Orchards in the highest elevation and coolest areas are at or just past petal fall, so all the advice I’ve had for other growers applies there as well now. All orchards should have started or completed chemical thinning by now. Fabulous thinning weather occurred last week and those who applied the usual materials should see …
Monthly Archives: May 2022
VT Grape IPM
Vine growth is flushing out rapidly in Vermont vineyards, with many vines at or approaching 5-8” shoot growth. We are entering a critical window of disease management when anthracnose, black rot, Phomopsis, and powdery mildew can all be active. There isn’t a lot of rain in the forecast, but showers mid-week may cause enough wetting …
Vermont Vineyard IPM
Grapevines at the UVM Horticulture Research & Education Center are showing up to three to five inches of shoot growth, depending on variety. We are beginning to enter a critical time for disease management- all growers should plan on starting your spray program this week or soon thereafter (for inland growers with less growth). I …
VT Apple IPM: (early?) petal fall on apples
Apple scab is still a concern in Vermont orchards. However, as heat gas continued to accumulate and relatively regular showers have provided for spore release from leaf litter, the supply of inoculum available to infect orchards, assuming you have prevented infection during these wetting events, is dwindling. The NEWA model in some sites shows up …
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Vermont Apple IPM: Petal fall considerations
Orchards around the state are either in bloom (inland) or at/approaching petal fall (Champlain / Connecticut Valleys). This is always a tricky time for management, and growers may need to be ready to apply different treatments to different parts of the farm. Here’s my quick rundown: Insects: Generally, there are still too many flowers out …
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Bud burst and growing shoots in Vermont vineyards
With the heat last week things moved fast, vines at the UVM vineyard range from bud burst to 1-2 inches of growth. It’s time to really be thinking about protecting vines from early season disease infections. Most cold-climate cultivars will not need disease protection until 5-8” of shoot growth, but any vineyards with heavy disease …
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Vermont Apple IPM: Big disease events ahead
I’ll be relatively brief, since everyone needs to do the same thing. With orchards at tight cluster to early pink bud stage (I appreciate everyone who is reporting their stages at this link), more significant heat, and a rain event expected late this weekend, we are looking at a double whammy of apple scab and …
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Vermont Apple IPM: Bloom, fire blight, codling moth
This is a big week ahead. Many orchards are at tight cluster bud stage, and with the warm and eventually hot weather coming up, bud stages are going to move fast. Anything you want to do prebloom should be done this week. That means foliar nutrient– zinc, boron, and nitrogen should be applied to improve …
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Early season vineyard management
First, our colleague UMASS plant pathologist Dr. Elsa Petit is hosting a Zoom meeting for grape growers next Thursday, May 12, 2022, at 12pm. Click here to register. This 30-minute meeting should serve as a great introduction to Elsa and as an informal kickoff to the 2022 season. At the UVM Catamount Educational Farms vineyard, …
Vermont Apple IPM: Scab is active!
Orchards are at or around the tight cluster bud stage in Vermont, which means that there is plenty of tissue out there for apple scab to infect, and the disease is in a critical management phase. Orchards should be covered with an effective contact fungicide (mancozeb, captan, sulfur if organic) going into any expected wetting …