Month: May 2023

We have been collecting damage data from orchards across the state this week, and the news is generally not good. It does seem like we have three classes of damage: near-complete crop loss inland and Connecticut Valley, some degree of often substantial loss in the Champlain Valley, and a good crop in the Champlain Islands…

The devastating freeze event that nearly all of us saw on May 18 will have a massive impact on the 2023 Vermont apple and grape crops. I have met with Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Anson Tebbetts and representatives from our federal congressional delegation and they are working on finding resources to help support affected farmers.…

I spent a bit of the day fielding calls and assessing trees from a few counties after last night’s freeze event. Growers in the Champlain Valley largely escaped extensive freeze damage; I doubt Grand Isle County even saw a light frost. This was a textbook lake effect phenomenon. Inland and upland orchards or orchards in…

As I scan the temperatures around the state on Weather Underground this morning, it looks as I expected, that most orchards are likely fine (no damage) or okay (a little tolerable damage) after the freeze event we’re in. Some orchards however, especially inland and upland, and really especially inland and lowland (in lower areas where…

Vermont orchards and vineyards are in varying states of vulnerability and likelihood of frost damage going into tonight’s expected cold event. At UVM orchard in South Burlington, we are at about 50% petal fall on McIntosh and the vineyard is at about one inch of shoot growth; inland and upland orchards are at or even…

Good afternoon. UVM Fruit Program M.S. student Bethany Pelletier has written this week’s message. -TB For many of us, bud break came up quick here in the Champlain valley. This means a real push to make sure your pruning has set you up for a clean, orderly season (or as much as we can hope).…

We are expecting a slight warmup later this week that may push levels of fire blight bacteria high enough to be concerned about infection in blooming orchards. While this event does not look like a ‘high alert’ scenario, and chance of rain is relatively low but still there for Friday, all growers with trees in…

Buds have been breaking in Vermont vineyards in the past week, which signifies the real start of the growing season. This brings up a few pest management considerations for your vineyards. Most cold-climate cultivars will not need disease protection until 5-8” of shoot growth, but any vineyards with heavy disease pressure last year may wish…

With orchards in the Champlain and Connecticut valleys heading into bloom now and even inland/upland orchards expected to show some blossoms later this week, it’s ‘go-time’ for setting up the 2023 Vermont apple crop. We are thankfully looking at an incredible week- sunny and 60s or 70s every day as far as the outlook goes,…

Good afternoon: I returned very tired from my conference in Spain with a realization I that I needed to get into the orchard to get a scab spray on, as it had been ten days since I treated the orchard when we were just at green tip. Needless to say, we are in full scab…