Preharvest drop refers to the process where fruit fall from the tree prior to harvest. Not all apple varieties are affected, but with some, such as McIntosh and Pristine, pre-harvest drop can be extreme. Several growth regulator materials are available to growers to help reduce pre-harvest drop. These materials are often referred to as “stop-drop”[Read More…]
Pome Fruits
Making the decision on when to harvest can be a very tricky and complicated issue. The longer you intend to store the fruit, the more precise your timing needs to be. For summer apples, most growers only intend to store fruit until their better quality fall apples come on stream, so storage times beyond a[Read More…]
Approximately 40 growers attended the Society’s summer field day a couple of weeks ago. Thanks go to David, Valerie and Theresa Doud for being wonderful hosts. We saw apples, peaches and strawberries, and also some of the new MAIA apple selections being developed. After lunch we visited Cordes Berry Farm which consists of over 9[Read More…]
Both the timing and the weather is right for outbreaks of European red mites right now. Apple growers should be scouting their most susceptible varieties or blocks now. If you find problems, you should scout your entire orchard. There is a good chance that the infestation does not encompass your whole orchard, so only spray[Read More…]
Most growers know that codling moths in the lower Midwest do not behave the same as codling moths in more northern apple growing areas. We usually do not have distinct generations. Here is a graph showing my weekly pheromone trap catches at the Meigs Farm near Lafayette. Notice that the counts have never gone down[Read More…]
It’s time for apple growers to begin looking for European red mites. ERM can be a serious problem, reducing the yield and quality of this year’s crop as well as reducing fruit buds for next year. Most growers know the area of their orchard where they first see ERM problems. Generally, populations will start to[Read More…]
We’ve all heard of apple June drop, but what is it, what are the causes and why should we care? June drop is more correctly called physiological fruit drop and is caused by a shortfall of carbohydrates in the tree. This shortfall is because the trees have limited leaf area for photosynthesis (supply of carbohydrates)[Read More…]
Finally we have some warm, sunny weather, and that means fruit are growing quickly. Generally, fruit are 10–20 mm depending on where in the state you’re located. Many of our common post bloom thinners such as NAA, Sevin and Maxcell work very well when fruit are around 12mm and temperatures are in the 70s. Once[Read More…]
Blueberry Growers of Indiana Spring Meeting and potluck June 9, 2016, 4:00 pm Sider’s Blueberry Farm. 6254 W. 200 North, Rochester, IN. More information will follow. Indiana Winery and Vineyard Association Summer meeting July 19-20, 2016 Brown County Inn. Nashville, IN. More information will follow. Indiana Hort Society Summer Field Day June 22, 2016 David[Read More…]
