Month: April 2026
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Twilight meetings May 7 and 8- PLANNING FOR ORCHARD SUCCESS (Brookfield and East Dorset, VT)
Register here for one or both meetings, Registration Link PLANNING FOR ORCHARD SUCCESS: PEST, POLLINATOR, AND CROP MANAGEMENT DECISION MAKING Star Grazer Farm (Liberty Orchard) 2481 West St, Brookfield, VT 05036 Thursday May 7, 4:00 -6:30 and Mad Tom Orchard 2615 Mad Tom Road, East Dorset VT 05253 Friday May 8, 4:00-6:30 Join the Vermont…
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VT Grape IPM: Buds swelling, flea beetles, lime sulfur, weed management
With spring here, I recorded and posted a quick video in the UVM vineyard today, which you can see here: 4/28/2026 Vineyard walk. -TB Buds are swelling in Vermont vineyards. At the UVM Horticulture Research and Education Center in South Burlington, yesterday, bud stages sorted into two general categories. Most ‘Minnesota’ cultivars (Marquette, Brianna, Itasca,…
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VT Apple IPM: Big apple scab event coming, recording scouting data in Farmable
Here’s a quick note with rain expected in the next few days. -TB With the dry weather that we’ve been experiencing the last week or so, we have had an extended time without apple scab infection periods. However, there has been significant development of ascospore maturity so the next substantial wetting event, which should occur…
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VT Apple IPM: HIG – Tight Cluster in Vermont orchards
As we wrap up what could be a substantially damaging week for Vermont Apple Growers, I am heartened to have heard very little about damage from Monday night’s frost event. (Please report any damage in your orchard here). That doesn’t mean that there isn’t damage out there— we have heard reports of substantial damage just…
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Here we go again- Freeze damage assessment in Vermont orchards
I don’t need to tell anyone that it was cold last night—I am seeing 26°, 22°, 20°F from NEWA stations and hearing reports from growers of even colder temperatures down into the teens. That’s not unheard of for mid-April, but depending on the bud stage of your trees, that’s enough to cause substantial damage to…
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Cornell pink stage webinar this afternoon
Passing on this announcement for a webinar to be held today at 1:00 PM. While we are a bit further behind in Vermont than in many areas of New York, this material will be relevant to all growers in our region. I’ll be looking at buds in the next couple of days to assess potential…
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Follow up: Anticipating frost and preventative measures to protect from it
I’ve received more than one inquiry about what one can do now to help alleviate potential frost damage hat may occur in the next week or two. The specific question has come up about the application of kelp extract pre-bloom to provide some level of frost protection. I must confess that I am quite skeptical…
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More information on use of Promalin to manage early-season frost damage on blossoms
Passing this information on from Valent representative Jim Wargo. Keep in mind, the successful use of PGRs to offset frost damage is dependent on many factors, but ultimately hinges on sending a hormonal signal to receptive ovaries at the base of flower blossoms. Therefore application would be made later when trees are in early bloom.…
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Vermont Apple IPM: Green Tip
Warm weather has substantially advanced bud stages on apples this week. In most of the production regions of the state, orchards are rapidly advancing through green tip and approaching or are at half-inch green. If you have any more than one “mouse ear” leaf showing from the developing buds, you should put the copper back…
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FREE: Introduction to FieldWatch Webinar April 21st -please share
Introduction to FieldWatch Registries & DriftWatch Webinar April 21, 2026 noon-1pm Virtual via Zoom Review of a new platform to strengthen communication, promote cooperation, and connect crop producers, beekeepers, and pesticide applicators. Registration is FREE! Please pre-register at: https://go.uvm.edu/fieldwatch26 This program will provide pesticide recertification credits: 1.0 Vermont credit each (categories 1A,2,3A,3B,6,7B,10 & Private 1,2,3,4,5,6).…