Anthracnose, caused by Elsinoe veneta, is a common fungal disease on black raspberries and some blackberries. It is much less common on red raspberries. Most modern thornless blackberries (Apache, Triple Crown, Osage, Ouachita, etc) are resistant to anthracnose. Most black raspberry cultivars are highly susceptible. If you grow a susceptible variety, is is important to…Read more about Anthracnose on Blackberries and Black Raspberries[Read More]
Bruce Bordelon
Professor Emeritus
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
It’s been a cool spring this year and brambles are still mostly dormant in the Lafayette area. This is a good time to finish pruning chores. In summer fruiting types, this past year’s fruited canes should be removed if they were not removed last summer or fall. Remove weak or spindly floricanes and thin to…Read more about Pruning Brambles[Read More]
Spring freeze damage can be a significant economic problem for Midwest grape growers. Widespread damage occurred in 2007, 2012 and 2017 when warm temperatures in February and March were followed by freezing temperatures. Obviously this year has been very cool so far so there is hopefully less risk of early budbreak and frost damage. But,…Read more about Pruning to Adjust for Winter Injury and Avoid Spring Frost Damage to Grapes[Read More]
This winter was significantly colder than normal in the northern half of Indiana. Many areas north of “I-70” experienced temperatures between -15 and -20˚F in early January. That is cold enough to cause considerable cold injury to grapes, peaches, and blackberries. See the map below for minimum winter temperatures. We have evaluated crops at the…Read more about Determining Winter Injury in Grape Vines[Read More]
Apple harvest is winding down with late varieties such as GoldRush and Pink Lady being harvested. Quality has continued to be good, although some stem-end cracking has shown up on some cultivars. We have continued to run about a week early throughout the season.
Powdery and downy mildew can develop on grapes in the late season, post harvest. It is important to keep vines as healthy as possible going into winter. With the long fall we are experiencing, downy and powdery mildew are both becoming prevalent in many vineyards. Growers should consider a late season application of fungicides to…Read more about Late Season Leaf Diseases of Grapes[Read More]
Crown gall is a common disease of many perennial plants. It causes fleshy tumors to develop on the plant and usually results in plant death. Grapes are among the most sensitive fruit crop to crown gall. The disease is caused by the bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens. This is the same bacterium that is used to genetically…Read more about Crown Gall of Grape Vines[Read More]
There are a number of common grape pathogens that can cause fruit rots each year in the region. Black rot and Phomopsis cane and leaf spot are by far the most common fruit pathogens. We also see Botrytis gray mold on some cultivars in cooler regions and years. Another common rot is Sour rot, but…Read more about Ripe Rot on Grapes[Read More]
Apple harvest continues and apples are still running about a week ahead of normal. A higher than usual amount of stem-end cracking is showing up. Fruit showing these cracks should be sold first and are not suitable for long-term storage. Grape harvest is winding down with only the latest varieties left. Primocane blackberry and raspberry…Read more about Crop Conditions[Read More]
Grape harvest is in full swing across the state. The weather could not be more ideal. Warm sunny days and cool nights are ideal for fruit quality. Lack of major rainstorms is also a plus. This year is almost a complete opposite of 2016, when high temperatures and rain persisted through July and August, causing…Read more about Grape Harvest Continues[Read More]