What a wet July we have had so far.. and summer for that matter! The timing and amount of rain has made it difficult to complete cover sprays in a timely manner. Even with all of this rain and limited spray windows, all of our fruit crops have remained disease free. Our peaches and blackberries[Read More…]
Crop Management
Here at the Meigs Horticulture Facility in Lafayette, Indiana we couldn’t ask for better crop conditions. We have been receiving good amounts of rain as needed for fruit maturation, without experiencing any flooding. The Japanese beetles seem to be our biggest issue right now across the board. Still no disease pressure to report, we will[Read More…]
This year, the strawberry season throughout Indiana seems to be early by about 10 days to 2 weeks, regardless of the production system. In southern Indiana, I heard the harvest lasted from mid/late April until mid-May in some fields. In central I ndiana, the harvest started in mid-May and is nearing its end in early[Read More…]
Shoot Thinning The optimum shoot density is 5-6 shoots per foot of row. Thinning to this density can help reduce shading, adjust the crop, lower the risk of disease and improve spray penetration. The optimal time for shoot thinning is before the shoots reach 12 inches. Removing the shoots may be more difficult once they’ve[Read More…]
Many readers will remember when a massive brood of periodical cicadas (Brood X) emerged throughout Indiana back in 2021. With their dark bodies, red eyes, and orange wings, these insects look like something straight out of the X-files, am I right?? There was lots of noise (male cicadas singing for the females!), lots of cast[Read More…]
Everything here at the Meigs Horticulture Farm in Lafayette, Indiana seems to be off to a great start of fruit development. We have had an abundance of Strawberries the last two weeks and will for the next few weeks. We were able to find a handful of peaches on our trees.. no more than a[Read More…]
According to the newly released 2022 Census of Agriculture, Indiana has 248 farms growing strawberries, a 25% increase from 2017 when there were 199 such farms. This rise is particularly notable because the number of strawberry farms had decreased from 250 to 199 between 2012 and 2017. Despite the increase in the number of farms[Read More…]
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! We are happy to announce that Purdue Extension is presenting its annual Fruit and Vegetable Field Day on July 18, 2024, at the Throckmorton/Meigs Horticulture Farm, Lafayette, IN. Register here: Purdue Fruit and Vegetable Field Day Contact Lori Jolly-Brown or Petrus Langenhoven if you have any questions. Presentations: Julia Wooby, Ian Kaplan, Laura Ingwell Trap Crop[Read More…]
Mesotrione is a Group 27 (HPPD-inhibitor) herbicide. It is registered as a stand-alone active ingredient in products such as Callisto®, Argos®, and Tenacity® among several others. It is also a common ingredient in pre-mix corn herbicides such as Acuron, Calliso® GT, Optero®, Storen® and many others. Mesotrione has both pre-emergence and post-emergence activity on select[Read More…]