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Biological pest control is an excellent strategy for managing pests in bedding plants and outdoor cut flower fields. These crops, often valued for their visual appeal and fragrance, require pest solutions that won’t leave behind residues or damage blooms. Biologicals—such as predatory mites, predatory insects, and beneficial nematodes—target specific pests without leaving visible traces or chemical residues on the plants, preserving their market quality and consumer appeal.
Bedding Plants & Cut Flower Pest Control
Monitoring & Mass Trapping
When growing in greenhouses, yellow Horiver Wetstick cards and yellow Horiver Rollertraps are essential tools for pest management for flower crops.
For monitoring purposes, hang one card every 20-40 square meters. If your growing space is smaller, ensure there are at least 4 cards per compartment. These sticky cards are crucial for detecting pests like thrips, whiteflies, aphids, and sciarid flies. Check and assess the cards weekly to monitor pest populations.
Additionally, perform thorough crop inspections on seedlings with a white board. Flip the seedling tray over the white board and brush the plants, any pests will fall onto the white board making them very easy to spot.
For mass trapping, deploy Yellow Horiver Rollertraps or additional cards at a rate of 800 per acre or 100 every 500 meters square. Space them in a grid-style pattern throughout your crop at a height of 30cm. These traps effectively capture most flying insects, including aphids, thrips, whiteflies, moths, and fungus gnats, preventing them from reaching your plants.
This proactive trapping approach is your first and most crucial line of defense—stopping insect migration before they reach your flowers.
Once the plants are outside, halt using any mass trapping products to ensure natural pollinators and native beneficial insects are not harmed. This is when weekly plant inspections will need to begin. Inspect the soil, stems, leaves, and joints for signs of pests. Always flip leaves to examine both upper and lower surfaces, especially targeting new and older growth where pests tend to hide.
We also suggest companion planting outdoors to sustain your natural enemies:
Fungus Gnat Control Products
| Fungus Gnat Control Products | Preventative | Elimination | Repeat Applications | Notes |
| 300 mites per square meter | 400 mites per square meter in combination with Horiver sticky cards hung under canopy | Once per crop cycle
| Feeds on fungus gnat eggs and larvae. Apply after propagation when potting up. | |
| One card per square meter | Two cards per square meter | Replace cards when full | Hang near the soil line to capture flying adults. | |
| n/a | 500,000 per meter square | Bi-weekly or as needed | For fast results, use in conjunction with Entomite. Works on fungus gnat larvae. Apply during the propagation stage or once the plants are planted out in the field. |
Thrips Control Products
| Thrips Control Products | Preventative | Elimination | Repeat Applications | Not |
| 300 predatory mites per square meter | 500 predatory mites per square meter with blue Horiver Wetstick cards | Bi-weekly or as needed | Feeds on 1st instar thrips larvae. This should be started as soon as the plants are removed from the propagation area. Apply weekly until product is sold or the first frost has hit the flowers in the field. Best applied using the Mini Air Bug applicator. | |
| 1 sachet per hanging basket | 1 sachet per hanging basket with blue Horiver Wetstick cards | Replace every 3 weeks | Feeds on 1st instar thrips larvae. Place the sachets in the baskets at hanging. | |
| One card per square meter | Two cards per square meter | Replace cards when full | For best results place cards approx. 18" (46cm) above canopy. Green Horiver sticky cards if you have Echinothrips. | |
| 300 mites per square meter | 400 mites per square meter in combination with Horiver sticky cards hung under canopy | Once per crop cycle | Only to be used as a supplementary control in combination with Thripex-V. Will not adequately control thrips as a stand alone product, as it only feeds on thrips pupae in the soil. |
Whitefly Control Products
| Whitefly Control Products | Preventative | Elimination | Repeat Applications | Notes |
| n/a | 300 predatory mites per square meter with yellow Horiver Wetstick cards | Weekly or bi-weekly as needed | Swirski only feeds on eggs and larvae of whiteflies. Using yellow Horiver Wetstick cards with this product will help capture whitefly adults. | |
| n/a | 1 sachet per hanging basket with yellow Horiver Wetstick cards | Every 4 weeks until sold | Swirski only feeds on eggs and larvae of whiteflies. Using yellow Horiver Wetstick cards with this product will help capture whitefly adults. |
Spider Mite Control Products
| Spider Mite Control Products | Preventative | Elimination | Repeat Applications | Notes |
| 100 per square meter | n/a | Bi-weekly or as needed | Feeds on all stages of spider mites, but does not do well in webbing. | |
| One sachet hanging basket | n/a | Every 4 weeks until sold | Feeds on all stages of spider mites, but does not do well in webbing. | |
| n/a | 100-150 predatory mites per square meter | Bi-weekly or as needed | This product feeds on all stages of spider mites. Apply directly into the spider mite hot spot.
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Aphid Control Products
| Aphid Control Products | Preventative | Elimination | Repeat Applications | Notes |
| n/a | 50 insects per square meter | Weekly or bi-weekly as needed | Aphids are extremely difficult to eradicate using biologicals only. |
Growth Promotion & Root Disease Products
| Growth Promotion & Root Disease Products | Preventative | Elimination | Repeat Applications | Notes |
| Start treatment with two applications 14 days apart | Apply every 14 days during periods of unfavourable conditions | Every 14-28 days, depending on crop conditions | Microflora PRO enhances plant growth by improving the availability of plant nutrients through the root system. | |
| Trianum-P competes for space and nutrients on roots, reducing pathogen establishment. Must have a pesticide license to purchase. |