Category: Tree Fruit
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Follow up from 2/20 VTFGA / UVM Fruit meeting
Thanks, everyone, who made it out to the 130th annual VTFGA / UVM Fruit Meeting yesterday in Middlebury, VT. We just avoided the snow until the end, and I’m sure at least a few including myself had dicey drives home. We appreciate the effort and participation. For those who attended on Zoom, I’m glad we…
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Northeast Fruit Consortium Winter Webinar Series starts next week!
The Northeast Fruit Consortium is again hosting our winter webinar series (https://www.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/fruit/news-events/northeast-extension-fruit-consortium) starting February 4. Please register here (https://go.uvm.edu/2026netfcwebinars). There are six webinars planned that cover strawberry IPM, kiwiberry production, apple color and sunburn prevention, pest mating disruption, changes to the Endangered Species Act and implications on pesticide use, and drought management. February 4, 2026…
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Happy New Year and programs to watch for in 2026
Good morning: I hope everyone’s holidays have been good ones and wish you all the best as the calendar prepares to turn over yet again. As winter is the time for meetings and learning opportunities, I wanted to highlight a few activities that are coming up: The Northeast Fruit Consortium is again planning to host…
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Save the Date: 130th VTFGA / UVM Fruit Program annual meeting February 20, 2026
The 130th (???) annual meeting of the Vermont Tree Fruit Growers Association and UVM Fruit Program will be held on February 20, 2026 at the American Legion Hall, 49 Wilson Rd., Middlebury, VT. Please hold that date on your calendars and keep an eye out for further details. Have a happy Thanksgiving, Terry and the…
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Time to be thinking about ReTain in Vermont orchards
It is time to be thinking about applying ReTain to apples in Vermont orchards. This plant growth regulator slow ethylene production, thereby delaying ripening, reducing fruit drop, and allowing the grower (or customer) to harvest firmware, fresher fruit. Ione important consideration this year is that ReTain does not work as well on water stressed trees,…
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Clarification on legality of acetamiprid (Assail) use in apple orchards
I am passing this guidance on to apple growers regarding the legality of using acetamiprid and other insecticides in orchards when blooming weeds are present. As we are in apple maggot management season now, it is important to use materials effectively and safely, and many of us are using Assail to manage that pest. A…
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Guidance on labeling fresh juice / cider for retail sale in Vermont
One of our growers recently asked me to check on the rules for making and labeling unpasteurized cider in Vermont, and with the harvest and market season soon upon us, I figured others may have the same question. Cider processing is regulated by the Vermont Agency of Health, so I reached out to them to…
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VT Apple IPM: Foliar nutrient analysis, apple maggot, summer diseases
Foliar nutrient analysis – It is the time in the growing season to collect leaf samples for analysis. Samples are usually collected between July 15 – Aug. 15. The UVM Agriculture and Environmental Testing Lab can provide analysis, but at this time their output does not generate fertility recommendations. The following are potential options of…
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VT Apple IPM: Summer pest management, phase 2
The time has come to hang apple maggot fly (AMF) traps in Vermont orchards. These are some of the easiest pests to manage using an IPM strategy, so there’s really no excuse. The idea is to assess the population in the orchard before applying prophylactic sprays. By using red sticky traps, you can time treatments…
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VT Apple IPM- Codling moth
This will be a fairly brief newsletter today as I am away all week at a conference in Chicago. Feel free to e-mail or text me if you have specific questions, I will keep up the best that I can. -TB We are entering into what I consider early summer insect management season. The main…