Cooperative Extension at Highmoor Farm

In this newsletter: Maturity Report Peel Sap Analysis Results for Honeycrisp Bitter Pit Prediction Disaster Relief Announcement Maturity Report Peaches This week, we are picking this week: PF 15A, one of our best varieties for fruit size and flavor. We are also picking BuenOs2 and TangOs, both donut-type peaches. Our last fungicide was August 1. […]

In this newsletter: Predicted harvest dates for McIntosh apples Fruit Drop Control Harvest Maturity in Peach and Apple Varieties Predicted McIntosh Harvest Date Predicted ‘first pick’ for McIntosh apples at Highmoor Farm is September 13 and a few days before that for orchards in southern Maine. The predicted end of harvest for long-term storage is […]

In this newsletter: Leaf and Soil Sampling Reminder to Pay Attention to Preharvest Intervals Peach Disease and Pest Issues Peach Harvest Maturity There is Still Time for Leaf and Soil Sampling Mid to late July is the ideal time to collect leaves for nutritional analysis. Visit the University of Maine Soil Testing Lab webpage to […]

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 […]

Reducing Biennial Bearing in Honeycrisp Apples It is time for NAA (naphthaleneacetic acid) summer sprays to enhance repeat bloom in Honeycrisp and other varieties. NAA will no longer thin apples and can be applied at this time to stimulate flower bud formation for next year’s crop. Three applications at roughly two-week intervals will cause a […]

Thinning Outlook Signs of thinning from our carbaryl plus NAA (PoMaxa, Refine) application applied 7 days ago were evident today, but not enough considering the heavy crop this year. Less than 30% of the fruitlets came off today. It looks like we could be applying more thinning later this week. I plan to give it […]

Thinning Outlook At the Highmoor Farm, fruitlet diameter has reached 12 to 14 mm for the king fruits and 8 to 12 mm for the side fruits, so there is still time to apply thinners again if the first application was not enough. We applied thinners 6 days ago, but it was not yet evident […]

Thinning Outlook Most of our orchard blocks have excessive fruit set. Gala, McIntosh and Cortland have 4 to 5 fruitlets per cluster with almost no flowers dropping. Honeycrisp is showing signs of fruit set in most of the king blooms, but for side blooms, it’s too early to tell. In Macoun, it’s too early to […]

Thinning Update Apple and pear trees are close to petal fall today at Highmoor Farm. Most chemical thinners become effective at this time. Here is a link to the Guide’s section on thinning: Specific Apple Variety Thinning Recommendations : New England Tree Fruit Management Guide : UMass Amherst BA-type thinners (Maxcel, Rite-Way, Exilis) are not effective […]

In this newsletter: Thinning Time Announcements Thinning Time Apples & Pears Apple and pear trees were in full bloom this week at Highmoor Farm. We observed plenty of bee activity in apples, pears and stone fruits and may have to thin aggressively in the next few weeks. The combination of heavy return bloom, good pollination […]