Adrian Orchards has served families, businesses and institutions of the Indianapolis area for three generations, offering quality products and expertise to customers here at 500 West Epler Ave., for nearly 100 years. Our store has enjoyed solid support locally and is an important asset to the community. Since 1925 it has provided our family with[Read More…]
Bruce Bordelon
Professor Emeritus
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
The grape harvest will get started in the southern part of the state in the next couple of weeks. Most varieties are slightly behind normal this year. In Lafayette, early varieties are at the start of veraison and should be ready to harvest in four to five weeks. We generally harvest early varieties such as[Read More…]
This is the time of year to keep an eye out for the adult version of the Spotted Lanternfly. See a fact sheet at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/plant_health/2014/alert_spotted_lanternfly.pdf This is an extremely serious pest of a wide range of woody plants. It has caused serious damage in grapes, apples, peaches, plums, blueberries, etc.[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…]
Early apples are almost ready for harvest in the Lafayette area. Grapes have started veraison, which is a bit late this year. Summer bearing (floricane) blackberry varieties are starting to ripen, though we have a very small crop due to winter injury. Japanese beetles and spotted wing Drosophila are abundant and causing damage to what[Read More…]
WHAT: An Indiana Pesticide Clean Sweep Project designed to collect and dispose of suspended, canceled, banned, unusable, opened, unopened or just unwanted pesticides (weed killers, insecticides, rodenticides, fungicides, miticides, etc.) is being sponsored by the Office of Indiana State Chemist (OISC). This disposal service is free of charge up to 250 pounds per participant. Over[Read More…]
Apples look good and are sizing well. Brambles are not having a great year. Winter injury was severe and the wet spring has led to a significant amount of Raspberry (Septoria) leaf spot. Grapes are doing okay, despite significant winter injury. Appropriate pruning resulted in full crops of most varieties. Japanese beetles and 2,4-D damage[Read More…]
Fruit crops are growing quickly. Spring must finally be here. In Lafayette, apples are mostly at petal fall with a few still at full bloom. Grapes have 1 to 4 inch shoots. Pawpaws are blooming. Bramble blossoms are visible in black raspberries but not in red raspberries and blackberries at this time. Strawberries are in[Read More…]
Grapes are in the early stages of growth across the state, from bud break to pre-bloom. This is the most important time to maintain “preventative” control of the major grape diseases such as Phomopsis, black rot, powdery and downy mildew. Our general recommendation is to maintain good coverage with mancozeb through the early stages of[Read More…]
Blackberries and raspberries have become increasingly popular crops for growers in the state. There are a number of issues with bramble crops. Blackberries are only marginally cold hardy for central and northern Indiana, often suffering damage at temperatures of -10˚F or below. Growers using a trellis and winter protection are having success avoiding winter injury,[Read More…]