Stone Fruits
Fire blight, caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora, is a devastating disease of apples and pears. Epidemics of the disease develop quickly, particularly in a climate of warm, wet weather like this weekend! The type of management program developed by each orchard will vary considerably based upon a variety of orchard factors, including apple variety,[Read More…]
Many people, including me, were surprised to look out the window Monday morning and see the ground and trees white with snow. A heck of a way to start the week! Although it looked frightening to see trees, buds and flowers covered in snow, luckily temperatures did not drop too low. In general, lows were[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…]
Snow and cold overnight lows blanketed the state on Tuesday and Wednesday nights last week (April 20-21). Many parts of the state received temperatures of 26-29 F, which caused some damage to open flowers. More northern areas of the state were not very far along in terms of crop development (early pink in apples, early[Read More…]
After what can only be described as a very early spring, we are entering the unusual situation of worrying about fire blight in April. Summer-like weather, rainfall, thunderstorms and hail mean that growers should be very concerned about fire blight. It is important to note that the fire blight pathogen, Erwinia amylovora, is always present[Read More…]
Due to the COVID crisis, most Purdue Extension meetings will be held virtually. Most Purdue Extension staff are working from home and are available to answer your questions by email, phone or through social media. Our contact information is at the end of the newsletter. September 10-12, 2020 Purdue Extension Master Gardener State Conference Sponsored[Read More…]