Tree Fruit Newsletter — August 16, 2024
In this newsletter:
- Maturity Report
- McIntosh ReTain Dates
- Orchard observations
Maturity Report
Peaches
Peaches we are picking now: Garnet Beauty, an early strain of Redhaven.
We are done harvesting Summer Serenade and PF 8 Ball. The better of the two is Summer Serenade. We are also done with harvest of July Rose which is a white-flesh peach with very mild flavor.
Apples
Paulared starch index is 2.0. Sweetness has begun to develop. They seem ready for a first pick at Highmoor Farm. Pay attention to preharvest intervals for recently applied materials.
Predicted Dates for ReTain
To delay the start of harvest: apply Aug. 11 at Highmoor Farm. This date has already passed for us, but there still may be time for orchards north of central Maine. For continued stop drop, reapply ReTain 7 to 14 days later, but avoid this in blocks where you need to harvest within 7 days. The preharvest interval is 7 days.
To extend the harvest while lessening the chance for fruit drop, apply ReTain two to three weeks ahead of anticipated first harvest. This corresponds with Aug. 18 to 25 for Macs at Highmoor Farm. This will be the important ReTain date for pick-your-own orchards since harvest is predicted to be early this year. If McIntosh ripens ahead of schedule, fruit may drop before the end of PYO season.
For additional ‘stop drop’ control, NAA (Fruitone, PoMaxa, etc.) can be applied with or after ReTain. This may be of benefit for orchards that rely on McIntosh ‘pick-your-own’ into October.
Retain is also labeled for delaying harvest of peaches and plums. Apply two weeks before anticipated first harvest. There is still time to use it on later-ripening varieties. The preharvest interval is 7 days.
Orchard Observations
Sooty blotch is beginning to show up in some of our apple orchards that did not get consistent fungicide coverage. Fireblight also continues to infect shoots, but not as many as in June and July.
Brown rot is infecting peaches despite the use of fungicide sprays at Highmoor Farm. I am noticing some varieties with more fruit decay and shoot infections than others. Varieties with a greater tendency for skin cracking have more infections than those that don’t. It’s been a tough year for disease control with the frequent rains, but we are enjoying a great harvest from our variety trial at Highmoor Farm. On a positive note, there have been far fewer fruits with split pit than in years past.
Renae Moran
University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Tree Fruits
PO Box 179
Monmouth, ME 04259
(207) 933-2100
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