University of Vermont Fruit Blog

Category: Tree Fruit

  • Reminder: Cider makers’ and growers’ meeting June 28 in Middlebury

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    By Terence Bradshaw https://www.regonline.com/cidermakergrowermeeting Registration for the June 28, 2016 cider makers’ and apple growers’ educational meeting at Woodchuck Cidery in Middlebury, VT is now open. Topics will include: updates on apple production and cider apple economics projects (Terence Bradshaw and Florence Becot); cider marketing (Farrell Distributing Cider Education & Training Manager Jeff Baker); and…

  • Orchard management, June 21

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    By Terence Bradshaw As we settle into summer, it’s time to shift our focus from weekly scab management to insects, and one disease in particular. Codling moth (CM) trap captures around the state declined last week, which indicates that the first generation flight has subsided. But it’s not the adult moths that we worry about,…

  • Orchard notes week of June 13

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    By Terence Bradshaw After the past week of rain I expect any remaining apple scab ascospores to have been released. Maintain fungicide coverage through the next week or so, and check orchards methodically for scab lesions to determine if you’re really done managing the disease for 2016. Summer diseases, particularly sooty blotch and fly speck…

  • Fire blight symptoms appearing in area orchards

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    By Terence Bradshaw Note: because I still cannot get my email program to post photos to this listserv, there will be references to pictures in the message below but nothing there. Growers who are very familiar with early fire blight symptoms should get out and inspect their orchards now; others might take the extra minute…

  • Wet weather over the weekend…and continuing

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    By Terence Bradshaw This joint apple/grape notice is in reference to the amount of rain that fell Sunday. Rainfall amounts at all NEWA stations in Vermont were between one and two inches, and closer to the latter. Most pesticides can be considered completely depleted by two inches of precipitation, so we can assume that most…

  • ‘First cover’…codling moth, plum curculio, apple scab, and other pests

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    By Terence Bradshaw June 3, 2016 By now all orchards should be past petal fall and many fruit are sizing up into the 10 mm range. There are a number of factors to consider in the week ahead. Rain is expected Sunday through Wednesday of next week. Apple scab should still be protected against. Even…

  • Petal fall…strep application clarification

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    By Terence Bradshaw It helps to read what you wrote after sending. This clarifies a question a grower had for me, now that I’ve re-read things. My post should have read “Fire blight remains a serious concern in any orchard that has open blossoms, apply streptomycin at 24 oz/acre plus 1 pint Regulaid (or other…

  • Petal fall

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    By Terence Bradshaw Today’s alert will be brief. Fire blight remains a serious concern in any orchard that has open blossoms, apply streptomycin at 24 oz/acre plus 1 pint/100 gallons finished spray within 24 hours of a wetting event to any trees with open blossoms. Organic growers, Serenade and possibly Double Nickel are your best…

  • Registration information: cider makers’ and growers’ meeting June 28

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    By Terence Bradshaw https://www.regonline.com/cidermakergrowermeeting Registration for the June 28, 2016 cider makers’ and apple growers’ educational meeting at Woodchuck Cidery in Middlebury, VT is now open. Topics will include: updates on apple production and cider apple economics projects (Terence Bradshaw and Florence Becot); cider marketing (Farrell Distributing Cider Education & Training Manager Jeff Baker); and…

  • Fire Blight warning

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    By Terence Bradshaw Despite my sheepish warning in my last post, it appears that we are in a high risk period for fire blight infection in Champlain Valley and other warmer orchard sites with open blossoms this week. The charts below were generated using a best guess date for the start of bloom and the…