We are sharing the following information provided by Tommy Higgins, State Executive Director, Maine Farm Service Agency. As of Thursday, September 18, six counties in Maine are now classified as D3 (Extreme Drought): Cumberland, Androscoggin, Kennebec, Franklin, Somerset, and Oxford. In addition, our coastal counties stretching from Washington to Lincoln have remained in D2 (Severe […]
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Cucurbit downy mildew (CDM) symptoms were confirmed on Friday, July 25th in Franklin County, MA. All cucurbits are susceptible to this disease, with cucumbers and melons most at risk. So far this season there are no nearby outbreaks affecting pumpkins or squash. If you have not added DM-targeted fungicides to your spray program already you […]
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Maine Produce Safety Improvement Grants (MPSIG) help specialty crop growers i.e, growers of fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture but excluding commodity crops) to: Implement on-farm food safety practices; Transition to compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR); Meet market demands for on-farm […]
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While strawberries have long been a staple of spring crops in Maine, the plants are not especially hardy. As an herbaceous, or non-woody plant, strawberries don’t achieve what is considered a true state of dormancy during the winter. Rather, they go into a quiescent state, or pseudo-dormancy which offers some protection against extreme temperatures, but […]
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The remnants of hurricane Debby coming up the coast later this week is passing over areas with reported infections of Downy Mildew and therefore may bring the disease with it. Downy mildew was reported on cantaloupe in western Massachusetts earlier this week. Cucurbit Downey Mildew (CDM) was also reported in PA and eastern NY in […]
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Why? Highbush blueberry bushes should be pruned every year to produce regular crops of good quality fruit. Good pruning opens up the bush to more light and air movement, which will reduce disease problems. It also improves berry flavor and size, and encourages earlier ripening. When? Prune the plants when they are fully dormant, in […]
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Researchers at Highmoor have summarized their tarping research with colleagues from Cornell University in this new research paper. To read the full article, click on the image below.
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Although strawberries have long been grown successfully in Maine, they are not particularly hardy plants. However, because of the low growth habit of the plants, and their tendency to grow in protected areas near wood lines in the wild, they are often covered with leaves and snow during the coldest parts of the winter, which […]
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Cucurbit downy mildew (CDM) symptoms were identified and the CDM pathogen was isolated from cucumber plants in Cheshire County (southwestern NH) on Friday July 7, 2023. There are few other reports in the region (https://cdm.ipmpipe.org/), and the forecasts you may be used to seeing have been suspended due to lack of funding. With recent rainy […]
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Frost Protection Tips For Strawberries A significant frost/freeze event is being predicted for Wednesday night-Thursday morning. This has the potential to injure and kill susceptible strawberry flowers and buds that are now present in most strawberry fields. Growers should be ready to protect their plants with irrigation and/or row covers. Check your pump, pipes and sprinkler heads to be […]
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