Author: Terence Bradshaw

Given the long stretches of cool-to-cold weather, bloom has been stretched out all over the place in Vermont orchards. In warmer sites, apples are at petal fall, yet many trees in most sites are holding on to significant blossoms. Don’t jump the gun on applying insecticides to your orchards, wait until petals are gone and…

Apple scab: With the rain that has started today and is expected to continue through Friday, I don’t need to tell this audience that we are starting a significant apple scab infection period for orchards across the state. Please keep covered before and, if coverage was questionable, after extended wetting events. In addition to mancozeb…

This cool weather is certainly holding bud stages back from substantial development in Vermont. At the UVM horticulture research and Education Center, our zest stars are in full bloom, yet most all other varieties are at lake pink with only a few king blossoms showing. This bud stage has held for about 5 days with…

Don’t forget we are hosting two twilight meetings this week, please register here: Registration Link 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 The weather heading into bloom sure looks less-than…

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…

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…