As greenhouse-grown produce market continues to ripen, the Michigan State University Extension is recommending that producers consider many factors before converting ornamental production space to vegetable production.
For example, while common diseases may be the same between vegetables and ornamentals, including Botrytis, Pythium and Rhizoctonia, products labeled for their management often differ for edible crops. For example, Subdue MAXX by Syngenta, which provides control of Pythium and Phytophthora for ornamentals, turf, and non-bearing fruits and nuts, contains the same active ingredient (mefenoxam) as Syngenta’s Ridomil Gold which is labeled for numerous fruits and vegetables. While containing the same active ingredient, sprays applied to edible crops may have different re-entry intervals and have instructions about spray and harvest timing. Furthermore, some sprays labeled for field-grown vegetables can be used in the greenhouse, unless the label specifically states that spraying in a controlled environment is prohibited. Generally, there has been a shift in regulation over the last couple of years that chemicals are being labeled to be crop-specific instead of whether they are being sprayed on plants grown in a greenhouse or out in the field. It is critical to always follow the label instructions.
In addition, edible crops should be separated from ornamental crops to not only prevent accidental applications of non-labeled chemicals to r vegetables, but to prevent disease spread between them. For example, thrips feeding on tomato plants may carry tomato spotted wilt virus to vulnerable ornamental crops in an adjacent house.
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