Cranberry Lake Update
Karl Pippenger
Ben Lear and early varieties are about 25% pollinated, with Stevens slightly behind at 15-20%. Some growers are beginning nitrogen applications on early varieties. Vines are comparable in stage to 2016.
Timing for fruitworm applications will likely be late next week on early varieties and early the following week on Stevens. Make sure anything applied is approved by your beekeeper and is considered “bee safe”. For heavy fruitworm pressure, consider a second application after the bees are gone. If you are using a product such as Confirm, it needs to be applied a few days earlier than contact killers.
Also, make sure you understand “full bloom” when talking to your scouts and other growers. Some scouts (and I believe the UW) consider full bloom to be when the maximum amount of bloom is open. Others (myself included) consider full bloom to be the time when the number of pollinated flowers equals the number of unopened flowers, which is a few days later than the former method. It doesn’t matter, as long as you understand what it means concerning timing of crop amendments.
Once flowers are receptive, it usually isn’t long until they’re pollinated. One method—the method I use—to time a fruitworm application is wait until 3-5 days after 50% fruit set for Stevens and 7 days after 50% fruit set for Ben Lear. Others use flight trapping, and current research is looking at calculating egg hatch by GDDs.
It is likely this upright will only have mature fruit on the three receptive flowers. With a little luck we may set the fourth flower.