A Betty Peach at fruit set!
This week we’re seeing early fruit set on a number of crops across the farm: peaches, plums, pears, and some gooseberries. Things are leafing out in the orchards and we’re still a good way ahead of last year in terms of development. The later half of this week’s more mild temperatures (coupled with some rain) should slow things down just a touch, and we’ll be happy for the added moisture even if it does mean delays on stone fruit pruning and more concern about apple scab management.
Fruit/Bud/Tree Development
- Fruit set! We’ve got the first peaches setting fruit and at shuck fall/early green fruit. We’re also seeing fruit set in early plums (Methley), pears, and gooseberries.
- Kiwi shoots are at 4” already with blossom buds just beginning to be exposed. Unfortunately some shoots did end up getting scorched by the frost we had last week. A few shoots lost their growing tips, but most are looking fine and some that could burned look like they will continue to push.
- Grape buds across the board on table grape varieties are waking up. Buds have broken on Interlaken, Jupiter, etc.
Pest & Disease
- Noting cold damage on grafted apples planted out last fall. The cold snap we had this winter coupled with a strong N wind that blows through our front planting seems to have done a number on a few of those young trees. We will be making a plan for replacement as things fully wake up in the next week or two.
- Strawberries are suffering from continued deer browsing. We will likely need to push to row cover or otherwise exclude deer from that area this week.
- Seeing a few blister aphids on currants. At this point it is most expedient to pick them off but we may use an oil spray if they persist.
Kiwi shoot showing frost damage
