Sun Gro’er Blog

Controlling Greenhouse UFP’s (Unidentified Flying Pests)

Small black flies on sticky pad
Image by UCONN IPM

Almost all greenhouse growers find themselves battling little black flying insects in their greenhouses at some point in their careers. Small black flying gnats can be shore flies (Ephydridae family) or fungus gnats (Sciaridae or Mycetophilidae families).
The shore flies are commonly found in greenhouses or nurseries where algae is growing on the soil surface or floor. They feed on algae and although they are a nuisance, they pose no threat to plants. Their larvae look like maggots and are wedge shaped. The adults look more like the common housefly flies with short bodies and small antennae. Continue reading “Controlling Greenhouse UFP’s (Unidentified Flying Pests)”

Calibrating Fertilizer Injectors


Injecting FertilizerRead More in The Sun Gro’er Issue 1/1 (2003)

So you’ve just used that brand new conductivity meter to measure the EC of your customer’s fertigation solution, and it doesn’t match the value that corresponds to the ppm N that the grower thinks they’ve been applying forever. What to do now? Since you’re already sure that the EC meter is properly calibrated, you better check that fertilizer injector! Fortunately, it’s not that hard to do.

Continue reading “Calibrating Fertilizer Injectors”

Sun Gro's Technical Specialists

Read More in The Sun Gro’er Issue 1/1 (2003)
Sun Gro has seven main Technical Specialists, three in the West and two each in the Central and East regions. Their duties include Quality Control (QC) work with specific plants, along with providing technical support for specific sections of their region. Technical support includes work with complaint handling, training and custom blends. These are also the Sun Gro staffers who will be providing most of the content for the Sun Gro’er Newsletter. Here is some basic information that will allow readers to get to know them a little better: Continue reading “Sun Gro's Technical Specialists”

Notes from North Central

Greenhouse hanging potted flowersRead More in The Sun Gro’er Issue 1/1 (2003)

“For growers who desire low EC levels and do not want to leach the ideal solution is the use of growing media products with reduced nutrient charges.”

The measurement of soluble salts tests the “fitness” of growing media in the greenhouse. The amount of soluble salts is assessed by measuring the electrical conductivity (EC) of a mix. Watering practices have a dramatic effect on the levels of soluble salts in a growing medium. Salts originating from fertilizers or water provided to a crop can and will “build up” as leaching is reduced or eliminated. So a critical point to remember is that when growers reduce leaching for various reasons, especially with larger sized containers like hanging baskets, growers will most likely see higher EC levels. Invariably nothing has changed in the mix but the growing practice. Continue reading “Notes from North Central”