Cooperative Extension at Highmoor Farm

In this newsletter: ReTain Reminders Fruit Maturity ReTain Reminders To extend the harvest, ReTain can be applied 28 to 7 days before anticipated first pick. For orchards in southern Maine, we are about about 21 days from first pick on Macs and Honeycrisp. ReTain can extend the harvest window by preventing preharvest fruit drop. I […]

In this newsletter: Predicted Harvest Dates ReTain Timing Price Survey Results Peel Sap Calcium Results Fruit Maturity   Predicted Dates for McIntosh Harvest Based on temperature after full bloom, the predicted date for the beginning of harvest for long-term storage of McIntosh is September 10 in the Augusta area. The predicted date for the end […]

In this newsletter: Peach Maturity Leaf and Soil Sampling Reminder Peel Sap Analysis for Predicting Bitter Pit Soil Moisture Readings Dept of Agriculture’s Autumn in Maine statewide publication Peach Maturity In southern Maine, the early to ripen peaches have reached a stage where they can be harvested. At Highmoor Farm, our early peaches have another […]

In this newsletter: Fruit Price Survey Bitter Pit Risk Management Preharvest Intervals Peach Harvest Dates Leaf Sampling Reminder Price Survey I will be sending out a price survey in the next newsletter. This will be to calculate an average for farmstand and pick-your-own prices per pound and per 10-lb. tote at the stand and for […]

In this newsletter: Sweet Cherry Harvest Soil Moisture Measurements at Highmoor Leaf Sampling Time Time to Order Custom-Budded Trees Summer Tour Agenda Sweet Cherry Harvest Sweet cherry harvest is underway at Highmoor Farm, but with abundant brown rot despite the lack of Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) in our traps. Sweet cherries usually have red flesh […]

In this newsletter: SWD in cherry Preharvest intervals for cherry Fireblight spotted in Gala Summer tour agenda Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) in Cherry Cherries will become susceptible to SWD once about 20% of fruit begin to blush. Sweet cherries have reached this stage. Sour cherries are still green. Adult SWD flies will puncture the skin […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]