Tree Fruit Newsletter — July 18, 2026
In this newsletter:
- Leaf and Soil Sampling
- Long-Range Weather Outlook
- Summer Tour updated agenda
Leaf and Soil Sampling Time
Mid to late July is the ideal time to collect leaves for nutritional analysis. Visit the University of Maine Soil Testing Lab webpage to learn about all their services or access forms. Soil samples can be collected anytime.
Cost for the standard foliar analysis is $30, and this includes analysis for Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Aluminum, Boron, Copper, Iron, Manganese, and Zinc.
The standard soil test is $20 and includes pH, Lime Index, available Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur, Boron, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Sodium, Zinc, Organic matter, Calculated Cation Exchange Capacity. Please, specify on your submission form if you want the standard test or comprehensive test (includes nitrogen and costs $25). Soil samples submitted with a matching leaf sample may get fewer elements tested, so specify which nutrients should be measured.
Winter discount – run on any soil sample received at the lab between January 1 and March 1. Sample in late fall, set aside to air-dry until discount period. Report will be sent out within 4 weeks. This discount applies to the basic Standard Soil Test only.
Long-Range Weather Outlook, July 18, 2026
Excerpted from Maine Farm News:
Sean Birkel, Maine State Climatologist, Cooperative Extension. For additional information, including historical temperature and precipitation data, weather forecasts, and seasonal climate outlooks, visit the Maine Climate Office website.
Forecast: On Saturday, a low pressure system tracking across the Great Lakes brings increasing cloudiness and chance of afternoon/evening showers. Southerly flow is expected to transport wildfire smoke from Ontario and Manitoba into Maine, causing the Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Air Quality to issue an air quality alert for particle pollution. Overnight Saturday into Sunday, a cold front pushes the smoke out to sea with a northwest wind, ushering in low humidity air and daytime temperatures in the 70s to around 80. For next week, the latest U.S. and European global model runs show a low pressure system tracking over the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Valley, bringing more clouds than sun and chance of rain Tuesday through Thursday. Visit weather.gov to get the most up-to-date forecasts for your area.
Outlooks: The 8–14 day outlook (July 25–31) shows near to below normal temperature and a lean toward above normal precipitation. The 1-month outlook for August shows a lean toward above normal temperature and equal chances of above or below normal precipitation. The NOAA Climate Prediction Center reports that El Niño conditions are present and expected to strengthen into the 2026/27 winter. There is a 63% chance of this Niño event becoming very strong during the November–January period and potentially ranking among the largest El Niños since 1950. Warm ocean temperatures and moisture released into the atmosphere during El Niño tends to produce more weather extremes than usual.
Pay Attention to Preharvest Intervals for Spray Materials
Harvest for apples, peaches and plums will begin soon, so check preharvest intervals (PHI’s) for any sprays in the next few weeks. Some materials should not be applied this time because their preharvest interval (PHI) can be several weeks. The PHI is the wait time between a pesticide application and when a crop can be harvested. The label will state how long the crop must remain in the garden or field after spraying. Waiting times for the same fruit or vegetable can differ between products.
Links to the spray table for apples and peaches (links will open in a new tab):
Apples Summer Spray Table from New England Tree Fruit Management Guide
Stone Fruit Summer Spray Table from New England Tree Fruit Management Guide
Always check the product label for any recent changes to PHI’s.
Maine Pomological Society Summer Tour at Highmoor Farm in Monmouth
July 29, 2026 (rain date July 30).
1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., followed by a vegetable and small fruit twilight meeting at 5:30 p.m. A dinner, open to all, will be offered between the two sessions for $35.
To view the day’s agenda and other information, visit the Summer Tour at Highmoor Farm webpage.
Renae Moran
University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Tree Fruits
PO Box 179
Monmouth, ME 04259
(207) 933-2100
Mention of a trademark, proprietary product, or vendor does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product, nor does it imply approval or disapproval to the exclusion of other products or vendors that may also be suitable.
University of Maine Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity institution and provider committed to nondiscrimination. For more information, visit extension.umaine.edu/nondiscrimination.