Apples

Cider mill and market open door to diversification

When Jay Jollay approached his wife, Sarah, with an idea for a new cider mill operation, she liked it. She just worried the plan was a little too grand. He envisioned a complete cider operation... more »

Early spring warmth causing growers sleepless nights

For many of the Midwest and Eastern states, spring weather arrived early. Most areas are three to four weeks ahead of schedule in terms of plant growth and bloom, according to university Extension offices.Such conditions... more »

Fruit Crop Guesstimate rescheduled

The 57th Annual Fruit Crop Guesstimate, sponsored by the Michigan Frozen Food Packers Association (MFFPA), has been moved to 2:30 p.m. June 6 at the Amway Grand in Grand Rapids, Mich.The guesstimate provides a forum... more »

Managing orchard nutrition during an early spring

Early spring growth this year raises several questions about nutrient management in orchards. First, when should spring nitrogen (N) fertilizers be applied? Typically, N is applied either in a single application as growth begins in... more »

Mature Apple Scab release escalates

The release of mature apple scab ascospores at Penn State Fruit Research and Extension Center in Biglerville, Pa. approached 18,000 on March 22nd, just 72 hours after we first detected mature ascospores (Monday, March 19th).In... more »

Insect pest control in an early season

You probably have heard it a thousand times already but the degree days base 43°F accumulation for March 23 in southern Pennsylvania is about 4 weeks ahead compared to previous years (or 3 weeks compared... more »

Spraying oil for pest control

It will be interesting to see just how faithfully arthropod pest development responds to ambient temperatures during this year's unnaturally early spring warm-up, and whether our traditional correlations with tree phenology will break down in... more »

Growers to receive orchard survey

Tree fruit growers in Washington, Michigan and New York will be receiving a survey from Haley Consulting Services asking growers about their horticultural practices and orchard characteristics. Responding to the survey is critical, as growers’... more »