Author Archives: Cassie Russell

About Cassie Russell

Nursery and Landscape Specialist with OMAFRA.

Register now for the Nursery Growers Short Course

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Cassie Russell

This year’s short course will have topics for everyone including presentations on professional development and partnerships, soil and substrate testing, cover cropping, on farm composting, automation, and new technologies. Plus, we’re excited for the return of Grower Ideas! Growers from … Continue reading →

Posted in Educational Opportunities, Nursery Production, Plant Nutrition, Uncategorized | Tagged automation, composting, cover crops, educational workshop, grower ideas, nursery education, nursery growers education, nursery production techniques, short course | Leave a comment

Save the date: Nursery Growers Short Course on February 7th, 2024

Posted on January 5, 2024 by Cassie Russell

It’s official, the much anticipated Nursery Growers Short Course will be held on Wednesday, February 7, 2024 and will take place at the University of Guelph Arboretum Centre. This year’s short course will feature presentations on topics such as automation, … Continue reading →

Posted in Educational Opportunities, Nursery Production | Tagged educational workshop, landscape ontario, Nursery Growers Short Course, ontario nursery growers, short course | Leave a comment

Job Opportunity: Summer Student – Research Assistant

Posted on December 8, 2023 by Cassie Russell

There are a number of opportunities available this summer to work with OMAFRA field specialists throughout Ontario as a summer research assistant. For those interested in working specifically with nursery and landscape plants, there is one position available based out … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged research assistant, summer job, summer student | Leave a comment

Recent Spotted Lanternfly Sightings in Ontario

Posted on October 12, 2023 by Cassie Russell

Many of you may have heard rumblings or seen posts on social media about spotted lanternfly (SLF) being sighted in Ontario recently. There have been NO detections of SLF in Canada. A detection is defined as a live spotted lanternfly … Continue reading →

Posted in Insects, Invasive Species, landscape | Tagged CFIA, Invasive species, SLF, SLF ontario, SLF sightings, spotted lanternfly | 1 Comment

Funding opportunity for nursery growers – Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (SCAP)

Posted on September 20, 2023 by Cassie Russell

A new program under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (SCAP) called the Biosecurity Enhancement Initiative, was launched yesterday. Applications for the Biosecurity Enhancement Initiative will be accepted as of September 19, 2023 with applications reviewed on an ongoing basis and … Continue reading →

Posted in Funding, Funding Opportunity, IPM | Tagged biosecurity funding, cost share funding, Funding, Funding for Growers, Funding Opportunity, omafra, SCAP | Leave a comment

ALTUS® insecticide registered for Emergency Use to control spotted lanternfly on outdoor nursery and landscape ornamental plants in Canada

Posted on August 15, 2023 by Cassie Russell

By Josh Mosiondz, Minor Use Coordinator, OMAFRA The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) recently announced the approval of a emergency use registration for ALTUS® insecticide for control of spotted lanternfly on ornamental nursery and landscape ornamentals in Canada. Note: Spotted Lanternfly … Continue reading →

Posted in Insects, Invasive Species, IPM | Tagged altus, emergency use, invasive species IPM, SLF, spotted lanternfly | Leave a comment

KOPA® insecticidal soap expanded via Minor Use Program to help manage spotted lanternfly nymphs on ornamentals

Posted on August 15, 2023 by Cassie Russell

By Josh Mosiondz, Minor Use Coordinator, OMAFRA The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) recently announced the approval of a minor use label expansion registration for KOPA® insecticidal soap for suppression of spotted lanternfly nymphs on ornamental and shade trees, and outdoor … Continue reading →

Posted in Invasive Species, IPM | Tagged insecticidal soap, invasive species IPM, Kopa, minor use, SLF, spotted lanternfly | Leave a comment

August 10: Pest Update

Posted on August 10, 2023 by Cassie Russell

Well the summer feels like it’s flown by and somehow we are already into the second week of August. I saw that a garden center the other day had out a crop of early flowering chrysanthemums and that was quite … Continue reading →

Posted in Diseases, Insects, Invasive Species, IPM, landscape, Weekly Nursery Landscape Report | Tagged August pests, BTM, Invasive species, IPM, JB, leaf spot, monitoring, overwatering, pest report, root rot, scouting in the nursery, SLF, TSSM | 1 Comment

Box Tree Moth Pheromone Lures: time to replace?

Posted on August 1, 2023 by Cassie Russell

If you’re using pheromone traps to monitor for box tree moth this season, it might be time to change your lures. If you are using the gel/syringe lures that last 3 months and you set the traps up the first … Continue reading →

Posted in Insects, Invasive Species, IPM | Tagged box tree moth, boxwood, BTM, monitoring, pheromone lures | 4 Comments

Box Tree Moth: Time to start treating the second generation

Posted on July 17, 2023 by Cassie Russell

Early instar box tree moth larvae have started to be found on boxwood shrubs in Ontario; mainly in the GTA and Niagara region. This is the start of the second generation. Now is the time to inspect your boxwoods again … Continue reading →

Posted in Arboriculture, Insects, Invasive Species, IPM, landscape | Tagged box tree moth, boxwood, BTM, btm larvae, buxus, IPM, ipm in the landscape, second generation, treat btm | 3 Comments