Author: Terence Bradshaw

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…

Greetings growers, I hope this message finds you well. At UVM Extension we have been working on an upcoming in person apple grower workshop to be held in Burlington during the anticipated apple bloom period. It is the first of two on pollinators in fruit production. Supporting and Monitoring Pollinators in Apples, 4:30-6:30pm, Wednesday May…

I am leaving for a research conference for the next week, so I am getting out a preemptive notice of things to watch for while I am away. So, while I am discussing disease management, remember to check NEWA to assess actual disease conditions before applying prophylactic sprays in your orchards. Bud stages have moved…

At this time of the year, we should always be keeping an eye on the weather in the week ahead, and the shift toward warmer temperatures this week suggests that we may be seeing the first signs of green tissue on trees in many sites in Vermont. Green tip indicates the beginning of the growing…

I am writing a somewhat rare joint apple-grape bulletin today to start off the 2023 season. This year marks my 29th season growing apples in New England, and 18th (I think) growing grapes. That’s a long time to be at it, when just before that I was convinced that I left farming behind when I…