Weighing the Options on Ground Cover

 There are many benefits to incorporating ground cover into your growing space. This woven or plastic material can drastically reduce weed pressure, presence of mud in the grow space, and protect your produce from soil particles. It acts as a barrier to pests and disease lingering on the surface of the ground and will impact the climate in your growing space.

Ground cover comes in different colours and source materials. Check out our new fact sheet (https://www.perennia.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Fact-Sheet-Ground-Cover-final.pdf) to explore the options available and decide which will be best suited for your space!

Posted by: Talia Plaskett

Getting into the Weeds Workshop Series

The final installment of the "Getting into the Weeds" Workshop Series is now available on Perennia's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lMjHtcBZcM&t=3s

In this webinar, Gavin Graham, New Brunswick Minor Use Coordinator, and Peter Burgess, Perennia Integrated Pest Management Specialist discuss recent changes in the last few years to pesticides. In addition, Angela Gourd, Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture Plant Protection Coordinator, takes participants through the results from strawberry, onion, and carrot weed surveys.

Be sure to check out the other videos in this series, including "Winter Greens Production" with David Blanchard of Pleasant Hill Farm, and "Food Safety Success" with Shelly MacDonald and Elaine Grant of Perennia's Food Safety Team.

Upcoming WEBINAR: Pesticide Re-Evaluation Updates for Fruit and Vegetables and Nova Scotia Weed Survey

Please join us for the last session of our Getting Into the Weeds series.  This upcoming webinar is on Tuesday, April 7 from 1:00 - 2:00 and is on Pesticide Re-Evaluation Updates for Fruit and Vegetables and Nova Scotia Weed Survey.

In the last few years there have been a string of re-evaluations on pesticides, making it hard to keep up with the constantly evolving changes to pest management options. Gavin Graham, New Brunswick Minor Use Coordinator, and Peter Burgess, Perennia Integrated Pest Management Specialist, will discuss how this affects horticulture crops. At this session we will go over some of the recent changes in the last few years, some that are likely to come down the pike in the coming months, and how the process all works.  

The Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture have been conducting a rotating annual weed survey. Past surveys focused on corn, soybean, carrot, onion and strawberry. Information gathered from the surveys can be used to assess management practices, and determine changes in species composition and densities. This can prove to be important in identifying research needs and developing weed management strategies into the future. Angela Gourd, Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture Plant Protection Coordinator, will take us through the results from strawberry, onion, and carrot weed surveys.

PESTICIDE POINTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THIS WEBINAR.