Tree Fruit Newsletter — August 26, 2024

In this newsletter:

• Maturity Report
• Observations
• Announcements

Maturity Report

Peaches

Peaches we are picking now: Raritan Rose, Frost

Peaches we will pick next: Coralstar, PF17, Veteran

Coralstar is ripening ahead of schedule because our trees have a very light crop load.

Apples

Paulareds at Highmoor Farm have been harvested. We do not have Gingergold, but that variety begins to ripen after Paulared. Zestar! is ready for a first pick at Highmoor Farm. It’s a summer apple that should be sold as soon as possible since its storage life is limited. McIntosh is showing starch breakdown, but it does this most years despite not being ready to pick. Consider its starch index as a baseline measure for comparison with later dates.

 

The following is a rough guide to what the starch index numbers mean for apple ripening:

1 – 2 indicates lack of starch breakdown and generally unripe.

3 – 4 indicates some sweetness developing and generally partially ripe.

5 – 6 indicates good flavor and ready for general harvest.

7 – 8 indicates fully ripe.

Starch index is measured on a scale of 1 to 8 and is an indicator of fruit ripening. However, it can be influenced by variety, weather and crop load. Starch breakdown begins in the core and progresses to the outer flesh as fruit ripen, and this can be seen with an iodine stain.

Observations

Peach fruit size has been good at Highmoor Farm thanks to the early fruit thinning and abundant rainfall. If your orchard has smaller than desired fruit size, it could be an indication of old age in the tree or insufficient fruit thinning. Trees thinned at bloom can carry a heavier crop load than trees thinned later. We hand thinned blossoms at full bloom and followed up with fairly early fruit thinning. If you tend to keep too many fruits on the trees, consider thinning earlier in the season. It could also be the variety since some normally have undersized fruits like Reliance.

Leaf blotch has shown up on Golden Delicious. As far as I know, it’s the only variety that has it. It shows up after hot weather and is not known to be caused by a biological pathogen or fungus. This and other leaf spotting diseases and disorders that show up this time of year have very little impact on tree health and should not be a concern.

Announcements

USDA Expands Funding Opportunities for Specialty Crop Growers to Help Offset On-Farm Food Safety Expenses for 2024 and 2025

Money is available through USDA’s Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program to small-medium farms that have obtained a food safety certification for 2024 and 2025. Eligible expenses include Developing a Food Safety Plan, Maintaining or Updating a Food Safety Plan, Food Safety Certification, Certification Upload Fees, Microbiological Testing, Training Expenses. The 2024 application period is open through January 31, 2025. The 2025 application period will be open from January 1, 2025, through January 31, 2026.

To apply, visit their website at The Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program.

 

Renae Moran

University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Tree Fruits

PO Box 179

Monmouth, ME 04259

(207) 933-2100

rmoran@maine.edu

 

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