In this newsletter: Thinning Window Closing Stone Fruit Fungicides Summer Tour Announcement Thinning Window Closing Thinners applied early last week should be showing signs of efficacy by now. For applications that went on midweek, they make take a few more days. We applied thinner last Wednesday and have only seen a few fruits that are […]
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Garlic can be categorized as either softneck and hardneck varieties. Hardneck garlic tends to be more cold hardy, so these varieties are more commonly grown in Maine than softnecks. They have larger but fewer cloves per bulb, and are usually easier to peel. The term “hardneck” refers to the false flowering stalks that these types […]
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MORE RAIN MAKES INCREASES FUNGAL DISEASE THREAT Fungicide Applications Bloom – Post-Bloom To Control Botrytis, Anthracnose, Powdery Mildew Situation: A few warm days can make quite a difference! Strawberry growers in southern Maine are starting to see some ripe berries on early varieties and plants grown under row covers. Later varieties are still showing some […]
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Onion thrips (Thrips tabaci) are fairly reliable pests of allium crops in Maine, unlike the last several insect pests highlighted in this newsletter. Despite their name, they actually feed on a wide range of plants but can be very damaging to alliums. Life Cycle Thrips overwinter in culls and residues, weedy patches, and nearby fields […]
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In this newsletter: Thinning Outlook Fruit Set in Different Varieties Poor Return Bloom Other Observations of No Concern Thinning Outlook Good temperatures for chemical thinning will occur this week and into next week. The warm temperatures will mean that fruit can rapidly grow to a size where they become resistant to chemical thinners. Most varieties […]
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TARNISHED PLANT BUG ACTIVE IN SOUTHERN MAINE Two-Spotted Spider Mite Populations Over Threshold in Some Fields Situation: Strawberry development continues to be slow, due to the mostly cool, damp weather. Some early varieties that were under rowcovers are beyond petal fall and may be ready for harvest in about two weeks if the weather improves. […]
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Fungal diseases remain the primary concern this season due to continuously wet conditions. Botrytis leaf blight in particular is increasing in prevalence at all scouting locations, and the weather forecast warrants action for those using fungicides. As a reminder, the action threshold for the first fungicide application is when: Lesions average 1 or more per […]
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Apple Thinning Update McIntosh, Triumph, and Gala apples were showing signs of fruit set Wed. The king fruit were swelling and had sepals closing over the calyx. However, there were also unpollinated blossoms dropping. This early assessment indicates that fruit set may not be heavy this year, but enough to justify applying chemical thinners. Chemical […]
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In this newsletter: Thinning Strategies Peach Leaf Curl Announcements Thinning Strategies for 2025 The prolonged cool weather during full bloom has me concerned about pollination in Honeycrisp and other varieties that bloomed after McIntosh at Highmoor Farm. Temperatures in the forecast for the Augusta area look favorable for some pollination Monday assuming that it is […]
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Leek Moth Leek moth is a pest of allium crops that was first found in the US (New York) in 2009. It is not widespread in Maine – it was identified in Franklin and Somerset counties in 2021 but not since. However, because leek moth is problematic in other northern New England states and neighboring […]
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