Healthy Fruit, Vol. 27, No. 19, September 17, 2019
Jon Clements, Author (unless otherwise noted) and Editor
CONTENTS
Horticulture (apple maturity report)
Hawkeye’s corner (notes from the field)
UPCOMING MEETINGS
New England Vegetable & Fruit Conference, December 10-12, 2019, Manchester, NH. https://newenglandvfc.org/ On-line registration is now open and hotel booking recommendations are on the website: https://newenglandvfc.org/ Program information is also ready! Be sure to book your hotel early if you plan on staying overnight, the hotels fill up fast!
THE WAY I SEE IT
Jon Clements
The next week looks great for apple harvest weather-wise. McIntosh harvest should be peaking soon, and Honeycrisp and Gala harvest waning. Depending on whether you’ve used ReTain or Harvista (or both) of course. I don’t have much else to say, it’s that time of year. Still not too late to put ReTain on Honeycrisp (that you’ve previously treated with ReTain) or Macoun (although benefits there are maybe dubious). Empire benefits from ReTain treatment too if that is a big variety for you. Cortland are not ready, at the earliest, next week. Keep moving out there...
HORTICULTURE
Jon Clements
Apple maturity report
All observations from UMass Orchard, Belchertown, MA unless otherwise noted. Target maturity numbers: red color, >50%; firmness, >14 lbs.; soluble solids, >12; DA, 0.60 to 0.40 for Honeycrisp, 0.65 for Gala, 1.00 for Golden Delicious, 1.15 to 1.00 for Red Delicious (higher DA = more "green"); starch index, 4-6.
Date | Variety | Drop | Diameter | Color | Firmness | Brix | Starch Index | DA Meter | Comments | Picture |
9/16 | RuyMac | few | 3.3 | 99 | 13 | 10.7 | 5 (4-6) | NA | Ready for harvest big-time, very attractive Mac | |
9/16 | Lindamac McIntosh | yes | 3.2 | 85 | 14 | 11.4 | 5 (4-6) | NA | Drop is significant on these non-ReTained Macs | |
9/16 | Buckeye Gala | nil | 3 | 90 | 17.5 | 11.8 | 4-7 | 0.23 | Some cracking observed, needs to be harvested (last pick) ASAP | |
9/16 | Honeycrisp | yes | 3.4 | 65 | 14 (11-16) | 11.9 | 5-7 | 0.57 (0.37 to 0.73) | By all measures ready to harvest on red color; finish over the next week | |
9/16 | Cortland | nil | 3.6 | 55 | 17 (14-19) | 10.6 | 1.5 | NA | Needs another week (at least) | |
9/11 | Royal Red Honeycrisp | yes | 3.5 | 90 | 14 (13-17) | 13.6 | 7 (6.5 to 8) | 0.46 (0.36 to 0.72) | Very nice, drop significant with no ReTain |
INSECTS
Jaime Pinero
No insect update this week…
DISEASES
Liz Garofalo
No disease update this week…
SMALL FRUIT UPDATE
Sonia Schloemann
No Small Fruit Update this week… but, what do you think did this?
Answer next issue...
HAWKEYE’S CORNER (notes from the field)
Liz Garofalo
GUEST ARTICLE
No Guest Article this week...
FACEBOOK ME
USEFUL LINKS
27th Annual March Message (2019) to Tree Fruit Growers (Google Doc)
UMass Fruit Advisor: http://umassfruit.com
Scaffolds Fruit Journal: http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/scafolds/
Network for Environment and Weather Applications (NEWA): http://newa.cornell.edu
Follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/jmcextman) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/jmcextman)
The next Healthy Fruit will be published on or about October, 2019. (Maybe. It might just be an apple maturity report. Or it might come sooner!) In the meantime, feel free to contact any of the UMass Fruit Team if you have any fruit-related production questions.
