Crop Management
Grape harvest continues across the state. Overall fruit quality has been excellent, but maintaining that quality with all the rain recently is challenging. Thin skinned varieties have fruit cracking and rot problems. Primocane fruiting blackberry harvest continues into its fourth week on Black magic, with APF-45 just getting started. Heritage and Caroline primocane fruiting raspberries[Read More…]
Hopefully, everyone somehow managed to obtain effective fungicide coverage during the wet summer of 2016, and the torrential rains of the last few days. Unfortunately, many of the diseases you thought you successfully battled all summer long might still show up now at harvest, and even in a few weeks post-harvest. It is important to[Read More…]
Spotted wing drosophila continue to plague raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, and grape growers. I have had some reports of poor control. There are a number of reasons that control of any insect may be poor. If you are not getting the level of control you expect, here are a few things to consider. Is your sprayer[Read More…]
June bearing strawberries are “short day” plants that set flower buds in response to short days. As we get into late summer, days shorten and strawberry plants respond by setting the flower buds that will result in the crop next spring. It is important to maintain appropriate nutrition and soil water status during this time.[Read More…]
Grape harvest is just getting started in the southern part of the state. Early varieties have been harvested for the past week. Most varieties are slightly ahead of normal this year. Fruit quality overall is very good. Many vineyards are still recovering from the winter of 2014 so yields will still be below normal. With[Read More…]
Plant nutritional status is important for all phases of plant growth and has a direct effect on vigor, fruitfulness, cold hardiness, and other factors. Tissue analysis is the most reliable means of determining plant nutritional status. Combined with soil testing, tissue analysis can help pinpoint the source of problems and determine what measures may be[Read More…]
Grape harvest has began in the southern part of the state and will begin in central areas over the next week or so. Early varieties are nearing full maturity while late varieties are just at, or not yet at veraison. Overall fruit quality looks excellent. Apple harvest continues. Summer varieties are mostly done and early[Read More…]
The symptoms of flyspeck and sooty blotch have begun to make their appearance. I know this because 1). I’m starting to see spots, and 2). We have accumulated MORE THAN enough hours of post- petal fall leaf wetness needed for infection to occur. First, what is enough hours of post- petal fall leaf wetness needed[Read More…]
