I had my final chat with Chris on September 9…

This year’s apple harvest is running ahead of schedule by about 1-2 weeks at Blue Roof Orchard, with roughly half of the apples already picked. The variety ‘Liberty,’ known for its resistance to disease and valued by organic growers, has just entered the harvesting phase. ‘Liberty’ apples are expected to be fully harvested within a week.

The growing season has presented some challenges in terms of disease. Black rot has been observed at higher levels than usual, and fire blight has been much more problematic than usual. Elsinoë spots have appeared on some fruit, though the incidence has been low and not particularly concerning. Fruit rots, while more noticeable than in previous years, have not reached devastating levels. In terms of foliar diseases, Alternaria on leaves has been about the same as in past seasons, although some scab has been identified. There have also been possible sightings of blister spot (see article in this week’s newsletter on Blister Spot) in the orchard but nothing confirmed.

Insect damage has impacted the earlier apple varieties, with some leafroller activity causing visible harm. Plum curculio (PC) damage, however, remains a more pressing issue. Feeding by adult PC on fruit has caused significant damage, perhaps worse than the egg-laying damage typically associated with this pest. This second wave of damage from adults has proven difficult to control. Organic growers, in particular, face unique challenges as they contend with more resident PC populations within their orchards, while conventional growers typically manage PC migration from the edges of fields.

Weed management has been ongoing between harvests to control plants that escaped summer sprays. The goal is to prevent annual weeds from going to seed, ensuring cleaner orchards for future harvests.

In addition to the harvest and disease management, Chris is midway through the 12-week CSA season. Bud grafting took place earlier in August, targeting areas where trees were missing across the orchards. Around 30-40 rootstocks were grafted to create replacement trees, a necessity due to the limited availability of nursery stock. That’s all for this season! If you missed my previous chats with Chris, check it out here.

This article series is NOT intended to be prescriptive for other orchards. It is simply an opportunity for our readership to hear from other growers about their experiences growing fruit crops in Wisconsin.

Growing the same crop does not always justify the same practices. Management decisions at your farm should be tailored to your operation and consider location, regional climate, disease and pest history of your vineyard, and your varieties.

The mention of a product is NOT an endorsement. Always follow the instructions on product labels and consult weather stations (ex. NEWA) in your area for current weather forecast and disease and pest prediction models.

This article was posted in Notes from the Field and tagged Apples, Chris McGuire, Leslie Holland, Notes from the Field.