Orchard Outlook Newsletter Vol. 25, No 3

Today's newsletter discusses the warming soil temperatures that should be supporting root growth soon, if not already, along with some management considerations. We review conditions of the latest rainfall with regard to apple scab risk and put powdery mildew timing on the radar. We discuss using oil for treating European red mite before egg hatch, which is a good approach for resistance management and is compatible with beneficial predators. There are some notes about weed management specific to this week's warm temperatures and upcoming rain. We review several ongoing horticulture practices. Thanks to the ongoing commitment of the Orchard Outlook Committee members.

Table of Contents:

Weather

• 2025 Degree Day Accumulations
• Soil Temperature

Bud Development

• Apple Buds
• Pear and Stone Fruit Buds

Diseases

• Spray Guides
• Apple - Scab
• Apple - Powdery Mildew
• Fire Blight Sanitation

Insects

• Delayed Dormant Oil - Cautions and Considerations
• European Red Mite

Weed Management

• Efficacy of Herbicides
• Crop Safety of Common Herbicides

Horticulture

• General
• Treatments for Blind Wood
• Pruning
• Fertilizing
• Liming
• Nursery Trees
• Planting Trees

Events and Notices

• Provincial Programs Now Open

Pest Management Guide

  

Weather

2025 Degree Day Accumulations

The cumulative degree days are ahead of the 5- and 10-year averages (Figure 1). In the later half of April an above-average temperature trend has increased the rate of degree day accumulation, widening the gap between this year and the 5 and 10 yr averages.

Figure 1: Heating degree day accumulations for plant (above 5°C) and insect (above 10°C) development from March 1 to April 28 for the past 17 seasons. Provided by Jeff Franklin (AAFC Plant Physiology).

For the following comparisons, please note that early in the season only a few warm events contribute significantly to the accumulated degree days. Trends can change quickly.

• Approximately 16% more plant development heat units compared to the 5-year average, and 27% more compared to the 10-year average.
• Approximately 13% more plant development heat units compared to 2024, and 29% more compared with 2023.
• Approximately 34% more insect development heat units compared to the 5-year average, and 33% more compared to the 10-year average.

Soil Temperature

Currently, the temperature at 35 cm deep is around 8°C (Figure 2, red line), which is slightly higher than average but similar to recent years. In general, new root growth is believed to begin at soil temperatures of around 7°C and increase with increasing temperatures (until heat restricts growth). I will admit that there is not nearly as much research done in the tree fruit community on roots as there is on the aboveground portions of the tree. In previous years, our local observations confirm new white roots at soil temperatures of 9-10°C in new plantings. Typically 10°C is reached in early to mid-May.

Here are some thoughts on soil temperature in practice:

• Early planting of bare root trees allows them to grow new roots early in the season before the heat of summer discourages further root growth.
• Bench grafts are best planted in nurseries when new root growth will not be impeded. I don't have an exact temperature but we know root growth is occurring by 10°C.
• Applying granular nitrogen fertilizer early in the season from bud break to bloom makes the nitrogen available to these newly developing feeder roots that will fuel the current season's growth. The granular fertilizer will then dissolve in rainfall and move into the root zone by the time it is needed during the high demand period from bloom to the end of shoot growth.
• Samples of root lesion nematodes may be taken in the spring when soil temperatures are consistently 10°C and moist. However, based on local research we determined that spring samples will suggest only if root lesion nematodes are present. Spring samples are misrepresentative of the actual carrying capacity or pressure from root lesion nematodes in orchards, and for this reason fall samples are preferred for pre-plant planning.

Figure 2: Soil temperatures at 35 cm depth at the Kentville Research Station over the last 5 years compared to the 10 year average. Provided by Jeff Franklin (AAFC Plant Physiology).

Bud Development

Apple Buds

An early region on Middle Dyke Road in the Kentville area is monitored to guide this newsletter. Yesterday on April 28, the Idared buds were at half-inch green, Honeycrisp was at green tip and Ambrosia was at green tip (Figure 3). Growth progressed about one full growth stage over the previous week.

Figure 3: Bud development in an early region on Middle Dyke Road in Kentville on April 21. Shown from left to right: Idared, Honeycrisp, Ambrosia.

Pear and Stone Fruit Buds

Yesterday on April 28 at an early region in Greenwich, the pear buds were at bud burst, peach was at quarter-inch green, and European plum was at late bud burst (Figure 4). Orchard Outlook committee members also report that sweet cherry in Kentville is at bud burst.

Figure 4: Bud development in an early region in Greenwich on April 28. Shown from left to right: pear, peach/nectarine, and European plum.

Diseases

Spray Guides

I've had a few questions and I just want clarify where to find the spray guides. Direct links to the printable and online guides are included at the end of every newsletter under the section Pest Management Guide.

Apple – Scab

Table 1: Apple scab infection events in Kentville from April 22 to April 28, based on the Modified Mills Table. 

1 For a high inoculum orchard, a significant number of spores can be released during darkness, so begin calculating leaf wetting regardless of the time of day when the wetting event started. An orchard is considered to have a high inoculum load if last season it had 100 or more scabby leaves observed over 600 shoots.
2 Assuming a green tip date of April 20. Please use this as a guide because microclimates will cause conditions to vary on individual farms.
Note: The environmental conditions for an infection are listed in the Modified Mills Table.

Recommendations:

• I don't want to dwell on the past other than to explain that April 22 was the first wetting after green tissue and if fungicide protection was applied beforehand it was a good approach. Whether an infection occurred depended on regional conditions. If tissue was unprotected, the next best approach was to apply a cover spray shortly after April 22 using a product with post-infection activity just in case.
• These spring rains can be relatively unpredictable and settling into a regular fungicide application interval is a good idea to maintain protection. The weekend rains caused a lot of product wash off and plenty of new tissue will emerge before the next infection event. Reapply a protectant fungicide on a 5-7 day interval, using the shorter interval after wet weather (cumulative 1-2” rain) or rapid tissue growth.
• This week's precipitation forecast is looking similar to last week's prediction with possible showers midweek and prolonged wetting on the weekend. According to the forecast, ascospores are now maturing more quickly at a rate of 1-3% per day and by Friday night about 6.3% of ascospores are expected to be available for release.
• The modified label for manzate has not yet been posted to the PMRA public online database as of this newsletter. However, a modified label has been approved to allow more total applications at half rates.
• Early in the season, there is no need to control powdery mildew so products with activity on powdery mildew can be saved for application at half inch green.
• If you plan to use oil for European Red Mite control, Captan should be avoided within 7-14 days of an oil application.

Apple – Powdery Mildew

Typically, conidia are released around the tight cluster stage. Powdery mildew infections can be expected when conditions are warm (10-25°C), humid and dry. Over the next week, the weather forecast does not look suitable for powdery mildew infection.

Recommendations:

• A program with two pre-bloom and one post-bloom fungicide for control of powdery mildew is needed in high-pressure situations. Fitting in two pre bloom applications might mean applying the first around tight cluster and the second at 10 to 14 days later, before bloom. Avoid application before heavy rain.
• There is no expected resistance to chemical group 3 and 7 products so the products are expected to be effective. There is industry resistance to group 11 products such as Flint so it should not be used for powdery mildew management. 
• The chemical group 3 products Nova/Fullback are very effective. However, do not use them more than two times consecutively to avoid resistance development.
• Migiwa is a new chemical group 52 that may be incorporated into the program to strengthen resistance management. Migiwa also has control of apple scab and it should be used at the high label rate for control and resistance management of powdery mildew. Availability is limited this year.
• Remember to treat young plantings because severe infections can reduce shoot growth, which is most concerning for young, non-bearing orchards.
• Pay particular attention to susceptible and high-value varieties such as Honeycrisp and Gala.

Fire Blight Sanitation

Recommendations:

• The window is narrowing for application of copper to fresh fruit trees and in many cases this week might be the last opportunity. A copper application is recommended when buds are at the green tip stage and no later than 1/4 inch green for fresh market varieties, after which phytotoxicity becomes a problem. Processing varieties where russet is tolerable can be treated later as well as nonbearing trees.
• Apply in a high water volume to cover plant surfaces. In other words, coverage is very important and a concentrate volume applied to every other tree row would not provide enough coverage.
• Copper provides some fungicidal activity on apple scab but does not redistribute in rain so use a mancozeb fungicide as well if possible (considering the possible heavy rain in forecast).
• A fixed copper product such as Copper Spray Fungicide (50% copper oxychloride) is recommended because it is resistant to being washed off bark surfaces by rain.
• For previous users of PomeBlight, I will be sending you a Quickstart video very soon to help you prepare for this season with V2.0.
• Cankers are visible now before they become hidden by this year's foliage. Scout for cankers now.
• If in doubt, take it out! No cankers are helpful and they harbour diseases. Consider completely removing young trees that have cankers.
• When ooze is active beginning around the tight cluster to pink stage, pruning practices should be done on dry and sunny days, especially in high risk blocks. Wounds can take about 2 days to heal. Do not work in trees when they are wet from dew.

Insects

Delayed Dormant Oil - Cautions and Considerations

CAUTIONS: DELAYED DORMANT OIL

• When green tissue is present, do not use dormant oil 48 hours before or after freezing temperature. Oil that is applied before freezing temperatures breaks down and adheres to the plant tissues unevenly instead of the target insects. Also if the oil and water mixture freezes before it dries then the green tissue can be injured.
• For varieties with Delicious parentage (Ambrosia, Gala, Delicious), early applications of oil prior to tight cluster are less likely to result in bark blistering. 
• Oil should NOT be applied to young trees.
• Coverage is important because the oil acts by smothering mite eggs. Consider that greater water volumes are needed for large canopy trees that have not been pruned yet versus trees that have been pruned. 

European Red Mite

A delayed dormant oil is effective at managing European red mite if monitoring indicates a treatable overwintering egg population. 

Recommendations:

• The oil is most effective when applied before egg hatch (typically around tight cluster and before pink) but if practical it may be applied earlier with slightly less effective results.  
• Using oil is a helpful strategy to prevent ERM resistance development to available summer miticides.
• Early season oil is fully compatible with the beneficial predator typhs and will not interfere with biological control of mites.
• European red mite eggs overwinter in the cracks on buds and spurs so high water volume is needed to reach all of the crevices. 
• The oil treatment is not effective for rust mite or two-spotted spider mite.

Weed Management

Studies have shown maintaining weed free strips from bud break to 30-days after full bloom has the greatest impact on tree growth and yield. Timely herbicide application will ensure you make the most of the weed free window.

Recommendations:

This week consider...

• The warm weather suggest it could be a good week for using glyphosate for preplant cleanup and early season cleanup of perennials.
• Broadleaf weeds are alternate hosts for tarnished plant bug so controlling their alternate host can reduce pressure in fruit trees.
• This week may be another good opportunity for applying residuals herbicides prior to upcoming rain.
• Sparse hay mulch 0.5-1 kg/m2 applied after herbicide application has been recommended locally in the past. If it is practical, it does offer moisture conservation, improvements in organic matter, and has been shown to reduce migration of two-spotted spider mite from weedy hosts. Alternatively, mowers that blow the clippings into the tree row also mulch the tree row.

Efficacy of Herbicides:

• Most residual herbicides need about 1/2" of rainfall within 7 to 14 days of application to deliver product to the germination zone and to activate the chemical by putting it in solution. 
• When burndown products are needed, consider that Reglone works in cool and cloudy conditions whereas Ignite requires warm and sunny conditions. Also, applying Ignite when leaves are wet is ineffective.
• Glyphosate and 2,4-D require daytime highs of 10°C-15°C after a night above 3°C to have good activity and weeds must be actively growing.
• Perennial weeds may be targeted in spring when new perennial plants are at the seedling stage. Other timings are spot sprays at the early flowering stage or during fall re-growth after a minor frost. Glyphosate and group 4 products are systemic and work on certain perennial plants.
• If weeds are already present, add a post-emerge to a residual herbicide to achieve control. 

Crop Safety of Common Herbicides:

• In the USA, there are concerns about Ignite causing bark cracking. The specific risks are yet to be defined but just be cautious that Ignite is not sprayed onto or drifts onto young tree bark.
• Chateau should not be applied after budbreak unless application equipment is shielded to prevent crop injury.
• If you are taking out orchard within the next 2-3 years for replanting, avoid applying residual herbicides. The Alion label says to allow at least 12 months from last application to replanting an orchard.
• Note that residual herbicides can damage single tree replacements because the trees are not yet established for longer than 3 years.
• When mixing residual herbicides, agitation is important to keep the product in solution. If the herbicide settles in the tank then it can be delivered in a high concentration and possibly result in crop injury.

Horticulture

General 

• Remove tree guards to prevent trunk diseases.

Treatments for Blind Wood

• In general, scoring and notching is best done from green tip and up until bloom time. The ideal time is at the stage of half-inch green.
• An excellent local on-farm trial done by Walsh Farms was shared during a previous Growing Good Growers tailgate meeting. They tried different treatments of notching, scoring, and growth regulators around May 5, 2024 on young Ambrosia trees. Their results and some of the discussion is referenced here:
• Success ranged from 7% to 25% branch induction. Only buds with shoot extension were counted in the trial so some instances of bud induction might eventually form into shoots and increase the success rate. We will have to follow up!
• In this situation, scoring worked better than notching. Scoring resulted in more branch elongation. The growth regulators did not improve success.
• Most people concluded that the practice of notching and scoring was time consuming, especially during the narrow opportunity in spring. 
• Treating blind wood is likely only worthwhile if the success rate is 20% or higher.

Pruning

• Ensure that youngest blocks are pruned first so growth is directed into desirable leader and terminal extension. Prioritize high value trees and then return to low value areas. 
• Remember that if bud counts are occurring on young trees that the bud count for a full crop load cannot be cropped on young trees. Consider pruning enough buds to prevent runting out trees. 
• Consider prioritizing pruning in fire blight blocks to finish prior to tight cluster when cankers begin oozing. Cut out cankers, whether fire blight or other diseases.
• Pruning may be delayed closer to bloom for vigorous Ambrosia to reduce its vigour.
• Mature blocks can be pruned later and are best when pruned prior to bloom.
• A handout for farm workers 'The Fundamentals of Pruning' is available in English and Spanish.

Fertilizing

• Bud break to bloom is the ideal time for granular fertilizer application to maximize tree growth. 
• If leaf and soil samples show that phosphorus and potassium are adequate there is no need to apply phosphorus and potash. Granular formulations with 0.3 boron are encouraged for sandy soils.
• If Honeycrisp is on the rootstock G.41 then potassium additions are discouraged.
• Target 10-16 inches of new growth each year. More growth is a sign of excessive nitrogen. Keith Fuller and Michelle are working on an updated factsheet for nitrogen fertilizer recommendations to be available next year!

Liming

• Lime soils prior to planting an orchard with rates according to your soil report. Early spring is an option but fall can be a more practical time to apply lime to a new site and lengthen the time for acidity to become neutralized.
• Orchard maintenance with surface applied lime twill take a number of years to adjust pH of the soil profile so it is best to apply annually or biannually where needed. If soil testing for pH, measure during the same time each year (August) as pH can change over the growing season. 
• The provincial limestone trucking assistance program is now open.

Nursery Trees

• Rootstocks that were chip or t-budded last year may have buds pushing. Cutting rootstock tops early can help to prevent the rootstock from overpowering the new buds. Rods may also be put into place early to avoid knocking off buds if done at a later timing.
• Early application of granular fertilizer can minimize the risk of leaf burn. Otherwise, granules can get trapped and sit in new leaf tissue that is close to ground level. 
• If growing your own trees, criticize their quality and don't plan to plant 100% of the trees. Planting small (<4 ft), weak trees will delay production. Trees are typically small for a reason and will continue to be weak trees. Commercial nurseries grade their trees and build in the cost of discarded trees so the same approach is recommended for on-farm nurseries. Tree losses of at least 10% are common.

Planting Trees

• Repair drainage before trees are planted to prevent underlying drainage issues that would influence the planting for the rest of its life.
• Remove old roots and work to get a good soil tilth without sods and clods especially in the top 15 cm of soil.
• The length of the rootstock that is above ground level will influence tree growth. Tree size diminishes as the rootstock portion above ground increases. Trees should be planted so that the graft unions are at a uniform height of 8 to 10 cm above the soil line after stomping into the ground.
• Avoid letting trees dry out. About 40% of trees can die from drying out, and surviving trees grow slowly. Survivors of 15-minute dry winds recover by year 3. Survivors of 45-minute drying winds still don't grow well by year 3.
• Bundles of trees sitting in water awaiting planting can asphyxiate, especially in stagnant water and/or warmish water.
• Remember to document the quality of purchased nursery trees with pictures and notes.
• Wait for a settling rain before applying a residual herbicide to young plantings.

Events and Notices

Provincial Programs Now Open

Department of Agriculture 2025-26 Program guidelines and application forms are now available. Please visit novascotia.ca/programs for more information. The Advancing Clean Technologies for Agriculture Program guidelines and application form will be available at a later date. Please contact Programs or your nearest Regional Office for more information or for assistance in completing your application. Please note: Information that describes a return on investment is considered valuable.

Pest Management Guide

We offer printable PDFs of the guides from our website:

• Apple Pest Management Guide
• Apple Efficacy Guide
• Pear Pest Management Guide
• Stone Fruit Pest Management Guide
• Tree Fruit Weed Management Guide

Online pest guides are also available without login (https://www.perennia.ca/pest-guides/) and with login on your Perennia account (https://www.farmdatatools.perennia.ca/).  Using the online tool you can filter for organic and conventional options, search for key information, and sort based on information of interest. 

This Orchard Outlook has been published with the input of the Orchard Outlook Committee including this week's participants: Suzanne Blatt, Danny Davison, Jeff Franklin, Joan Hebb, Larry Lutz, Colin Hirtle, and Heather Rand.

Edited by Michelle Cortens, Tree Fruit Specialist
Perennia Food and Agriculture Corp.

Orchard Outlook Newsletter Vol. 25, No 2

Today's newsletter announces the appearance of green tissue and focuses on early season disease management including apple scab and copper for fire blight sanitation. We review a full season weed control strategy that was discussed at the most recent Growing Good Growers tailgate meeting. Finally, we review horticultural interests like lingering injury to scaffold limbs from the 2023 polar vortex and review what we know about the practice of initiating branches on blind wood. Thanks to the ongoing commitment of the Orchard Outlook Committee members.

Table of Contents:

Weather

• 2025 Degree Day Accumulations

Bud Development

• Apple Buds
• Pear and Stone Fruit Buds

Diseases

• Apple - Scab
• Fire Blight Sanitation

Insects

• Delayed Dormant Oil - Cautions and Considerations
• European Red Mite

Weed Management

• The Strategy
• Efficacy of Herbicides
• Crop Safety of Common Herbicides

Horticulture

• General
• Lingering Injury from 2023 Polar Vortex?
• Treatments for Blind Wood
• Pruning
• Fertilizing
• Liming
• On-Farm Nursery

Events and Notices

Pest Management Guide

  

Weather

2025 Degree Day Accumulations

The cumulative degree days are slightly ahead of the 5- and 10-year averages (Figure 1). Degree day accumulation was slowed by below-average temperatures in early April but has since accumulated more quickly due to above-average temperatures. 

Figure 1: Heating degree day accumulations for plant (above 5°C) and insect (above 10°C) development from March 1 to April 21 for the past 17 seasons. Provided by Jeff Franklin (AAFC Plant Physiology).

For the following comparisons, please note that early in the season only a few warm events contribute significantly to the accumulated degree days. Trends can change quickly.

• Approximately 9% more plant development heat units compared to the 5-year average, and 29% more compared to the 10-year average.
• Approximately 1% less plant development heat units compared to 2024, and 27% less compared with 2023.
• Approximately 24% more insect development heat units compared to the 5-year average, and 42% more compared to the 10-year average.

Bud Development

Apple Buds

The warmer than forecast conditions meant that the degree day requirement for bud burst was fulfilled on April 21. The date was a close predictor of field observations of green tip this year, when cumulative degree days are close to average. The average date of bud break is April 20 so this year has been close to average.

An early region on Middle Dyke Road in the Kentville area is monitored to guide this newsletter. Yesterday on April 21, the Idared buds were at green tip, Honeycrisp was at scale separation and Ambrosia was at scale separation (Figure 2). Orchard Outlook committee members report that apple varieties in Kentville, Falmouth, and Rockland also range from scale separation to green tip. Growth appears to be about a week behind last year.

Figure 2: Bud development in an early region on Middle Dyke Road in Kentville on April 21. Shown from left to right: Idared, Honeycrisp, Ambrosia.

Pear and Stone Fruit Buds

Yesterday on April 21 at an early region in Greenwich, the pear buds were at scale separation, peach was at calyx green, and European plum was at bud burst (Figure 3). Orchard Outlook committee members also report that sweet cherry in Kentville is at early swollen bud.

Figure 3: Bud development in an early region in Greenwich on April 21. Shown from left to right: pear, peach/nectarine, and European plum.

Diseases

Apple – Scab

For industry monitoring purposes, a green tip date of April 20 will be used for predictions of ascospore maturity this year. An apple scab infection event has not yet been recorded. Rain today at an average temperature of 5°C would need to wet leaves for 26 hrs to cause infection. The environmental conditions for an infection are listed in the Modified Mills Table. 

Recommendations:

• Green tissue should be protected with fungicide prior to the first predicted infection event. In the forecast there is heavy and prolonged rain expected near the end of this week. At relatively warm forecast temperatures averaging 9.5-11.5°C, an infection will occur if green tissue is wet for 12 hrs to 14.5 hrs. An infection event is likely and the next few days are a great opportunity to get that brand new tissue protected ahead of time.
• According to the forecast, ascospores are expected to mature at a rate of 0.4% per day and by Friday about 2.2-3.3% of ascospores are expected to mature and available for release.
• Apply a protectant fungicide to green tissue prior to an infection event and reapply on a 7-day interval, with a shorter interval after wet weather (cumulative 1-2” rain) or rapid tissue growth.
• There is some good news for the registration of Manzate! I have been told that a modified label for Manzate has been approved and published to allow more total applications at half rates. The label is not yet posted on the PMRA public online database but I expect it will be posted soon. This is great news for fungicide resistance management programs!
• Early in the season, there is no need to control powdery mildew so products with activity on powdery mildew can be saved for application at half inch green.
• If you plan to use oil for European Red Mite control, Captan should be avoided within 7-14 days of an oil application.

Fire Blight Sanitation

The goal of copper application is to cover the bark with copper to reduce the population of bacteria on plant surfaces that arise from bacterial ooze around the pink stage. The copper treatment will reduce the initial inoculum and limit the spread of fire blight bacteria to blossoms or wounded tissue on the tree but does not replace the need for blossom blight management. The copper sanitation strategy is most effective in blocks that had fire blight cankers in the previous two seasons. 

Recommendations:

• Please note that leaf tissue injury could occur when copper is used alone or combined with oil when hard frosts/freezing temperatures occur so proper timing is key. The active ingredient in copper products is the copper ion that is fungicidal and bactericidal but at effective rates the copper is also toxic to plant life. 
• A copper application is recommended when buds are at the green tip stage and no later than 1/4 inch green for fresh market varieties, after which phytotoxicity becomes a problem. Processing varieties where russet is tolerable can be treated later as well as nonbearing trees.
• This week may be a good opportunity for applying copper. Copper will provide some fungicidal activity on apple scab but does not redistribute in rain so use a mancozeb fungicide as well if possible (considering the possible heavy rain in forecast).
• A fixed copper product such as Copper Spray Fungicide (50% copper oxychloride) is recommended because it is resistant to being washed off bark surfaces by rain.
• Copper can be applied as a tank mix with 0.5% by volume (5 L in 1000 L) dormant oil to increase adherence. Apply in a high water volume to cover plant surfaces. In other words, coverage is very important and a concentrate volume applied to every other tree row would not provide enough coverage.
• Do not use dormant oil within 14 days of Captan or within 48 hours of freezing temperature. 
• Cankers are visible now before they become hidden by this year's foliage. Scout for cankers now.
• If in doubt, take it out! No cankers are helpful and they harbour diseases. If you need a second opinion, I can take a look. Cankers are especially risky in young orchards because they harbour the bacteria for new blossom infections that give bacteria rapid access to the leader of the tree. Consider completely removing young trees that have cankers.

Insects

Delayed Dormant Oil - Cautions and Considerations

CAUTIONS: DELAYED DORMANT OIL

• When green tissue is present, do not use dormant oil 48 hours before or after freezing temperature. Oil that is applied before freezing temperatures breaks down and adheres to the plant tissues unevenly instead of the target insects. Also if the oil and water mixture freezes before it dries then the green tissue can be injured.
• For varieties with Delicious parentage (Ambrosia, Gala, Delicious), early applications of oil prior to tight cluster are less likely to result in bark blistering. 
• Oil should NOT be applied to young trees.
• Coverage is important because the oil acts by smothering mite eggs. Consider that greater water volumes are needed for large canopy trees that have not been pruned yet versus trees that have been pruned. 

European Red Mite

A delayed dormant oil is effective at managing European red mite if monitoring indicates a treatable overwintering egg population. The oil is most effective when applied around egg hatch (typically around tight cluster and before pink) but if practical it may be applied earlier with slightly less effective results. European red mite eggs overwinter in the cracks on buds and spurs so high water volume is needed to reach all of the crevices. The oil treatment is not effective for rust mite or two-spotted spider mite.

Weed Management

Studies have shown maintaining weed free strips from bud break to 30-days after full bloom has the greatest impact on tree growth and yield. Timely herbicide application will ensure you make the most of the weed free window.

The Strategy

Over time I hope to contribute more information about the opportunities for different herbicide options.  As you know, there are many factors and complicating layers of pre- or post-emergence activity, planting age, target weeds and ideal timing. We had a great group discussion last week at the Growing Good Growers tailgate meeting with guest Sonny Murray about the overall strategy.

The group consensus was that there is a need for 3-4 herbicide treatments per season. To get out of the cycle of trying to manage large weeds with post-emergent herbicides, think about pre-emergent/residual herbicides as filling windows of time. Most residual products will give about 6 weeks of weed control. Use residual herbicides through periods of high weed germination like in spring. Post-emergent herbicides help with clean up when weeds are small. The risk of crop damage by using burndown products is minimized by practicing prevention and keeping weeds small.

Recommendations:

Young Trees (1-2 yrs):

• PREPLANT: Treat tough perennials preplant with glyphosate.
• TREATMENT 1: After planting trees, allow the soil to settle in a rain and then apply a registered residual herbicide ahead of the next notable rain. Sinbar has shown good efficacy or Chateau (broadleaf) + Prowl H2O (grass). 
• TREATMENT 2: At 6-8 weeks later, apply another residual treatment before rain. The remaining options for residual control are simazine products (broadleaf) and Dual II Magnum (grass). Use burndown if needed.
• TREATMENT 3: At preharvest, use burndown products Reglone or Ignite. In new plantings, there is an opportunity to try Basagran.

Established trees (>3 yrs):

One approach is to respond to weed growth and continual clean up with glyphosate and 2,4-D.

An alternative approach is to prevent weed growth with residual herbicides:

• TREATMENT 1: Apply a residual herbicide before rain with a burndown like glyphosate to target some tough perennials.
• TREATMENT 2: At 6-8 weeks later, use a residual herbicide before rain with a burndown like Ignite. 
• TREATMENT 3: At preharvest, consider a burndown like Reglone + adjuvant.
• TREATMENT 4 (?): Perform a dormant fall cleanup of perennials in late November or December if needed. Take caution for tree health and contact Michelle if you have questions about fall cleanup.

Efficacy of Herbicides:

• Most residual herbicides need about 1/2" of rainfall within 7 to 14 days of application to deliver product to the germination zone and to activate the chemical by putting it in solution. 
• When burndown products are needed, consider that Reglone works in cool and cloudy conditions whereas Ignite requires warm and sunny conditions. Also, applying Ignite when leaves are wet is ineffective.
• Glyphosate and 2,4-D require daytime highs of 10°C-15°C after a night above 3°C to have good activity and weeds must be actively growing.
• Perennial weeds may be targeted in spring when new perennial plants are at the seedling stage. Other timings are spot sprays at the early flowering stage or during fall re-growth after a minor frost. Glyphosate and group 4 products are systemic and work on certain perennial plants.
• If weeds are already present, add a post-emerge to a residual herbicide to achieve control. 

Crop Safety of Common Herbicides:

• In the USA, there are concerns about Ignite causing bark cracking. The specific risks are yet to be defined but just be cautious that Ignite is not sprayed onto or drifts onto young tree bark.
• Chateau should not be applied after budbreak unless application equipment is shielded to prevent crop injury.
• If you are taking out orchard within the next 2-3 years for replanting, avoid applying residual herbicides. The Alion label says to allow at least 12 months from last application to replanting an orchard.
• Note that residual herbicides can damage single tree replacements because the trees are not yet established for longer than 3 years.
• When mixing residual herbicides, agitation is important to keep the product in solution. If the herbicide settles in the tank then it can be delivered in a high concentration and possibly result in crop injury.

Horticulture

General 

• Remove tree guards to prevent trunk diseases.

Lingering Injury from 2023 Polar Vortex?

• We may continue to observe the impact of the polar vortex on trees. It can take several years for all trees injured by a winter cold snap to succumb to their injuries.
• Some trees might have experienced sublethal injury during the 2023 cold snap that did not command our attention. In such cases, some trees might have been able to heal vascular tissue. In other cases, wood rotting fungi that live in the trees might have taken advantage of a weakened tree and expanded the area of injury and the size of the canker. 
• This spring it was noticed that a block of Honeycrisp on MM106 had dead tissue around crotches on scaffold limbs. In this situation, there was no disease concern and the field pattern suggested a widespread weather event.
• Looking closely, the cankers (dead tissue) were on the crotches and lower scaffolds which are the last to harden off in winter. The scaffold limbs are especially susceptible to low temperature killing when they are closely arranged, effectively exhausting the area of resources. 
• Previous winter injury in Nova Scotia in 1980-81 damaged lower scaffold limbs and the crotches of the main scaffolds.

Figure 4: Suspected injury as a result of extremely cold temperatures in February 2023 on Honeycrisp MM106. The cankers are concentrated around crotches on lower scaffold limbs where winter protection is weakest. It is likely that wood rot fungi have expanded the area of injury.

Treatments for Blind Wood

• In general, scoring and notching is best done from green tip and up until bloom time. The ideal time is at the stage of half-inch green.
• An excellent local on-farm trial done by Walsh Farms was shared during a previous Growing Good Growers tailgate meeting. They tried different treatments of notching, scoring, and growth regulators around May 5, 2024 on young Ambrosia trees. Their results and some of the discussion is referenced here:
• Success ranged from 7% to 25% branch induction. Only buds with shoot extension were counted in the trial so some instances of bud induction might eventually form into shoots and increase the success rate. We will have to follow up!
• In this situation, scoring worked better than notching. Scoring resulted in more branch elongation (Figure 5). The growth regulators did not improve success.
• Most people concluded that the practice of notching and scoring was time consuming, especially during the narrow opportunity in spring. 
• Treating blind wood is likely only worthwhile if the success rate is 20% or higher.

Figure 5: Scoring trees above a paradormant bud removes the cambium and disrupts the flow of auxin. Doing so allows the buds to break dormancy. Note the top bud initiated by scoring and the bottom shoot initiated by scoring. Photo by Courtney Walsh, Walsh Farms.

• The plant growth regulators work in cooler temperatures but warm temperatures at the time of application increase the response. For more information, see an article by MSU Extension.
• Please note that the success rate of inducing a branch depends on the age of the planting. Applying a mist of plant growth regulators to the notched area can increase the success rate, namely for older plantings of up to 7 years of age.

Pruning

• Watch re-entry intervals for pruning activities when fungicide programs begin.
• Ensure that youngest blocks are pruned first so growth is directed into desirable leader and terminal extension. Prioritize high value trees and then return to low value areas. 
• Remember that if bud counts are occurring on young trees that the bud count for a full crop load cannot be cropped on young trees. Consider pruning enough buds to prevent runting out trees. 
• Consider prioritizing pruning in fire blight blocks to finish prior to tight cluster when cankers begin oozing. Cut out cankers, whether fire blight or other diseases.
• Pruning may be delayed closer to bloom for vigorous Ambrosia to reduce its vigour.
• Mature blocks can be pruned later and are best when pruned prior to bloom.
• A handout for farm workers 'The Fundamentals of Pruning' is available in English and Spanish.

Fertilizing

• Bud break to bloom is the ideal time for granular fertilizer application to maximize tree growth. 
• If leaf and soil samples show that phosphorus and potassium are adequate there is no need to apply phosphorus and potash. Granular formulations with 0.3 boron are encouraged for sandy soils.
• If Honeycrisp is on the rootstock G.41 then potassium additions are discouraged.
• Target 10-16 inches of new growth each year. More growth is a sign of excessive nitrogen. Keith Fuller and Michelle are working on an updated factsheet for nitrogen fertilizer recommendations to be available next year!

Liming

• Lime soils prior to planting an orchard with rates according to your soil report. Early spring is an option but fall can be a more practical time to apply lime to a new site and lengthen the time for acidity to become neutralized.
• Orchard maintenance with surface applied lime twill take a number of years to adjust pH of the soil profile so it is best to apply annually or biannually where needed. If soil testing for pH, measure during the same time each year (August) as pH can change over the growing season. 
• The provincial limestone trucking assistance program will be open soon. A summary of the programs was released last week but they are not yet open for application. When the program opens, early applications will be considered first in line for available funds.

On-Farm Nursery

• Consider colour coding varieties in the nursery for easy reference. Write the colour code somewhere and use the same code every year.
• If planting bench grafts, outside expertise has advised that it is best to wait for the soil temperature to be warm enough for bench grafts to grow. It is better to wait for warm soil than to let the grafts sit. Currently, the soil temperature at 35 cm depth is near average at about 6°C. Also, keep in mind that the new callus is susceptible to damage from freezing temperatures.
• Rootstocks that were chip or t-budded last year may have buds pushing. Cutting rootstock tops early can help to prevent the rootstock from overpowering the new buds. Rods may also be put into place early to avoid knocking off buds if done at a later timing.
• Early application of granular fertilizer can minimize the risk of leaf burn. Otherwise, granules can get trapped and sit in new leaf tissue that is close to ground level. 

Events and Notices

Nothing that I'm currently aware of!

Pest Management Guide

We offer printable PDFs of the guides from our website:

• Apple Pest Management Guide
• Apple Efficacy Guide
• Pear Pest Management Guide
• Stone Fruit Pest Management Guide
• Tree Fruit Weed Management Guide

Online pest guides are also available without login (https://www.perennia.ca/pest-guides/) and with login on your Perennia account (https://www.farmdatatools.perennia.ca/).  Using the online tool you can filter for organic and conventional options, search for key information, and sort based on information of interest. 

This Orchard Outlook has been published with the input of the Orchard Outlook Committee including this week's participants: Larry Lutz, Jeff Franklin, Ian Willick, Ariana Willick, Suzanne Blatt, Harrison Wright, Danny Davison, Colin Hirtle, Joan Hebb, Kari Brown, Heather Rand, and Shawkat Ali.

Edited by Michelle Cortens, Tree Fruit Specialist
Perennia Food and Agriculture Corp.

Orchard Outlook Newsletter Vol. 25, No 1

  

First Newsletter of 2025!

The Orchard Outlook newsletter will now be published every Tuesday on a regular weekly schedule during the main management season. In this first newsletter we review winter weather to find that in general the temperatures were reasonable. We discuss green tip predictions, and prepare for early season diseases and insects. To help with herbicide programs, the weed management options for different planting ages are listed but will be discussed in more detail at an upcoming tailgate meeting on April 17.

Familiar faces gathered this morning for the first meeting of the Orchard Outlook Committee that informs this newsletter. Please give a warm welcome to our volunteer contributors:

• AAFC - Jeff Franklin, Harrison Wright, Ian Willick, and Suzanne Blatt
• Lutz Family Farm - Larry Lutz
• Scotian Gold - Danny Davison and Ariana Willick
• NSDA - Colin Hirtle
• There are even more committee members and our weekly contributors will be listed at the end of each newsletter to recognize their contribution to industry.

Table of Contents:

Weather

• Winter Weather Review
• 2025 Degree Day Accumulations
• Cumulative Precipitation

Bud Development

• Green Tip Prediction
• Bud Observations

Diseases

• Apple - Scab
• Stone Fruit - Black Knot
• Stone Fruit - Peach Leaf Curl

Insects

• Delayed Dormant Oil - Cautions and Considerations
• Scale Insects

Weed Management

• Post-emergence Herbicides
• Pre-emergence Residual Herbicides

Horticulture

• General
• Pruning
• Fertilizing
• Liming

Events and Notices

• Growing Good Growers Tailgate Meeting - April 17

Pest Management Guide

  

Weather

Winter Weather Review

The Environment Canada weather station in Kentville is used for comparison because historical data is available. The average monthly temperatures in Kentville for this past season are shown in red in Figure 1. The average monthly temperatures in January and February were colder than the 5- and 10-year averages. However, in March the story reversed and the average monthly temperature was warmer than historically. 

Figure 1: Average monthly temperatures from December through March for the past three winters, and for 5- and 10-year averages at Kentville AAFC.

The extreme minimum monthly temperatures were similar to the 5- and 10-year averages in December, January, and February as shown in Figure 2. By March, the minimum temperatures were less extremely cold than what has been typical. Through winter, temperatures recorded by the Kentville Environment Canada station did not reach below -20°C. 

However, the on-farm Davis weather stations are more representative of Valley microclimates and they did record cold temperatures during an inversion event on February 10. The Melvern Square station recorded -22.3°C. If minor damage (10%) is observed in peach buds then it can be explained by this event. Having said that, damage is unlikely because the winter was consistently cold and plant hardiness should have been acceptable. Peach buds should be able to tolerate temperatures down to -23°C.

Figure 2: Extreme minimum monthly temperatures from December through March for the past three winters, and for 5- and 10-year averages at Kentville AAFC.

2025 Degree Day Accumulations

The degree day accumulations beginning on March 1 are currently ahead of the 5- and 10-year averages (Figure 3). This lead is largely attributable to warm temperatures that were observed in March. Since April, temperatures have been below average which has held back degree day accumulation relative to other years. Compared with last year, bud break is arriving later.

Figure 3: Heating degree day accumulations for plant (above 5°C) and insect (above 10°C) development from March 1 to April 14 for the past 17 seasons. Provided by Jeff Franklin (AAFC Plant Physiology).

For the following comparisons, please note that early in the season only a few warm events contribute significantly to the accumulated degree days. Trends can change quickly.

• Approximately 6% more plant development heat units compared to the 5-year average, and 27% more compared to the 10-year average.
• Approximately 3% less plant development heat units compared to 2024, and 63% more compared with 2023.
• Approximately 33% more insect development heat units compared to the 5-year average, and 58% more compared to the 10-year average.

Cumulative Precipitation

So far in 2025, the early season precipitation totals are slightly below average. 

Table 1: Monthly precipitation totals in 2025 compared with the 25-year average. Provided by Jeff Franklin (AAFC).

Bud Development

Green Tip Prediction

Over the last 15 years, the first green tip date of apple recorded in Orchard Outlook has ranged anywhere from April 6 (2010) to May 6 (2015). The average green tip date is April 20. In recent years, Jeff Franklin has helped to estimate green tip dates based on degree day accumulation. This year the prediction based on the weather forecast is for early varieties to reach bud break on April 23 in Kentville. The date may be sooner if warmer-than-forecast weather is observed.

Bud Observations

Yesterday on April 14, I checked the bud stage of several different fruit trees in the Greenwich area. The Honeycrisp buds were at silver tip, peach/nectarine were at late swollen bud, pear was dormant, and European plum was dormant (Figure 4).

Figure 4: Bud development in an early region in Greenwich on April 14. Shown from left to right: Honeycrisp, peach/nectarine, pear, and European plum.

Diseases

Apple – Scab

Beginning at green tip, apple tissues are susceptible to infection from the fungus that causes apple scab, Venturia inaequalis. The environmental conditions for an infection are listed in the Modified Mills Table. Primary infections are caused by ascospores present in the leaf litter and infections develop on spur leaves, terminal shoots, and young fruitlets. Ascospore maturity is aligned with bud development so that mature spores are ready to be released when buds show green tissue. If not controlled, primary infections will create spores that generate secondary infections for the rest of the season. The best approach to fruit protection is to control primary scab.

Recommendations:

• Apple scab spores are mature but if bud development is not yet at the green tip stage, it is not at risk of apple scab infection.
• Monitor for green tissue on early varieties that signals the need to apply a protectant fungicide prior to the first infection event. Protection will then need to be reapplied on a 7-day interval, with a shorter interval after wet weather (cumulative 1-2” rain) or rapid tissue growth. 
• Remember that mancozeb products (manzate, penncozeb) may be applied only 4 times/ha/year, the re-treatment interval is 7 days, the REI for hand thinning is 35 days (12 hrs for all other activities), and the PHI is 77 days.
• If you plan to use oil for European Red Mite control, Captan should be avoided within 7-14 days of an oil application.

Stone Fruit – Black Knot

Recommendations:

• Prune limbs 15 cm beyond the knot and destroy knots (burn or flail mow). 
• Complete knot removal before the new shoots that develop in late bloom are exposed to new infection risk.

Stone Fruit – Peach Leaf Curl

Apart from a spring protectant fungicide I don't have new recommendations to offer here. However, there is some new information and work underway that I learned at OFVC this past winter that might be of interest. Although not actionable right now, it might come into play in future management approaches. 

• Work in Ontario shows that the foliage is susceptible to peach leaf curl infections for up to 40 days after bud break, not just at bud break. 
• A guest speaker from Italy, Irene Salotti, described the occurrence of peach leaf curl infections. Early infections (green tip to petal fall) are severe and are responsible for causing complete defoliation. Middle infections (6th to 12th leaf) cause symptoms of leaf margins and can cause partial deformation. Late infections (after 12th leaf) cause leaf margins to become moderately deformed in small sections. Fruit infections can occur during petal fall to 3-4 weeks later when there is a heavy rain event (>15 mm) and temperatures below 18°C. The onset of symptoms is about 10-30 days after infection.
• A protectant fungicide applied before bud break may provide adequate protection during a dry spring but it is possible to observe more infections in an unusually wet year if the protectant is washed off before the infection period is complete.
• High volume sprays of 1000 L/ha work the best for protectant fungicide. 
• There is some ongoing research work in Ontario that appears promising for fungicides with activity on peach leaf curl. Stay tuned!

Insects

Delayed Dormant Oil - Cautions and Considerations

As delayed dormant oil season approaches, consider the following.

CAUTIONS: DELAYED DORMANT OIL:

• When green tissue is present, do not use dormant oil 48 hours before or after freezing temperature. Oil that is applied before freezing temperatures breaks down and adheres to the plant tissues unevenly instead of the target insects. Also if the oil and water mixture freezes before it dries then the green tissue can be injured.
• For varieties with Delicious parentage (Ambrosia, Gala, Delicious), early applications of oil prior to tight cluster are less likely to result in bark blistering. 
• Oil should NOT be applied to young trees.

Other Important Considerations:

• Consider the greater water volumes needed for large canopy trees that have not been pruned yet versus trees that have been pruned. 
• At OFVC this past winter there was an interesting presentation by Brett Blaauw about using horticultural oils on stone fruit trees before and after pruning for control of scale insects. In the stone fruit example, a water volume of 1,870 L/ha was required pre-pruning for adequate coverage of the extra limbs and control of scale. On pruned trees the water volume of 935 L/ha was adequate. This example is not directly applicable to apple but suggests the importance of using oil with water volumes that provide thorough coverage of the bark that is appropriate for the orchard situation.

Scale Insects

The best time to target scale is ideally just before the tree breaks dormancy or with a delayed dormant spray of oil by green tip. Scale cannot develop resistance to the smothering action of the dormant oil so the oil can help to slow resistance to insecticides. Also, the spring oil application is more effective than insecticides at reducing the overall scale population. After green tip, the scale insects start building their waxy coating so the oil does not affect them after they have built their defences.

• The timing for targeting scale is not similarly effective for mites. The timing for mites is geared toward egg hatch after bud break and closer to tight cluster. Target your oil application for the more important pest issue.

Weed Management

Studies have shown maintaining weed free strips from bud break to 30-days after full bloom has the greatest impact on tree growth and yield. Timely herbicide application will ensure you make the most of the weed free window.

Join us at the Growing Good Growers meeting on April 17 for a group discussion! See the events section below for details. I will have a handout with herbicide summaries available.

To get out of the cycle of trying to manage large weeds with post-emergent herbicides, think about pre-emergent/residual herbicides as filling windows of time. Most residual products will give about 4-6 weeks of weed control. Use residual herbicides through periods of high weed germination like in spring. Post-emergent herbicides help with clean up when weeds are small.

Recommendations:

Post-Emergence Herbicides 

• Weeds emerging after treatment are not controlled (not residual).
• Treat early at the 3-6 leaf stage for optimum weed control. Young leaves have a less well-developed cuticle and absorb more. The risk of crop damage is also minimized.
• Options according to tree age:
• Preplant: 
• It is very valuable to use glyphosate to clean up tough perennials before planting. Weeds need to be actively growing and the glyphosate should be applied at least 3 days before tillage when temperatures are at least 10°C day/3°C night.
• Planting year: 
• Largely Reglone for grasses, Venture for grass, Lontrel for spot spraying listed perennials, Basagran for broadleaf
• Established >1yr: 
• Similar to planting year plus Ignite for broadleaf and grass
• Mature >3 yr: 
• Similar to young tree options plus 2,4-D and glyphosate
• Post emergence herbicides are best applied on warm and sunny days. Glyphosate and 2,4-D require daytime highs of 10°C-15°C after a night above 3°C to have good activity.
• Applying Ignite when leaves are wet is relatively ineffective.
• In the USA, there are concerns about Ignite causing bark cracking. The specific risks are yet to be defined but just be cautious that Ignite is not sprayed onto or drifts onto young tree bark.
• Perennial weeds may be targeted in spring when new perennial plants are at the seedling stage. Other timings are spot sprays at the early flowering stage or during fall re-growth after a minor frost. Glyphosate and group 4 products are systemic and work on certain perennial plants.

Pre-emergence Residual Herbicides

• Most residual herbicides need about 1/2" of rainfall within 7 to 14 days of application to deliver product to the germination zone and to activate the chemical by putting it in solution. 
• Residual herbicides offer a much longer weed control period than post-emergent products. Residual herbicides kill viable weed seeds and then the undisturbed soil surface will be weed-free even after the chemical degrades. 
• Options according to tree age:
• Planting year: 
• Chateau for broadleaf + Prowl H2O for added grass control
• Simazine products for broadleaf and some grasses
• Sinbar for broadleaf and some grasses.
• Established >1yr: 
• Similar to planting year plus additional broadleaf options Authority and Sandea. 
• Dual II Magnum offers some grass control.
• Mature >3 yr: 
• Similar to young tree options plus products Alion and metribuzin (Sencor) with broadleaf and grass activity. Alion is preferably applied in the fall as it requires a lot of water to become activated.
• Chateau should not be applied after budbreak unless application equipment is shielded to prevent crop injury.
• If you are taking out orchard within the next 2-3 years for replanting, avoid applying residual herbicides. The Alion label says to allow at least 12 months from last application to replanting an orchard.
• Note that residual herbicides can damage single tree replacements because the trees are not yet established for longer than 3 years.
• When mixing residual herbicides, agitation is important to keep the product in solution. If the herbicide settles in the tank then it can be delivered in a high concentration and possibly result in crop injury.
• If weeds are already present, add a post-emerge to a residual herbicide to achieve control. 

Horticulture

General 

• Keep ahead of brush because the spraying season will begin soon.
• Remove tree guards to prevent trunk diseases.
• If digging nursery trees, be mindful of the soil moisture. Digging trees too early in wet soil can lead to root damage and soil clumps brought into storage. Trees should be dug before vegetative buds start to push (which happens after established trees have pushed flower buds).

Pruning

• Plan ahead and watch re-entry intervals for pruning activities when fungicide programs begin.
• Ensure that youngest blocks are pruned first so growth is directed into desirable leader and terminal extension. Prioritize high value trees and then return to low value areas. 
• Consider prioritizing pruning in fire blight blocks to finish prior to tight cluster when cankers begin oozing. Cut out cankers, whether fire blight or other diseases.
• Pruning may be delayed closer to bloom for vigorous Ambrosia to reduce its vigour.
• Mature blocks can be pruned later and are best when pruned prior to bloom.
• A handout for farm workers 'The Fundamentals of Pruning' is available in English and Spanish.

Fertilizing

• Bud break to bloom is the ideal time for granular fertilizer application to maximize tree growth. 
• If leaf and soil samples show that phosphorus and potassium are adequate there is no need to apply phosphorus and potash. Granular formulations with 0.3 boron are encouraged for sandy soils.
• If Honeycrisp is on the rootstock G.41 then potassium additions are discouraged.
• Target 10-16 inches of new growth each year. More growth is a sign of excessive nitrogen.

Liming

• Lime soils prior to planting an orchard with rates according to your soil report. Early spring is an option but fall can be a more practical time to apply lime to a new site and lengthen the time for acidity to become neutralized.
• Orchard maintenance with surface applied lime twill take a number of years to adjust pH of the soil profile so it is best to apply annually or biannually where needed. If soil testing for pH, measure during the same time each year (August) as pH can change over the growing season. 
• The provincial limestone trucking assistance program will be open soon. A summary of the programs was released last week but they are not yet open for application. When the program opens, early applications will be considered first in line for available funds.

Events and Notices

Growing Good Growers Tailgate Meeting - April 17

We hope that you can join us for the next Growing Good Growers tailgate session hosted by NSFGA and Perennia. These pop-up sessions are meant to offer the space to discuss questions during the season and will offer learning opportunities from one another.

The Growing Good Growers tailgate session will be held at Eisses Farm on Thursday, April 17 @ 11am. The topic is weed management including some weed identification and discussion about pre-emergence and post-emergence herbicides. For this session we will be joined by Sonny Murray with Perennia. Please bring your thoughts and experiences on weed management including herbicide programs and weeds of concern. What works and what doesn’t? How are the economics and labour requirements for applications? Let’s continue the conversation from last year!

Please meet us in the orchard across from the house at 1190 Thorpe Road, Northville, NS. There is no need to RVSP, and we encourage you to bring your own coffee and snacks.

Pest Management Guide

We offer printable PDFs of the guides from our website:

• Apple Pest Management Guide
• Apple Efficacy Guide
• Pear Pest Management Guide
• Stone Fruit Pest Management Guide
• Tree Fruit Weed Management Guide

Online pest guides are also available without login (https://www.perennia.ca/pest-guides/) and with login on your Perennia account (https://www.farmdatatools.perennia.ca/).  Using the online tool you can filter for organic and conventional options, search for key information, and sort based on information of interest. 

Edited by Michelle Cortens, Tree Fruit Specialist

Perennia Food and Agriculture Corp.