Category: Apple IPM
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2025 UVM Extension Spring Orchard Twilight Meetings May 8 and 9
Join the University of Vermont Extension and Vermont Tree Fruit Grower’s Association at these hands-on field meetings at Yates Family Orchard in Monkton on May 8th and Wellwood Orchard in Springfield on May 9th from 4:30-6 p.m. We will discuss commercial tree fruit management practices, value added products, marketing, pest and disease updates, pollinators, and…
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VT Apple IPM- Starting the 2025 season
I am trying out some 21st-century technology this week. First, I dictated my message while on my commute (with light editing), so the ‘writing’ style and length may be a bit different than folks are used to. Second, I recorded an update from the UVM orchard and placed on our YouTube channel. I intend to…
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Starting the 2025 growing season
My longtime colleague and predecessor in this Extension role, Lorraine Berkett, always used to stress that “the growing season starts April 1”. By that she didn’t mean that we should be firing up sprayers by April Fools’ Day— although in one year I did make my first copper application to the orchard on March 30—…
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February 21: 129th VTFGA / UVM Fruit Program Annual Meeting and Winter Webinar series
Happy New Year: I have news of two exciting educational opportunities coming up in the next few months. First, the Vermont Tree Fruit Growers Association will hold their 129th (!) annual meeting in conjunction with the UVM Fruit Program on Friday, February 21 at the American Legion Hall, 49 Wilson Rd., Middlebury, VT. The agenda…
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Save the dates: Educational opportunities for the winter season
I have two ‘save the dates’ to get on your calendars for the 2025 winter meeting season: The Vermont Tree Fruit Growers Association / UVM Fruit Program 129th Annual meeting will be held at the American Legion in Middlebury, VT on Friday, February 21. The New England Extension Fruit Consortium will again offer a series…
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H.706 Neonicotinoid bill and impacts on Vermont apple and grape producers
Since the Vermont House of Representatives and Senate voted to override the Governor’s veto of H.706, An act relating to banning the use of neonicotinoid pesticides, I have received a number of questions about the bill’s impact on fruit growers. The answer is, not much. The main focus of this bill is the phasing out…
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Vermont Apple IPM- Summer pest management
Sorry about the delay in getting this out, graduating a kiddo from high school is more of an event than I’d planned. Anyway, there are a few orchard items I want to touch on. First and probably foremost, the heat we are expecting this coming week could provide substantial stress to trees, not to mention…
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Weed Management Field Meetings in NY June 20 and 21
Passing this on from Mike Basedow at Cornell Cooperative Extension. -TB Weed Management Field Meetings June 20: Hudson Valley Mead’s Orchard 15 Scism Rd, Tivoli NY 12583 9am – 11:30am Join us on the morning of June 20th as we hear from Cornell University weed management specialists Dr. Lynn Sosnoskie and Dr. Yu Jiang regarding…
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UVM Apple IPM: Fruit set, insect activity picking up
Now that we’re past petal fall and many have had a chance to assess the effects of any thinning sprays applied last week, it’s worth assessing the situation as we head into summer. I have not made many orchard visits yet this year but have seen a few, most of my observations are from our…
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VT Apple IPM: Petal fall edition
Video from the orchard this week: https://youtu.be/P1K7XWlg35M Champlain Valley and other warm site orchards are approaching full petal fall, so there are a lot of decisions to make in the days ahead. Hopefully everyone with any hint of risk for fire blight treated sometime late last week or over the weekend, orchards in bloom may…