Hello Wisconsin Fruit News subscribers, and welcome back to Notes from The Field: A Grower’s Perspective. This week Steve Louis (Oakwood Fruit Farm) and I had our tenth chat amid harvest.

Oakwood Fruit Farm is busy with the harvest season which is taking priority on the farm these days. Once fruits are off the tree, they make their way to the coolers for storage. Applications of Retain are used to manage the picking schedule, as harvest will likely last through the end of October. At this point in the season weather events can still be detrimental to fruit quality so Steve will make fungicide applications as needed for bitter rot, black rot, and storage rots control. End of season fungicide sprays are critical for the orchard in both early and late varieties. The amount of rain since the last pesticide application will make an impact on the frequency of these end of season sprays. Remember to check the PHI’s of the chemistries you select.

That’s all for now! Check out the notes from my next (and last) chat with Steve Louis in the 14^th issue of Wisconsin Fruit News on October 5.

Missed the notes from my last chat with Steve? Check them out here!

The mention of a product is NOT an endorsement. This article series is NOT intended to provide recommendations; simply to hear from other growers about in-season tasks on their farm. Always follow the instructions on product labels and consult weather stations (ex. NEWA) in your area for current weather forecast and disease prediction models.

This article was posted in Notes from the Field and tagged Leslie Holland, Notes from the Field, Steve Louis.