm days. The flowers lasted a long time, and it was a short time between flower cycling. Great for high-end containers. Caladium (9) Heart to Heart Radiance
is one of the better caladium varieties that can take the wind and hot sun. It has impressive leaf colours that show from afar. It is better to buy the caladium just sprouted if it is meant to grow outside, because it does not like the sudden cold, wind, and sun, if all the leaves are large.
I think Calibrachoa is the larges genus in the hanging baskets spring production. Calibrachoa has excellent garden performance in full sun for potential colour, and the vast selection of cultivars that each has is a great different feature that makes the genus a winner. Here are just a few examples:
Calibrachoa (10) Bloomtastic Yellow is one colour in a series with larger than
average colours.
Calibrachoa (11) Bumble Bee Pink Hot has a unique star-shaped flower that jumps out at you and gives a great look.
Calibrachoa (12) Cabaret Yellow performance is improved over last year and has a dense controllable growth foliage that carries masses of flowers.
Calibrachoa (13) Calipetite Yellow Improved (2) is a very compact calibrachoa that performs well in the garden. Calipetite is great for small pots or bowls. No growth regulator is needed.
Calibrachoa (14) Callie Mango shares the habit of most of the callie. The whole series performed well in our trials.
Calibrachoa (15) Cha-Cha Frosty
Lemon is one colour of this vigorous series that makes it great for large baskets.
Calibrachoa (16) MiniFamous Neo Double Silver Blue is one colour of the best double calibrachoa with little roses that makes great show to grow a combination of different colours in a large hanging basket.
Calibrachoa (17) Ombre Blush. I love this colour because it looks a different colour every week you look at it.
Calylophus (18) Ladybird Lemonade is a different flower and leaves shape that can add a different look to any garden. Calylophus flowers the whole summer until frost. It can be grown in a container or landscape.
Celosia (19) Kelos Fire Scarlet is one
colour of a series that can be grown for indoors as pot plant or landscape. Hardy rain does not hurt it. Great all of the summer.
Celosia (20) Kosmo Cherry is a seed variety of a series of many colours that works for pot plant for indoor production and is great for landscape.
Coleus varieties in the last few years are exploding in the marketplace. Very colourful foliage, different textures that takes the shade and the sun. There are many vigorous varieties that consumers like and can be pruned easily without any negative look. They’re great in large pots and landscape. Here are few examples:
Colocasia (26) Coffee Cups very vigorous tropical plants that take the sun and performed great in our trials, and makes any garden have that tropical feel.
Confetti Garden (27) Heartland is a combination of the
same genus that most of the time works better than different genera. The lantanas perform great in the heat and the combination gives added value and look to each other.
Cuphea (28) Pink Shimmer is an excellent summer performer that hummingbirds love and looks great. Could work well in combinations.
Cyperus Grass (29) Cleopatra looks better and better as it matures to give a nice tropical look with excellent performance. A favourite for combinations centres.
Dahlia (30) Hypnotica Bronze performed well this year in our trials even though it was in a pot. The heat did not negatively affect it compared to other years. The weather could be a factor or, most probably, the gray colour of the pot compared to black in other years.
Dianthus (31) Rockin’ Pink Magic is a perennial from seed that takes the heat very well and looks great the whole summer into hard frost.
Dichondra (32) Silver Falls (2). Building on the foliage crave, the dichondra fits right there with excellent performance. It can be grown alone in baskets or in combinations.
Gaillardia aristate (33) SpinTop Orange Halo Imp is a firstyear perennial flowering that flowers through the whole summer with its colourful flowers.
Gaura (34) Sparkle White is an excellent performer and looks better with age. No dead heading. Gets better in the heat and it’s a must plant for any outdoor wedding.
Geranium (35) Cascade Acapulco Compact is one of the balcony-trailing geraniums that is underused. It’s always great
Ready, Set, Grow.
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Peat Moss Report
2022 Canadian Harvest of Horticultural Peat Moss as of August 31
BY CANADIAN SPHAGNUM PEAT MOSS ASSOCIATION
The Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association (CSPMA), whose members currently represent approximately 83 per cent of North America’s horticultural peat production, is providing its annual level of harvest for the 2022 season.
A survey of members was conducted on the status of their 2022 Actual Harvest as a percentage of their 2022 Expected Harvest as of August 31 (the season may continue in some regions, weather dependent). The harvest overall varied regionally, but significantly poor weather conditions across all regions meant that harvest, unfortunately, was well below expected levels.
REGIONAL RESULTS
In Western Canada (Manitoba [MB], Saskatchewan [SK] and Alberta [AB]), all regions were below the targeted volumes (56% in MB; 75% in SK; 81% in AB). In some cases, record-breaking rain and floods significantly delayed the harvest season, a situation that extended through much of the summer. The end of summer saw more favourable conditions, but were insufficient to enable target volumes to be reached. In Manitoba, weather conditions, specifically the spring 2022 flooding, limited harvest and plant operations, constraining capacity. To date, some facilities are continuing to recover from the flood damage.
In New Brunswick, both North and South regions were below expected harvest volumes (65%
in NB North, 70% in NB South). Varied weather patterns combined with the late start constrained harvest throughout the Maritimes. The harvest on Québec’s South Shore (73%) and North Shore (61%) were also below expectations. Several summer storms, particularly on the North Shore, did not permit either region to achieve its targeted volumes. Similar weather patterns affected the Ontario (57%) harvest.
South of the border, Minnesota (34%) experienced a lower-than-expected harvest because of unique weather patterns.
As in the past, Canadian horticultural peat producers are committed to working cooperatively with their commercial business partners. CSPMA members continue to harvest and manage horticultural peat in a sustainable and responsible way that delivers social and economic benefits to many communities across North America, all while applying world-leading environmental practices. In addition, Canadian horticultural peat producers are engaged in increasing harvesting capacity through investments in plant infrastructure, harvesting equipment, bog openings, and personnel training, while partnering with academia to mitigate the environmental footprint. Producers, though the CSPMA, are also working with provincial governments to improve the regulatory environment to ensure the critical resource continues to deliver on the benefits of food security and well-being for generations to come.
CAST 2022
Part 3
The final installment of the California Spring Trials
BY RODGER TSCHANZ
This is the third and final installment in a series of articles covering different groups of plants found while touring the 2022 edition of the California Spring Trials (CAST). This article will touch on some of the new edible plants and food-focused marketing tools encountered on my tour.
At our stop at American Takii, I was shown a display of Asian Vegetable Greens that included a selection of their mustard greens, turnip seedlings and Pak Choi plants growing in pots. What immediately caught my eye was the packaging that was being used to decorate the pots. The display employed colourful red
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Chinese food takeout boxes as pot covers. What better way to package edible Asian vegetable plants for takeout? When inquiries were made about the packaging, we were told that American Takii was not in the business of selling packaging but wanted to focus instead on their plants. The packaging in the display was there simply to give Takii customers promotional ideas for these plants. I look forward to seeing something resembling this approach in the Canadian marketplace.
PanAmerican Seed has recently started a Kitchen Mini vegetable program that sees compact, container-friendly vegetable plants
One display employed colourful red Chinese food takeout boxes as pot covers. What better way to package edible Asian vegetable plants for takeout?
adorned with tantalizing ripe fruit taken home by the consumer to allow harvest fresh from the plant when desired. The program is aimed at the consumer who does not have room to grow vegetables at home. The plants aren’t expected to last much longer than four weeks once taken home. The marketing slogan is “No Garden, No Problem.” Buy, eat and repeat. PanAmerican Seed has selected approximately 14 different peppers and tomatoes for this program.
On the new release side, PanAmerican Seed has a new specialty F1 hybrid tomato called Sun Dipper. The small orange fruit have an unusual, elongated shape that allows for easy holding between the fingers when you dip it into your favourite topping. This tomato has a lot going for it – good flavour, attractiveness and high resistance to Fusarium, nematodes and TMV. The growth habit is indeterminate, so it is best grown in beds.
Trailblazer is an F1 hybrid sweet pepper that ripens to a bright yellow. The fruit is early maturing, has thick walls (great for salads) and a blocky shape that makes it ideal for stuffing. The plant has a tall, upright habit and is resistant to bacterial leaf spot. This is another selection that is best grown in the field.
Sakata has a track record for focusing its tomato-breeding efforts on disease resistance, improved flavour and colour. Dark red fruit with a high lycopene fruit have resulted from using the “Crimson” gene in their breeding. Three new, determinate tomatoes reflecting those breeding goal were presented at CAST2022. LaGuna Red is a salad variety that is well suited for cool weather fruit set. Rambler is another salad type variety, which produces super large fruit. In contrast to LaGuna Red, Thunderbird sets fruit extremely well under hot conditions. These three cultivars are suitable for production and sale in large containers or in packs.
Sakata also has some new pepper releases. Chaak is the first habanero introduction from Sakata. It has early maturation, two weeks earlier than a typical habanero. The fruit has good cracking tolerance and produces high yields on a strong vigorous plant with short internodes. Megatron is a new hybrid jalapeno that boasts dense extralong fruit averaging 11 cm in length. The fruit has a good shelf life and a nice green colour. Lone Ranger is Sakata’s
new serrano pepper with the thickwalled fruit reaching lengths of 10 to 12 cm. This fruit has a Scoville rating of 20-20,000 units, which is hotter than average for this type of pepper. It also has high resistance to bacterial leaf spot. All three of these peppers are compact growers and container friendly.
Greenhouse Grower 2022
Histill is an Israeli nursery that specializes in lavender and herbs. Visiting this stop was truly inspiring if not confusing to the senses; the range of different herbs offered some unusual
olfactory experiences. We sampled rosemary that smelled like ginger, mint that smelled like blackcurrant and so on. The plant that really caught my eye (and nose) was the Olive Plant. Its botanical name is Santolina viridis and the selection we sampled was Lemon Fizz. The foliage was soft and delicate looking and the fragrance from handling that foliage truly was that of olive. My tour group couldn’t make up its mind what it tasted like, but its olive scent and attractive light green fine foliage was enough for me.
The electricity crisis in Leamington, Ontario
Why Canada’s greenhouse hotspot lacks the required electricity and what’s being done to solve the problem
BY TREENA HEIN
There is a severe electricity shortage in the Leamington, Ont. area, affecting not only greenhouse operators but also the communities in which they reside, says Rob Petro, the Energy, Infrastructure and Environment lead at Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG).
The situation presents worries about any issue that may affect existing infrastructure that’s already strained, and is also holding back business expansions.
“The Kingsville-Leamington subsystem has historically, for the past 20 years, exceeded existing capacity,” says Petro. “Growth spurred by greenhouses in the area is expected to quadruple electricity demand in the region over the next 15 years, adding further pressure to an already-strained transmission system in Windsor-Essex. And with environmentally-driven electrification priorities, we understand that the demand will only grow.”
In April, the Government of Ontario announced
ABOVE
prioritized development of five new electricity transmission projects in southwestern Ontario (see sidebar) “to support the growth in the manufacturing and greenhouse sectors.” All this will be funded by $1 billion of taxpayers’ dollars, and will be developed in phases through 2030.
Electricity demands in the Windsor-Essex and Chatham areas alone, states the press release, “are forecasted to grow from roughly 500 MW of peak demand today to about 2,100 MW in 2035, which is about the equivalent of adding a city the size of Ottawa to the grid. In the KingsvilleLeamington area alone, there is currently a queue of customers waiting to connect to the electricity grid, demonstrating the need for the timely development of new electricity infrastructure in the region.”
The government has issued an Order-in-Council declaring three transmission line projects as priorities, streamlining the Ontario Energy Board’s (OEB) regulatory approval process for these lines.
In April, the Government of Ontario announced $1 billion in funding for development of five new electricity transmission projects in southwestern Ontario.
The priority declaration requires the OEB to accept that the three initial lines are needed when assessing whether the projects are in the public interest, expediting the review process so projects can be brought online earlier. The Minister of Energy has also directed the OEB to amend the transmission license of Hydro One, requiring it to undertake development work and seek approvals for four of the identified transmission lines.
Petro says these projects will help, even though much of the electricity is already subscribed. “OGVG has expressed and voiced the critical need for electricity in the region to the IESO (Independent Electricity System Operator), OEB and the Ontario Ministry of Energy, and they have all listened,” he reports. “The government and agencies have and are acting to expedite the existing projects and work with stakeholders to provide the needed electricity to the region… the speed of business is very fast, and government has been working diligently to keep up and provide support, for which we are very thankful.”
Michael Dodsworth spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of Energy says development of these new lines is informed by multiple planning studies undertaken in recent years by the IESO, which worked closely with local stakeholders.
“These projects are anticipated to come into service in a phased approach, with the Chatham to Lakeshore Line coming into service in 2025, followed by the St. Clair Line in 2028, and the first Longwood to Lakeshore Line in 2030,” he says. “However, given Ontario’s recent success at attracting unprecedented investments in the electric vehicle battery sector, Hydro One is looking for opportunities to bring these
The
five
transmission projects being accelerated by the Ontario government:
1. The Chatham to Lakeshore Line, a 230-kilovolt line from Chatham Switching Station to the new Lakeshore Transformer Station currently under construction in the municipality of Lakeshore.
2. The St. Clair Line, a 230-kilovolt line from Lambton Transformer Station, south of Sarnia to Chatham Switching Station.
3. The Longwood to Lakeshore Line, a 500-kilovolt line from Longwood Transformer Station, west of London, to the new Lakeshore Transformer Station.
4. A second 500-kilovolt line from Longwood Transformer Station to Lakeshore Transformer Station, with scope to be further refined through planning by the IESO.
5. A 230-kilovolt line that would run from the Windsor area to Lakeshore Transformer station, with scope to be further refined through planning by the IESO.
lines into service earlier.”
Dodsworth adds that in addition to the first Longwood to Lakeshore line, the IESO has identified the potential need for a second Longwood-to-Lakeshore circuit and a line running from the Windsor area to Lakeshore. “The IESO is currently gathering new information about future demand as well as the results of upcoming competitive procurements of generation resources which will inform the timing and scope of these projects,” he says. “Notwithstanding, Ontario has directed the OEB to obligate Hydro One to commence development work of these projects. This will ensure the transmitter has a headstart on these projects if they are needed in the future.”
CHP USE – AND POTENTIAL
As Petro explains, Combined Heat and Power (CHP), also known as cogeneration, is the ideal solution for greengrowers because it provides electricity, heat and critically needed CO2 to feed the plants. “For this reason, some call CHP tri-generation,” he says. “The high density of plants within a greenhouse means supplementation of CO2 is critical for healthy, robust and productive crops. CHP is the greenest way to use fossil fuels as the CO2 produced is being used to produce food. The benefit is that the electricity produced with CHP supports both the greenhouse business and the needs of local communities.”
T&T Power Group in Wellesley, Ont. has been involved in several CHP greenhouse projects in the province.
“Southwestern Ontario, including the Leamington area, has kept our power solutions team busy for several years now,” reports Tilo McAlister, T&T Power Group’s head of strategic marketing. “A boom in greenhouse construction and expansion, fuelled in part by the legalization of cannabis a couple years ago, has had system operators scrambling to provide additional power to the area. Grid-side power quality and capacity problems have been two of the worst headaches for the region’s large energy consumers, and have been a major driver for private investment into distributed energy resources like our CHP generators.”
In 2021, T&T Power Group commissioned a 2-MW CHP for an unnamed greenhouse operation in Kingsville Ont., without which, says McAlister, the owner would not have been able to
turn the lights on in his new six-acre state-of-the-art tomato range. McAlister explains that capacity constraints on the transmission system serving the area meant that there simply wasn’t any additional power available at the service location – a very common story among local growers.
“We designed and built the system around two 1-MW Siemens Energy gas engines in an islanded configuration,” he says. “That means that the new range is completely isolated from the grid, and 100 per cent of the electricity needed to power the grow lights is supplied by the generator. Thermal energy in the form of hot water is also recovered from the engine exhaust and coolant, and fed into the greenhouses’
LEFT
T&T Power Group in Wellesley, Ont. has been involved in several CHP greenhouse projects in the province.
existing thermal storage, making the project attractive environmentally and financially.”
The whole system is packaged inside two compact 40’ containers that sit outdoors on a concrete slab beside the facility’s electrical room. This minimizes installation costs.
Another T&T Power Group customer in southwestern Ontario chose to ditch the grid completely and take their entire 4-MW load off the line due to constant voltage dips, brownouts and other power quality issues. Since 2019 they have been running on generator power 24/7, which has proved to be far more reliable than the local utility company’s service, says McAlister, and at a very reasonable cost.
In addition, CHP use in Canada’s greenhouse industry is spreading beyond Ontario, says McAlister.
“While other jurisdictions may not have quite the same gap between supply and demand for electricity that we see around Leamington, CHP as a solution for greenhouse growers in Alberta has been quietly growing, and we have a number of promising projects developing,” he reports. “Due to Alberta’s reliance on fossil fuels for the majority of their power generation mix, CHP can be a slam dunk for growers in the province looking to lower their GHG emissions while reducing cost and dependence on the grid.”
He adds that this is why Emissions Reduction Alberta is currently offering “substantial funding” for the installation of new CHP systems.
POT-BOUND Perennials
Highlighting some impressive plants
BY RODGER TSCHANZ
I’m pretty sure plant breeders don’t intend for the progeny of their breeding efforts to become pot bound and/or remain for extended periods of time in undersized growing containers. However, sometimes it happens – either on the retail bench or, in my case, on the “extras” bench, left over from planting the trial garden plots. Some of you may share my affliction for not being able to throw out good looking plants even though a purpose for those plants has not been clearly identified. A purpose usually does reveal itself at the University
but in the meantime, some plants sit for months in 3.5” to 4” pots. At the end of September this year, when I was looking at some of these perennials sitting in the same pots they were transplanted to in April or May, I was struck by how good some of them continued to look. By most accounts, these plants would still be marketable. The perennials I’m going to mention here not only bloomed in their first year without vernalization but bloomed consistently all season long and maintained a compact growth habit without pruning or the use of PGRs.
PICTURES TAKEN
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TRANSPLANTED INTO 3.55” SQUARE DEEP POTS ON APRIL 11, 2022
• Buddleia Summer Bird Raspberry (1)
TRANSPLANTED INTO 3.55” SQUARE DEEP POTS ON APRIL 22, 2022
• Achillea Skysail Bright Pink and Fire (2)
• Coreopsis Moonswirl Imp. (3)
• Gaillardia Spintop Orange Halo Imp. (4)
• Salvia Midnight Blue and Midnight Rose
TRANSPLANTED INTO A 50 STAR DEEP 4.5” VENTED PLUG TRAY ON MAY 3, 2022
• Perovskia Bluesette (see page 28)
TRANSPLANTED INTO 4.5” ROUND STANDARD POTS ON MAY 3, 2022
• Delosperma Early Bird Purple (5)
• Delosperma Sandgem Ember
Perennials Showcase:
The top picks
BY ANDREW SNOOK
Greenhouse Canada recently reached out to perennial breeders and suppliers to learn more about their top picks (and to get some sneak peeks) for 2023.
Note: Varieties are not presented in any order.
DARWIN PERENNIALS AND KIEFT SEED
Chris Fifo, perennial products representative at Darwin Perennials, Kieft Seed, says that over this past year, growers have faced many obstacles.
“After two years of record sales, growers were all ramped up for a third that flopped for many,” he says. “After working their way through supply chain challenges getting all the materials they needed to produce their crop, COVID isolation was coming to an end and the weather did not cooperate in many regions, leading to a lot of leftover perennials. This is leading to more
growers trying their hand at overwintering.”
Darwin Perennials has recognized this and is providing grower resources with its YouTube channel video, “3 and a Half Steps to Overwintering Success,” as well as an associated upcoming webinar. The video can be viewed here:
“Since there can always be variability in overwintering success, opportunities arise with first-year-flowering perennials. This allows growers flexibility in production planning that they need, as well as scheduling opportunities to hit their target dates with perennials in full flower,” he says, adding that Darwin Perennials’ First-Year-Flowering Scheduling Tool can be
checked out at: www.firstyearfloweringtool.com.
“Producing these crops can take a fair amount of labour in a very tight labour market. Leading to another trend of growing perennials that require less labour, fewer ‘touches,’ and less attention overall. This comes back to the breeders then to develop products like Leucanthemum White Lion or Achillea Milly Rock that require little attention and get themselves ready for retail,” Fifo says.
KIEFT SEED
Rudbeckia Goldblitz [1]
Goldblitz is a natural daylength growing solution, so customers can enjoy this flower for earlier and longer during the season. This first-year-flowering perennial provides a more economical input option for natural daylength growers, as the plugs do not require special treatment to perform to the same quality as Goldsturm. A recent Fleuroselect Gold Medal winner.
• Height: 61-71cm/24-28”.
• Spread: 36-46cm / 14-18”.
• Exposure: Sun.
• Hardiness Zone: 3a to 9b.
Echinacea Artisan Yellow Ombre [2]
The first F1 hybrid seed Echinacea collection is expanding. New Yellow Ombre joins the Artisan Collection of seed Echinacea, which offers consistency of plant structure for uniform and highly branched, full plants in the landscape. The series also provides uniformity of flowering, so all plants are ready to show at the same time. The added benefit of a seed input means flexibility during production – fit Artisan right into your schedule.
• Height: 61-86cm/24-34”.
• Spread: 25-64cm/10-25”
• Exposure: Sun.
• Hardiness Zone: 4a to 10b.
Perovskia Bluesette [3]
This novelty perennial has a controlled habit, early flowering and early finishing, making growing Perovskia for the landscape market easy. Bluesette works well at the front of the garden border, in a single premium patio container, or in mixed combination with other sun-loving plants. Plants produce a pleasing sage fragrance and attracts bees and butterflies.
• Height: 36-56cm/14-22”.
• Spread: 36-61cm/14-24”.
• Exposure: Sun.
• Hardiness Zone: 4a to 9a.
DARWIN PERENNIALS
Veronica Skyward [4]
This veronica offers a high
habit and boasts continuous blooming. Its durability ensures plants grow and ship without breakage for more usable plants. Available in pink and blue. Pollinator friendly and powdery mildew resistant for perennial garden design success.
• Height: 36-46cm/14-18”.
• Spread: 36-43cm/14-17”.
• Exposure: Sun.
• Hardiness Zone 4b to 9a.
Echinacea Sombrero Poco Hot Pink [5]
This is the compact version of the popular Sombrero series of coneflower. The sturdy plants are covered in blooms with bright, rich colours. For spring 2023, Hot Pink joins the assortment and is well-matched in habit, timing and exceptional winter hardiness.
• Height: 36-41cm / 14-16”.
• Spread: 36-41cm / 14-16”.
• Exposure: Sun
• Hardiness Zone: 4b to 9b.
Polemonium ‘Golden Feathers’ [6]
Customers can add show-stopping colour to their shade garden designs with this exciting golden variegated Polemonium (Jacob’s Ladder). Bluishpurple flowers are a bonus in the latespring to summer months. Great accent plant in rock gardens, landscapes or containers.
• Height: 15-20cm/6-8”.
heavy soils conditioning improvement used in potting soil mixes odorless mixes with peat moss
natural soil conditioner for lawns, gardens and plants improves soil aeration neutral PH
quantity and size available upon request
increases water and fertilizer retention in soil preserves bulbs and roots germinating seeds and rooting cuttings improves potting and transplanting
natural soil conditioner for lawns, gardens and plants improves soil aeration neutral PH
quantity and size available upon request
• Spread: 30-36cm/12-14”.
• Exposure: Shade.
• Hardiness Zone: 5b to 9a.
PROVEN WINNERS PERENNIALS
Agastache MEANT TO BEE ‘Queen Nectarine’ [7]
Members of the MEANT TO BEE Collection were selected for their large, full habits, significant landscape presence, and hardiness. Soft peach flowers are held on the mauve calyxes of ‘Queen Nectarine’. Best performance comes in full sun with well drained soils.
Astilbe ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ [8]
Rich deep chocolate burgundy leaves form an incredibly attractive mound of foliage. Dark stems hold raspberry buds that burst forth with rosy purple flowers. This performs best both for growing and flowering in full sun in the north with adequate moisture, but also grows in shade.
Monarda UPSCALE ‘Red Velvet’ [9]
Taller than most other new introductions on the market, the UPSCALE collection average 2-2½’ tall and wide with flowering performance that covers the top half of the plant. ‘Red Velvet’ has large cherry red flowers. Newly emerging foliage has a bronze cast.
Panicum PRAIRIE WINDS ‘Niagara Falls’ [10] ‘Niagara Falls’ is excellent for filling space in the landscape. This native ornamental
grass that appears like a Miscanthus in the landscape with arching foliage, but adds the powder blue color characteristic of Switch Grass. In fall, sprays of cream seed heads pack the top of the plant.
Phlox LUMINARY ‘Sunset Coral’ [11]
Just like the pink and orange hues that light up the sky during a sunset, ‘Sunset Coral’ lights up the landscape. Coral pink flowers have an orange tinge; the orange colour is especially noticeable when compared with true pink Phlox paniculata varieties.
DÜMMEN ORANGE
Achillea Skysail Yellow [12]
Our new Achillea breeding features very large flowers umbels with bold colours on a strong, upright habit. This mediumheight plant with strong peduncles performs well in containers and landscapes for a nice retail and garden show. Excellent heat and humidity tolerance.
Gaillardia Spin Top Mango [13]
New colour addition to the industry’s leading Gaillardia series. This series provides early colour and continues into the season on a mounding habit. Incredibly hardy and tolerant to hot and humid conditions.
Dianthus Mad Magenta [14]
This large flower Dianthus is making headlines in the industry. This upright mounding variety, with its masses of electric magenta blooms starts earlier than any of our other perennial dianthus and continue non-stop throughout the season with no cycling.
Perovskia Jelena [15]
It’s compact habit make it a great selection for the landscape, making it more suitable for extensive commercial applications. Spikes of lavender-blue flowers add a sense of lightness to the garden. The compact upright nature of Jelena also makes it an ideal specimen as a thriller in summer combination containers.
Penstemon Pristine Princess Pink [16]
Beautiful Princess Pink is one of the three new colours additions that join the Pristine series. Pristine continues to be a grower favorite because of its medium-compact habit, intense colours, and naturally well-branching habit. With uniformity at the forefront of our breeding efforts, this series
is easily grown under a universal production regimen.
SYNGENTA FLOWERS
Erysistible [17]
Erysistible is the first Zone 5 hardy erysimum available in novelty colours. This year, the series is back with two new colours: Bronze Rose (pictured) and Yellow Pink. With medium-vigor and controlled habits, this series works well across all key container sizes.
Zephyr [18]
A densely branched and compact habit make Zephyr perovskia the best choice for small to mid-sized containers. It’s a tough drought tolerant variety and a magnet for pollinators. Zephyr is hardy from zones 4a-11a, and ideal for 1 qt and 2.5 qt containers.
Prairie Blaze [19]
Prairie Blaze is the first ever OP Echinacea available in novelty colours and optimized for mass production. This series offers four stunning colours: Orange Sunset, Vintage Lime, Golden Yellow, and Green. Varieties are efficient to produce in a wide range of container sizes, and ideally suited for 2.5-qt programs.
Alpino Early [20]
This year, our popular Alpino Early saxifraga series welcomes three new varieties: Alpino Early Carnival Imp (pictured),
Alpino Early Deep Red, and Alpino Early Rose Imp. These new introductions offer improved flower form and habit. Try combining them for a cheery cotton candy hued mix.
GoldiPhlox [21]
2022 was dubbed Year of the Phlox by the National Garden Bureau, but we’ll continue to celebrate in 2023 by introducing three new varieties to our GoldiPhlox series: GoldiPhlox Lavender Eye (pictured), GoldiPhlox Light Pink, and GoldiPhlox Pink Imp. This series is ideally suited for small- to medium-sized containers and is a must have for any perennial program big or small.
TERRA NOVA NURSERIES
Rebecca Orr, marketing manager at Terra Nova Nurseries, says this year has been a bit less sensational for overall interest. “It is closer to what we saw previously but with a bit more general interest in the backyard beneficial garden with many multi-use
plants. Retail customers are looking for more information about what they purchase than purely aesthetic impulse buys.” Orr adds that the average gardener wants more from the amount of space they have. “It many be more compact and floriferous plants or items check many boxes. The rise in interest in container gardening, pollinator friendly planting, drought tolerance and cut flowers opens many new ventures for breeders but it also means that only items that are top performers in many areas will have longevity in the market.”
Bergenia VINTAGE ‘Blush’ [22]
Harkens back to older types of Bergenia that have survived in gardens for a century without care. Has medium-sized, paddleshaped foliage in a rich pine-green colour that deepens with cold weather. The spring bloom is amazing; great numbers of flowering stems that are branched with several layers of flowers that are long lasting. Blush features a cascading style of flower truss; upright with flowers held like an orchid. Lovely blush pink flowers have a deep rose coloured eye. An easy and sturdy landscape plant.
• USDA Hardiness Zone(s): 4-9.
• Size (HT/W/FL HT): 10”/15”/16”.
• Exposure: Full Sun, Part Shade.
• Bloom Time(s): February, March, April.
Bergenia VINTAGE ‘Pink’ [23]
A stellar performer in containers and in the garden. Mediumsmall jade to emerald green foliage looks great even during the summer months. Flowering in early spring, VINTAGE Pink puts on a fantastic display of rose pink flowers in huge clusters. The waxy flowers last for over a month and have a light fragrance also.
• USDA Hardiness Zone(s): 4-9.
• Size (HT/W/FL HT): 8”/12”/12”.
• Exposure: Full Sun, Part Shade.
• Bloom Time(s): February, March, April.
Bergenia VINTAGE ‘Rose’ [24]
A very solid plant. Large clusters of bright rose flowers are held just above the lovely small, green foliage. Excellent scale in every aspect. The ratio of flowers to foliage is great, as is the complimenting flower and foliage colour. The rich, moss green foliage deeps in the winter and adds a beautiful burgundy halo around the edges of the foliage. Another rock hardy, easy to grow garden subject.
• USDA Hardiness Zone(s): 4-9.
• Size (HT/W/FL HT): 7”/14”/12”.
• Exposure: Full Sun, Part Shade.
• Bloom Time(s): February, March, April.
Dicentra AMORE ‘Titanium’ [25]
Absolutely one of the most pure, true white flowers we’ve seen in ages. The floral display of this Dicentra is stunning against the soft blue-green foliage. Exceptional vigour and easy culture make this new Bleeding Heart a garden essential. AMORE ‘Titanium’ arose as a spontaneous mutation of the popular AMORE ‘Pink’ and it’s a knockout. As with all the AMORE’s, they are very heat resistant and flower for many months, spring through summer. Grow AMORE ‘Titanium’ in the sun, or for an elegant woodlander, in the shade.
• USDA Hardiness Zone(s): 5-9.
• Size (HT/W/FL HT): 9”/18”/14”.
• Exposure: Part Shade, Full Shade.
• Bloom Time(s): May, June, July, August, September.
Echinacea CARA MIA ‘Spicy’ [26]
This plant ticked all the boxes for a number of visitors to Terra Nova’s field trials. This mid-border to background Echinacea made them all look twice. The added height, perfect stem and flower placement made it look like a living bouquet. Plus, the unusual Pomegranate colour makes it a showstopper. Terra Nova is happy to have another height range to offer its gardening friends… not everything should be knee high in a garden!
Foliage favourite for the garden with many improvements. Named for one of the truest bluest views of the Olympic mountains in Washington State, where this nativar originates. It is a tough, hardy perennial that tolerates both sun and shade well. Repeating curved frond-like foliage has an attractive geometric element that is pleasing to the eye throughout its growth. Light lilac-blue toned flowers grace the top of the crisp green leafed cyclone mid-summer. Great for containers, added foliage texture and mixed sun/shade locations.
• USDA Hardiness Zone(s): 4-9.
• Size (HT/W/FL HT): 9”/18”/14”.
• Exposure: Full Sun, Part Shade.
• Bloom Time(s): May, June, July, August, September.
Pulmonaria ‘Raspberry Frost’ [28]
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A rare and beautiful sport of the very popular ‘Raspberry Splash’. As easy to grow as the original, ‘Raspberry Frost’ is enhanced by a cream-silver margin and a heavily veiled leaf surface for added interest. The bright coral-red flowers are showy in early spring and when finished are covered by newly emerging foliage for a very clean look. A fresh look for this popular plant.
• USDA Hardiness Zone(s): 4-9.
• Size (HT/W/FL HT): 10”/18”/ 8”.
• Exposure: Part Shade, Full Shade.
• Bloom Time(s): March, April, May.
Pulmonaria ‘Silver Scimitar’ [29]
Large arching silver green foliage with wavy-edged, strap-like foliage. Full landscape sized plant, vigorous and fast, ‘Silver Scimitar’ has a stately presence. Emerges each spring in a tight mound covered in bicolour pink and purple flowers, an early season hummingbird favourite. Performs well in both shade and full sun, perfect for borders and edges.
With the introduction of our popular ‘Ornamental One’ Chive Series in 2020, gardeners added beauty to their herb gardens and mixed containers in sturdy clumps from 3 single colour seed strains not available before from seed. First year flowering and deliciously edible, this highly ornamental series now includes the ’Mixed One,’ a nice assortment of pink, purple and white
flowering plants with consistent medium sized foliage. Our customers figured this out and began asking for a mix of the colours and we happily obliged. It was not listed on our website as a possibility until now as so often these days the preference is for colours separately sorted. At 30 cm (12 in) tall in flower and hardy in zones 3-9, the humble chive is a versatile addition to any garden. These lovely chives are a candy store for bees, butterflies and other insects. Whether you love the ’Pink One’ or are looking for a drought tolerant groundcover in your white garden (the ’White One’) or want a violet flash of colour with the ’Purple One’, you have an additional choice. Now you can have them all united in one seed mix. Just ask for the ‘Mixed One.’
ALCEA Rosea-Hybr. ’Purple Rain’ (Spotlight Series) [31] In 2010, Jelitto introduced the Spotlight Series – vigorous sturdy single-flowering Alceas in four wonderful colours: ’Mars Magic’ red, the black-purple ’Blacknight,’ ’Sunshine’ yellow, and the white ’Polarstar.’ In 2014 pink ’Radiant Rose’ was added to the series which has become an important component in today’s modern gardens. Breeding the series started in 1992, and 16 years ago Jelitto began its work to bring a blue-purple form to market. The earliest kernels of ’Purple Rain’ originated in a private garden in Romania. This form had deeply divided leaves, not matching the ideal form for our upcoming Spotlight Series, but was truly perennial. The best breeders have patience, lots of patience. Take one look at Purple Rain and you will see a work of art that is long in coming. Purple Rain has beautiful wide green foliage on sturdy upright stems, and deep blue violet single saucers. Plants grow to around 180 cm (70 inches), the same height as the rest of the seed-raised Spotlight Series, and if sown early in the year, are first-year flowering. Enjoy the vivid blue purple flowers May through October in a sunny area of the garden. Available as JET pure seed for easy sowing.
LATHYRUS vernus ’Heavenly Blues’ [32] Heavenly, perfectly describes the clear blue colour of Jelitto Perennial seeds newly bred seed strain of Lathyrus vernus. Blooming in early spring, just in time to welcome gardeners back to the garden, ’Heavenly Blues’ is a long-lived member of the Papilionaceae family of leguminous plants whose flowers have butterfly shaped corollas and attract masses of butterflies and bees, providing a valuable source of nectar early in the year. Lathyrus Heavenly Blues grows quickly to form nice clumps in an open woodland garden or rockery and thrives best in cooler summer climates. Heavenly azure-blue flowers present a unique colour rarely found among this hardy sweet pea group which normally flowers in red-violet shades. Lathyrus vernus grows best in well-drained woodland soils and valuably complements
other early blooming perennials like Trillium, Helleborus, Doronicum and Dicentra, with its gently textured foliage. Jelitto offers this heavenly blue seed strain of perennial sweet pea Lathyrus vernus Heavenly Blues as a companion to the softly pink strain ’Rosenelfe.’ Or if you’d like to sample the candy store, the mixed colour strain ’Rainbow’ is for you.
LOBELIA cardinalis f. albiflora ’White Cardinal’ [33]
Like the rare bird, ’White Cardinal’ is a unique form with brilliant pure white flowers accented by a delightful touch of reddish-pink flower tubes. Native to much of North America, the bright red common form includes names like Indian Pink, asthma weed and Indian Tobacco to reflect the many ways the cardinal flower was used by Native Americans. This treasure of a perennial grows like its red brother (winner of an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society) preferring moist to wet soil. Its large brilliant flowers with their deeply hidden nectaries are an excellent food source for hummingbirds and butterflies.
Jelitto is happy to offer seeds of this unusual colour variant. The company has taken care of the natural germination inhibition this species uses in its reproductive strategy with our Gold Nugget Seed process, allowing quick uniform germination. Plant ’White Cardinal’ where it will thrive: along a pond edge, wet meadow, or low wooded area. An extra bonus is its suitability as a cut flower, providing an attractive colour combination for floral bouquets.
University of Windsor’s Rupp Carriveau presents on the HIGH Energy Project.
University of Guelph’s Dr. Youbin Zheng moderates the cannabis sessions.
Zamir Punja of Simon Fraser University presents “Powdery Mildew Management on Greenhouse Crops: Examples from cucumber and cannabis.”
CGC makes return to live show in Niagara Falls
Hundreds of attendees flocked to the Niagara Falls Convention Centre to return to the live show format of the Canadian Greenhouse Conference on Oct. 5 and 6. Attendees were able to check out the latest product offerings from more than 200 exhibitors. Show attendees also had the opportunity to choose from over 60 educational sessions and workshops covering topics such as: water management; lighting and
abatement; disease management; lighting ornamentals; integrated pest management; energy-related sessions; garden centre retailing; vertical farms; propagation; biocontrols; strawberry production; cannabis production; and much more.
The 2023 Canadian Greenhouse Conference will take place on Oct. 4 and 5, 2023 in Niagara Falls, Ont. Learn more at: CanadianGreenhouseConference.com.
Oualid Ellouz of Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada presents, “Effective Sanitization to Eliminate Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Virus.”
Show attendees gather around the University of Guelph’s exhibitor booth in-between educational sessions.
PHOTOS BY ANDREW SNOOK.
November 15, 2022
9:00am – 3:00pm
SCHEDULE
11:00 am: Poinsettia production and whitefly control best practices
** to register we now use a log in and password platform so industry professionals can access the portion of the website that is designed for their particular use. It’s new so we are trying to be helpful to get people used to it and signed up. What we ask is industry professionals to create a user account and then log in and access the event page where they can register for all events.
Martine Dorais of University of Laval shares cannabis nutrition research.
More than 200 exhibitors displayed their latest products and services.
Ludvig Svensson’s Rob Hanifin discusses optimizing climate and reducing energy consumption with curtains and fans.
AEROPONICS: GROWING VERTICAL
Aeroponics: Growing Vertical covers aspects of the emerging technology, aeroponics, which is a sister to hydroponics, involving state-of-theart controlled environment agriculture. The book begins with an introduction of aeroponics followed by a summary of peer-reviewed technical literature conducted over 50 years involving various aspects of aeroponics. It covers the science and all the patent literature since 2001 to give the reader a comprehensive view of the innovations related to aeroponics.
$43.75 | Item# 0367374303 Scan code to buy this book
CANADA CLASSIFIEDS
NOVEMBER
Nov. 2-4
Expo Québec Vert Saint-Hyacinthe, Que. expoquebecvert.com/en/
Nov. 10
IFPS Global Sustainability Symposium Virtual Event cpmaacdfl.wufoo.com/forms/ifps-sustainability-symposium/
Nov. 14-16
HortEast 2022 Moncton, N.B. horteast.com
Nov. 15
Poinsetta Open House Waterford, Ont. sawayagardens.com
Nov. 18
2022 Annual OPMA Gala Collingwood, Ont. theopma.ca
Nov. 18-19
Green Industry Show & Conference Red Deer, Alta. greenindustryshow.com
2023
JANUARY
Jan. 24-27 IPM Essen Essen, Germany ipm-essen.de
FEBRUARY
Feb. 21
OFVGA AGM Niagara Falls, Ont. ofvga.org
MARCH
March 29 to April 2 CAST 2023 California, U.S. 2023cast.com
To submit an upcoming event, contact editor Andrew Snook at asnook@annexbusinessmedia.com.
CLASSIFIED RATES: Minimum order $75.00 or 84¢ per word, word ads must be pre-paid. CLASSIFIED DISPLAYS: $72.00 per column inch. GENERAL INFORMATION: Payment must accom- pany order. Copy required on publication close date. All advertising copy subject to the approval of the publisher. Send order and remittance to: Classified Dept., Greenhouse Canada, P.O. Box 530, Donly Dr. S., Simcoe, ON N3Y 4N5 Canada
GREENHOUSE FOR SALE
10
ACRE MODERN POLY GREENHOUSE
Situated on 93 acres of irrigation land with close proximity to Medicine Hat, Alberta. Has 2 irrigation pump sets with 2 water silos for fresh water and recirc water, and a water sterilation unit. Also includes 2 - 800 HP Crone boilers with C02 condenser and capacity for expansion. Water scource is from St. Mary’s Irrigation system filling a 5 million gallon dugout which facilitates year round usage. Has 40 acres of hayland under a 9 tower pivot and a wheel line for watering 5 acres with greenhouse leachate water. This is a turn key operation including some equipment, and produce is marketed throughout the prairie provinces under the Big Marble Marketing Label, and includes packaging at Redhat Co-op in Redcliff Ab, 22 kms from greenhouse. Please contact Doyle Brandt, Skyview Growers Ltd for more info, can ‘ email payday90@hotmail.com or phone/text 403-504-8864. For more information, contact admin@barriegardencentre.com or call Etti Mountain at 705-730-1113. 11/1t/pd
ADVERTISERS INDEX
GARY JONES
Going Underground?
As with everything these days, the shape and face of our industry seems to change at an everaccelerating pace. This certainly seems to apply to automation and innovation. News of a $6.5-million provincial investment over three years to fund the new B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation, and federal funding to as much as $10 million over five years through Pacific Economic Development Canada1, shows how important this is.
The Centre will “bring together academia, government, and industry partners to create more productive, diverse, and resilient foodsupply chains” using the skills of experts from several B.C. post-secondary institutions. “The center will focus on developing, testing, and piloting solutions in simulated and realworld environments to be farm-ready for commercialization.”1
“Agricultural technology in B.C. is a fast-growing field. There is huge potential for small and mediumsized businesses” says Deepak Gupta, associate vicepresident for research, innovation, and graduate studies at KPU.1 And “Key to the B.C. Centre for Agritech is creating economic opportunities for Indigenous Peoples and helping agriculture technology businesses scale up, increase profits and create jobs.”1
The importance of funding such agri-tech innovation can be seen with an example from Ontario. Carina Biacchi, started Ortaliza Farms in
peri-urban areas, on what has often been seen as “farming land.” But you will have for sure become aware of the wave of (partial) relocation of food production to more urban settings. Rooftop greenhouses are one example of this movement, but there are others, like Greenforges, for example.
“Greenforges designs and develops underground farming systems to increase the space efficiency of agriculture. The company is currently focused on developing Plant Forges, the first product line that allows [sic] to grow fruits and vegetables underground. Each Plant Forge has a diameter of 60 inches (1.5 meters) and a height of 200 feet (60.9 meters). However, the products can be supplied in any size if that’s what a client requests.”3
The first Forge, in Québec, will be producing a diverse range of crops including bok choi, lettuce, lettuce, arugula, strawberries, aromatic leafy herbs, peppers, tomatoes, and even oyster mushrooms. Greenforges’ Nicola Maglio says they are commercially viable and expects facilities to generate profit within three to five years.3
The first Forge, in Québec, will be producing a diverse range of crops
Kingsville, Ont. in 2021.
“Ortaliza is an urban vertical farm store, a first-of-its-kind in Canada, and we grow and sell more than 65 varieties of microgreens directly to consumers,” describes Biacchi. “Vertical farming uses automated technology to grow crops in vertically stacked layers. Ortaliza has taken this concept and added a storefront for consumers.”2
Ortaliza epitomises the financial and technical support so fundamental to the successful birthing of new agri-tech industries. But it also highlights one of the other fastest changing aspects of our industry, namely where protected food production is taking place.
Commercial greenhouses for food production have traditionally been located in rural or
There are a number of characteristics familiar to many of these new ways of producing our food. Space utilization (land use efficiency), new technology, reduced water use (Greenforges claim up to 98% water savings3), reducing food miles, and proximity to market are common traits. And many are developed by young entrepreneurs completely new to what we might traditionally think of as the farming sector. Let’s not forget that there are also many current “non-farmers” who are getting involved. This brings many new and exciting ways of looking at how we will produce our food in the future. And while the new technology is a significant piece of the puzzle, the financial and business support provided by provincial and federal government funding is equally important. May it continue. Ideally, even at a faster pace to match the industry it serves.
1. “Canada: $6.5 million CAD dedicated to boost agtech”, from www.KPU.ca sourced at www.HortiDaily.com.
2. “Growing diverse ideas in horticulture” Greenhouse Canada, August 25, 2022, By Janelle Abela.
3. “Canada: Underground farm in Quebéc to grow over 16 crops year-round”, www.HortiDaily.com.
THE SWITCH FLIP
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