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…]
Bruce Bordelon
Professor Emeritus
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
First it was email, then the internet. That was almost 30 years ago. Today various forms of social media is used by just about everyone. Obviously Facebook and Twitter are much more commonly used than email, and more people text today than make phone calls. But, there is still a place for mail lists. Mail[Read More…]
Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center High/Low Tunnel Tour co-sponsored with Dept. of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies at Indiana University August 10, 2017 Vincennes, IN Contact Wenjing Guan, guan40@purdue.edu, or Dan Egel at egel@purdue.edu Registration: Call 812-886-0198 Pinney Purdue Vegetable and High Tunnel Field Day – co-sponsored with Dept. of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies at Indiana[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…]
Grapes are starting to ripen (veraison) in Lafayette. Marquette and Brianna are the earliest varieties and both are about 2 weeks from harvest. Floricane producing blackberry harvest continues. Primocane fruiting blackberries and raspberries are just getting started. Japanese beetles continue to be a major problem in addition to Spotted Wing Drosophila. Peach harvest is winding[Read More…]
Grape harvest is just about to get started in the southern part of the state. Early varieties will be harvested starting next week. Most varieties are slightly ahead of normal this year. In Lafayette, Marquette and Brianna are at full veraison and shold be ready to harvest in the next couple of weeks. We generally[Read More…]
Weather the past couple of weeks has been a bit unsettled. Many parts of the state have experienced rounds of heavy rainfall from storm fronts. More are predicted. Peach harvest is underway in Lafayette and quality is very good. Early apples such as Pristine are also ready for harvest. Summer fruit blackberry harvest continues. Spotted[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…]
Rick Foster noted in the previous issue that Japanese beetles were out. Wow are they ever! I haven’t seen them this bad in years. Small fruit growers should monitor their crops and control the beetles if necessary. Japanese beetles will feed on ripening fruit of brambles and blueberries, and on foliage of all small fruit[Read More…]