We’ve had some weird weather this year. April was cool and crop growth was delayed. But once May arrived, warm conditions lead to rapid development of fruit crops. We are now about “normal” in development. That means that grapes in the southern half of the state are nearing the pre-bloom stage, which is a key[Read More…]
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Eastern flower thrips, an occasional pest of strawberries, have been reported in large numbers in central Indiana. They are attracted to and feed on flowers, with the result being leathery fruit or fruit that fail to ripen. This problem occurs every year at some level but has not been serious since 1994. Eastern flower thrips[Read More…]
We are delighted to be hosted for our Summer Tour by Garwood Orchards – one of the larger and best run operations in the state. This applies to their fruit, vegetable and farm marketing activities. Whether you are a fruit grower, a vegetable grower or a farm marketer, you are bound to be inspired and[Read More…]
We’re getting close to the time when growers need to make chemical thinning decisions – for many the most perplexing and risky decision they will make all year. Even with a relatively mild spring without too much interference by spring frosts, this is a tricky call to make. In most cases, there are plenty of[Read More…]
We all know that it in the last two weeks, temperatures have warmed up considerably, but when we plot out the growing degree days (GDD), we can see how dramatic this warming trend has been (Figure 1). In Lafayette a couple of weeks ago, we had accumulated less than 100 GDD – now we’re closing[Read More…]
Gray mold, caused by Botrytis cinerea, is the most common disease of strawberries. Managing this disease can be challenging if rainfall occurs during flowering. This year has been relatively dry, so hopefully there will be less disease pressure. Nevertheless, growers should consider fungicide applications to prevent gray mold infections. Timing of applications is critical. Botrytis[Read More…]
Would you buy something if you didn’t understand how it worked or what to do with it? Likely not… Imagine a customer of yours who doesn’t know how to select, prepare or store the fresh healthful produce that you are growing and offering for sale. How likely is it that they will buy that product?[Read More…]
June 26, 2018 Indiana Hort Society Summer Field Day Garwood Orchard, LaPorte, IN Contact Lori Jolly-Brown ljollybr@ purdue.edu October 17, 2018 Indiana Flower Growers Conference Daniel Turf Center Contact Lori Jolly-Brown ljollybr@ purdue.edu January 8, 2019 Illiana Vegetable Growers Symposium. Teibel’s Family Restaurant, Schererville, IN Contact Liz Maynard emaynard@purdue.edu https://ag.purdue.edu/hla/Extension/Pages/IVGS.aspx February 12-14, 2019 Indiana Hort[Read More…]
In case you blinked, we went from green tip to bloom in about three days, and by the time you read this, we will have passed through the blossom blight period. For most of the state, the late spring consisted of cool, dry weather that was not conducive to blight infection in the northern half[Read More…]
What a difference a couple of weeks of warm weather makes. Crop development is progressing rapidly with warmer weather. Apples in the south are around 10 mm, and in full bloom here in Lafayette. Peaches in southern areas of the state are still in the shuck, but barely. Folks in southern areas are getting ready[Read More…]
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