August 1, 2022
Compiled by Vern Grubinger, University of Vermont Extension
https://www.uvm.edu/extension/horticulture/commercial
(802) 257-7967 ext. 303, vernon.grubinger@uvm.edu
REPORTS FROM THE FIELD
(E. Wallingford) We had some hail damage last week. The hail was larger than 3/4 inch. Some of the hail remained on top of our bird netting but no damage was done to netting. It did bruise ripe blueberries and marked the green fruit. Squash and cukes are marked as well. No signs of SWD. Fruit is large despite dry weather and we’re having a great turn out for PYO. Some of our blueberries are the size of a quarter!
(Newbury) Very little potato beetle infestation this year, however earwigs by the score are taking up residence in my cauliflower.
(Guildhall) Our fields are river bottom sand, so we could always use more rain, but thankfully we’ve been catching thunderstorms and aren’t anywhere near as dry as most of New England. Potatoes look great thus far. One 17-acre field is weedier than I like, having missed some early tine weedings, and it’s historically our weediest field. The other 31 acres though are clean. All the fields have filled their rows.
CPB was late this year. We didn’t spray until 7/13 (for second generation of CPB) and then again 7/25. Usually our first spray, which is for 2nd gen, is on 7/1. Hopefully won’t need to spray again. We spray the 2 generation, not the first, because I want all the fields to have what they’ll get for CPB, and no sense wasting spray on low populations. The second spray about 10 days after the first spray is to take care of anything that emerges later because it was still pupating underground during the first spray.
We could start picking new baby reds but we’re holding off as long as we can afford too. Pumpkins are weedy garbage this year, but there will be pumpkins, and who’s got time to handweed?
(Marlboro) Just now seeing SWD, later than past years which is a welcome break. We’ve been seeing some damage in the berries and had a positive ID thanks to the quick work of Margaret Skinner at UVM. Getting the first spray of Entrust on in hopes of slowing them down.
We’ve covered three rows of late-ripening blueberries with drosophila proof netting, so hoping to be able to pick them later when the SWD gets too bad in the uncovered rows. The best raspberry year we have had for many years because it’s been so dry, they have done well. Good blueberry crop also, and we are getting plenty of pickers for PYO.
(Huntington) In April-July, we've had 4.6", 3.6", 5.5", and 5.6"of rain, with only one driveway-rearranging thunderstorm. My only complaint about weather for this year is that it was too comfortable sleeping weather during the cool June and early July, which led to some somewhat slow growth on heat-loving crops like sweet potatoes. That, and all the cool dewy nights and October-like days created perfect conditions for onion downy mildew. It's been 8 years since we have seen any of that nasty visitor, and the initial infection site in the field was exactly where my sprayer boom bumped way up in the air when doing a late June preventive spray of Serenade and Regalia, giving poor coverage in that stretch. On that note, I would love to see more efficacy trials being done in the northeast for OMRI-approved fungicides, insecticides, and biostimulants. I don't have the bandwidth to try all the new products and permutations out there, and while some of them are snake oil, many have promise.
(Westminster) Remember when we were complaining about how dry it was? That’s over now; lots of rain. Our first sweet corn had problems with corn borer, but it looks like our next few plantings will be cleaner. We’re harvesting Providence, a big favorite with our customers.
After a slow start, sales of greens – lettuce, kale, collards and cabbage – are picking up. We harrowed under quite a bit of lettuce this year, some of which grew too fast in the heat and some because of oversupply in the market.
We’ve seen several waves of flea beetle come through on our kale and have treated it with PyGanic; also cabbage worm on cabbage.
We’ve begun harvesting beets and carrots, and that all looks good. Not much else; just slogging through the hot days.
LEAF ANALYSIS IS IMPORTANT TO GUIDE BERRY FERTILIZATION
Leaf, or tissue analysis tells you what nutrients your berry crop is actually taking up from the soil. Samples cost $28 analyzed through Dairy One in NY. https://dairyone.com/services/forage-laboratory-services/plant-tissue-analysis/. Strawberries: Sample the first fully expanded leaves after renovation or within the first 6 weeks after harvest. Raspberries: Sample non-fruiting canes between August 1 and 20. Blueberries: Sample between July 1 and August 30. Collect at least 30 healthy undamaged leaves that are well exposed to light and represent the average condition of the planting. Remove petioles and put leaves in a dry paper bag or perforated plastic bag and immediately label with name of the area the sample represents.
RESOURCES FROM THE UVM AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING TEAM
Andy Chamberlin and Chris Callahan
Our website https://go.uvm.edu/ageng is full of post-harvest (wash/pack), protected culture (greenhouse and high tunnel) and other sustainable agriculture resources. Join 910 subscribers and watch some of our 220 videos on our YouTube channel for technical tips and farm visit videos at https://go.uvm.edu/agengyt. Listen to 75 episodes of the Ag Engineering Podcast for details on tools, tips and techniques to improve farm sustainability at https://agengpodcast.com.
SUMMER POLLINATOR REPORT
Laura Johnson, UVM Extension pollinator support specialist
Summer and winter squash bloom observations were conducted between dawn and late morning. By noon, squash flowers are closed, closing, or wilting. Blossom visits were dominated by three bees during the month of June; honeybees (Apis mellifera), squash bees (Peponapis pruinosa), and bumble bees (Bombus spp.). Smaller bumble bee workers have been regularly observed as queen bees stay in their nests to rear their colonies. Male squash bees remain inside blossoms overnight, while females rest in their nests about 2” below ground until the next day, nearby or within the squash plantings. Less commonly observed native bees, like the green sweat bee (Augochlorini spp.), were also occasionally found foraging in blooms. Be on the lookout for other natives emerging mid-summer and found in squash blossoms, like the two-spotted long-horned bee (Melissodes bimaculatus). I was very excited to find one this week!
Non-bee insects found in squash blooms included striped and spotted cucumber beetles. A 1964 University of California article mentions that cucumber beetles are capable of transferring pollen from male to female flowers and may contribute to pollination, but their destructive qualities to a crop likely outweigh the beneficial act of pollination.