Plums
At the Meigs Horticultural facility on April 24th we experienced freezing temperatures from 2 am until 7 am, with a low of 26.8 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour. The damage to fruit crops on the farm is scattered depending on varieties. A rough estimate would be 10% cold damage on the crops. The growth stages[Read More…]
The plum curculio (Conotrachelus nenuphar) is a small “snout” beetle (also known as a weevil – one of my favorite beetle groups!) that will feed on apples, peaches, pears, plums, and cherries. Both adults and larvae have chewing mouthparts and can damage fruits; adults by feeding and laying eggs in newly set fruit and larvae[Read More…]
In just two weeks there has been significant bud development on our fruit trees here in Lafayette, IN. Our Shiro Plums are in full bloom and the bees are busy pollinating these trees. There is one Apricot and some early season Apple trees in our mixed variety blocks that are also in full bloom. All[Read More…]
We have had a warm winter and early spring, except for the negative temperatures we experienced right before Christmas. Some fruit crops are already beginning development in Lafayette, Indiana. Apples remain dormant except for some of the Honey Crisp blocks showing Silver Tip and a few Crab Apple varieties showing Green Tip. Majority of the[Read More…]
Wet weather has led to an uptick in shot hole disease, caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni (XAP). We started to see a significant uptick in shot hole on peaches, cherry and plum already. Leaves and fruit susceptibility to XAP infection decreases after pit hardening. Keep in mind that any change to warm,[Read More…]
Adapted from IDNR Press release and Purdue Landscape Report The Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) has been found in Indiana A homeowner in Vevay, IN contacted DNR’s Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology (DEPP) last week with a picture of a red immature stage near their home. DEPP staff surveyed the site and discovered an infestation[Read More…]
The periodical cicada (Figure 1) emergence is expected to begin shortly. Female cicadas lay eggs in 200+ woody tree species (Figure 2), and they have a strong preference for grapevines, apples, cherries, peaches, & plums. Egg laying can weaken and damage branches, causing them to turn brown, die, and break off. The loss of branches[Read More…]
Spring temperatures and the season so far It seems like it’s been warm and that we’re way ahead of normal. But the data paint a slightly different picture. First, let’s not talk too much about “normal”. In the last 10 years or so that I’ve been plotting these data, EVERY year has been warmer than[Read More…]