On-Farm Water Management Program - Now Open

Friday, August 22, 2025

Applications are now open for the On-Farm Water Management Program that was announced earlier this week.

You can find the program guidelines and application form at https://novascotia.ca/programs/on-farm-water-management/

All applications must be received by September 12th, 2025 and the claim deadline is November 30th, 2025. Please reach out to your local Agriculture Representative if you have any questions.

Orchard Outlook Newsletter Vol. 25, No 14 & Honeycrisp Fruit Maturity

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Today's newsletter has a preharvest focus with information on late season diseases, insects, and practices influencing fruit quality. This newsletter also includes the first Honeycrisp fruit maturity report of the season, including some comparisons to measurements taken at this same time last year. If you have unused labour resources, consider removing the smallest fruit that will not reach minimum size and leave the resources for the best fruit and tree health where it looks like it will make a difference. Continue hand thinning where crop loads are too high.

Late Season Diseases

Preharvest Management of Apple Storage Rots and Fungi

A well-timed preharvest chemical control can go a long way to prevent storage rots. Pinpoint scab, black rot, flyspeck, sooty blotch and brooks spot are preharvest issues that infect fruit in the orchard. Fungal spores that land on unprotected fruit can germinate and show up as infections in storage. Preharvest fungicide is your only protection going into storage.

Recommendations:

The group 7 & 11 products Pristine and Merivon can be applied up to 5 days before harvest (and preferably within 2 weeks). They are labelled for the control of scab, black rot, flyspeck, and sooty blotch. The short PHI and good activity are especially helpful for protecting apples being placed in long-term storage.
Don't put away the sprayer too early! Late varieties benefit from a preharvest spray too. Growers who stop their fungicide program early see early symptoms of diseases in storage.
However, be very aware of fungicide preharvest intervals. This year may be an early harvest season so plan for an early harvest when considering chemical PHIs.
Of course, avoid bruising or wounding to prevent infections of blue and gray moulds. Take the time to educate staff on the proper way to handle fruit.

Insects

Apple Maggot

Clean maggot traps 7 to 10 days after treating a block for maggot and monitor for new trap captures. Retreat if new maggot flies are caught. Flies emerge over a period of time so for satisfactory maggot control, monitor the presence of apple maggot flies to inform treatment programs. Remember, a single female can lay hundreds of eggs so do not stop treatment prematurely.
Re-treatment is required after 10-14 days or cumulative rainfall of 12.5-25 mm (0.5-1 inch). Danitol and products registered for suppression are expected to have a relatively shorter field residual life of 7-10 days. Insecticide residue should be maintained through to the end of August.
Apple maggot flies are weak flyers so a border/perimeter spray of Imidan near known hotspots may be an approach to help kill adult flies from the source. (Being cognizant of the 22-day PHI and REI restrictions).
In organic orchards, Surround can be used to deter egg laying and GF 120 fruit fly bait can be used for suppression of adult flies.
Apple maggots pupate in the soil and may not emerge until up to four years later. Therefore, several years of diligent management are required to reduce the resident insect population.

Horticulture

Defoliation from Necrotic Leaf Blotch?

Earlier this season in newsletter #12, I mentioned widespread leaf spotting on Ambrosia that led to leaf drop in severe cases. AAFC is working with leaf samples to explore if the symptoms are disease-related. However, my ongoing theory has been necrotic leaf blotch - a weather related disorder. We had the weather earlier this summer that fits the description for necrotic leaf blotch being, ‘a cool, rainy period for 4-5 days that proceeds several hot, sunny days’. This weather is thought to trigger a hormonal imbalance in susceptible varieties.

I mention this now because I wonder if some of the defoliation we are observing is from necrotic leaf blotch. Necrotic leaf blotch shows up in only ‘Golden Delicious and its strains and seedlings’. Defoliation during the drought has been severe in some cases on Ambrosia, Gala, and Red Prince which all have Golden Delicious parentage. Some of these cases of defoliation seem to happen where leaves are not even wilting yet.

The blotches form rapidly in a day or two on the oldest leaves and then defoliation of affected leaves happens within 4-7 days. Most of the affected leaves turn yellow before falling off. This disorder tends to show up in two to four distinct 'waves' during the growing season typically midseason to late season. Severity varies quite a bit between orchards and growing seasons. Necrotic leaf blotch can cause up to 75% defoliation.

All of this to say... that I hope some cases of defoliation are a hormonal imbalance rather than a representation of tree health. The disorder is not well understood but it is influenced by air temperature, light intensity, and soil moisture.

Tree Health

This is a reminder that any activities to protect trees from the wind are valuable at this time of the year as trees are carrying the extra weight of fruit.
Check the height of the graft union above the soil line. If frost heaving has occurred it is recommended that you hill soil to cover exposed roots and an overexposed rootstock shank. An overexposed rootstock shank may be more susceptible to winter injury during fluctuating warm winter temperatures. Exposed roots are susceptible to herbicide sprays.
Top dressing with nutrients is not recommended after the end of June. Late release will prevent trees from hardening off before the winter.
Around July the trees are storing reserves in the roots for next year’s growth. When they are storing reserves, late glyphosate applications can be damaging if taken up by root suckers and transported to the root system. Avoid the risk by avoiding glyphosate applications after the end of June.
Remove root suckers. Suckers compete with the main tree for water and nutrients. They harbour pests, and they are an entry point for fire blight. Pull or break off suckers because otherwise cutting them would let them rebound.

On-Farm Nursery

It is highly recommended that you water your nursery before and after budding to encourage callus formation and a healthy union.
Find a source of budwood that does not have a history of fire blight strikes. Trees that have shown signs of fire blight strikes or that are situated near fire blight infections should be eliminated as a source of budwood. Cut budwood fresh every morning if possible.
Occasionally sanitize all tools used for budwood collection, storage, and budding by washing in detergent and water and disinfecting with sodium hypochlorite bleach. During bud wood collection and budding, frequently spray hand tools with fresh sodium hypochlorite bleach solution.

The general recommendation is one part bleach to ten parts of water.
If bleach is too tough on tools, Lysol and Pinesol at one part product to ten parts of water are good alternatives.
Do NOT use rubbing alcohol because even at 70% to 99% concentration it allows bacteria to survive (California Agriculture 1991).

Honeycrisp Fruit Maturity Report

Important Note - The following information is for general industry purposes only. Growers are encouraged to use their own discretion to harvest trees that are exhibiting delayed colour development or exhibiting maturity indices that disagree with what is being reported here. Values were measured on an average of fruit that were representative of the block's crop load and tree vigour. Fruit representative of size and colour were taken from all sides but not from the interior of the canopy where maturity is expected to be delayed and is most likely targeted for a second pick timing.

Similar to last year, Perennia will give short weekly updates as indicators of Honeycrisp and Ambrosia maturity.
Like last year, I started sampling Honeycrisp very early to track the rate of change leading up to harvest. I'll share some preliminary information at this time.
I will be away next week, so reports will resume on the week of Sept 2.

Summarized notes based on my first samples of the season in Lakeville, Rockland, and North Medford:

As is typical for this time of year, the starch has not yet started to convert to sugars.
The DA value at most sites ranges from 1.3 to 1.5 on moderate crop loads. So far, these readings are at a value indicating they are less mature than they were at this same time last year. (But weather conditions might influence the accuracy of DA values).

For Honeycrisp, values above 0.60 are immature, values 0.6 to 0.36 are ideal for long term storage, and values below 0.35 are best for short term storage because they are more prone to storage disorders.
Typically the DA value changes at a rate of -0.1 units per week.

Red blush colour is not developing as early as it did last year. However, there has been a notable gain in red colour over the last few days during the cool weather.
Soluble solids that represent sugar content are higher than this same time last year. The sugars vary with crop load but all sites have a measurably higher sugar content, likely related to the dry weather.
Low crop loads mature faster than high crop loads. A low crop load had a DA reading of 1.0.
Fruit on trees with the least drought stress weighed 141 g and measured 69 mm (2.7") in diameter. Fruit on trees with drought stress weighed 102 g and measured 62 mm (2.4") in diameter.

Harvest Fruit Quality

Revisit Crop Load and Hand Thinning

If you have unused labour resources, consider additional thinning on healthy trees where fruit size appears small.

Remove the smallest fruit that you know will not reach minimum size anyway. Leave the rest of the resources for the best fruit.
Revisit trees to remove fruit where it has become clear that the first round of hand thinning was not enough. Reduce those high crop loads to reduce pressure for resource supply.
Even if there are no benefits to fruit size, at the very least it will help to promote tree health.

Research shows that tree water stress is influenced by crop load. I continue to observe that trees carrying less crop load this year appear less water stressed.

Bitter Pit and Calcium

Bitter pit can occur during a dry year because calcium uptake from the roots is reduced. Bitter pit is also known to occur during a wet year when other nutrients compete with calcium and when vigorous shoots compete with fruit for calcium. Foliar calcium applications during this dry year are a very good idea to supply calcium directly to the fruit skin to be absorbed.
The recommended rate is 4.5 to 15.5 kg elemental calcium per ha (4 to 14 lbs of elemental calcium per acre) over an entire season spread over six to eight cover sprays. Keep it up!

Preharvest Management Strategies - ReTain and Harvista

I'm currently exploring any concerns with using ReTain and Harvista on drought stressed trees and fruit. I'll follow up if I find answers. However, if you rely on harvest management tools to manage labour resources then they are likely needed regardless to successfully harvest your crop.

It probably goes without saying, but if trees are wilting and defoliating then ReTain and Harvista will not provide any benefits to those fruit.
For local rates and timing, visit our resource on ReTain and Harvista for Gala and Honeycrisp.

Harvista blocks ethylene action in fruit, even after ethylene has been produced by fruit so it can be applied within a few days of harvest. ReTain requires a timely application to fruit before ethylene production escalates so it is applied several weeks prior to anticipated harvest.
This is not the year to experiment with using ReTain and Harvista if you have not used them previously. The results will likely be variable.
These products are not expected to prevent the structural stem damage that is associated with broken stem windfalls due to high winds.

Summer Pruning and Hedging

An article by Cornell states that summer pruning or hedging can reduce leaf area during drought. Removing young, exposed leaves can reduce transpiration and reduce water stress. Summer pruning is unlikely to improve fruit growth but may help with tree water status. However, I suspect that the summer pruning strategy is only helpful in trees that are not yet wilting. Pruning forces the trees to expend energy to mend wounds and that can be an additional stress to an already stressed tree.
Summer pruning should involve making the pruning cuts to one- and two-year old wood. Remove vigorous shoots in the entire canopy but especially at the top.
Leave the weaker side laterals to supply the fruit with carbohydrates. If you over prune you could end up reducing fruit size.
Hedging done after terminal bud set is not expected to result in regrowth this season.

Reflective Mulch

My theory would be that the additional sunlight exposure would heat plant surfaces and increase transpiration and water loss, so using reflective mulch this year is discouraged. Furthermore, sunlight is not lacking this year so the benefits of improving fruit colour using reflective mulch might not be observed this year. I suspect that the greatest opportunities for using reflective mulch are during years of scarce sunlight exposure when every chance to capture sunlight matters.

Using a Delta Absorbance (DA) Meter

The DA meter is a handheld device used to monitor the chlorophyll content of the apple peel as an indication of fruit maturity. Chlorophyll degrades as the fruit matures so the reading correlates with other changes that happen during the ripening process.

PLEASE NOTE: Drought conditions may influence the accuracy of DA meter readings this year. Other maturity indicators should be used simultaneously. Also, during years of above-average heat we have noted that the DA meter can be misaligned with other maturity indices so stay tuned for when starch degradation begins.

What you need to know:

Varieties have a unique set of DA meter values associated with them that are the boundaries of when to begin and end harvest, based on local research by AAFC. This means that you cannot test a Gala and expect it to match values set for Honeycrisp. McIntosh and Cortland do not work well with the DA meter.
DA meter values become smaller as fruit matures. Typically the readings will change by 0.1 units in one week (ex. from 0.6 to 0.5). There may be daily fluctuations so do not take daily readings as the time scale is too frequent.
The late Dr. John DeLong who spearheaded local research on the topic recorded a podcast with us in 2019 on 'Sensing Fruit Maturity'.
DA meter readings after Harvista/ReTain might not actually represent maturity. Changes to chlorophyll content caused by these products might not be synchronous with other maturity indicators. Do not take DA meter readings on fruit treated with ReTain or Harvista and instead use other maturity indicators.

Using the DA meter:

Years ago Joan Hebb created a handy Quickstart Guide. Follow the instructions for calibrating and clearing the mean values.
Leave the fruit on the tree but ensure that leaves are not caught between the LED sensors and the fruit surface.
Take a reading on the average sides of each apple (imagine an apple has four sides, ignore the sun-exposed and shade-exposed sides and use the remaining two sides).
Test a minimum of 20 apple samples randomly from each block by measuring 10 apples from one side of the row and 10 apples from the other side (10 apples x 2 fruit sides x 2 row sides = 40 readings).
Record the average result calculated by the device then clear the mean value to start over in the next block. Keep your mean values because it will be helpful to compare blocks over time and between years. Record the block name and successive dates of measurement.

Recommendations:

Take weekly observations on the same day to analyze the rate of change. Start taking sample readings 3-4 weeks before the predicted harvest date to anticipate the rate of change and the approaching start time. One of the major benefits of the DA meter is using the readings to chart the progression of maturity and to compare blocks so that more mature blocks can be harvested before others.
The DA meter values for optimum harvest may vary each year so it is still important to regularly do a taste test and starch test. The DA meter helps to increase the frequency of sample testing and the sample size.

Reducing Bruising

Recommendations:

Let fruit warm up before harvesting. Apples picked in the cool weather of early morning bruise more easily than those picked in the day’s warmth. Generally, susceptibility to bruising decreases gradually from 0 to 15°C.
Take the time to educate staff about the proper way to perform harvest activities that reduce bruising. For example, pick the bottom of the tree first, don’t overfill the picking bag, avoid long harnesses that let the bag bump against knees when walking, explain the difference between varieties etc.
Re-grade orchard roads prior to harvest to lessen bumps that would jostle fruit being transported in bins.
Have an inspector sample fruit from various positions in the bin two times each week and leave at room temperature for 24 hours to check for signs of bruise development.
If bins of fruit will sit in the orchard during overnight freezing temperatures, place the bins where they will be shaded from direct morning sun. Direct sun will warm the fruit too quickly and can lead to deep and lasting bruises.

Considering Watercore

Watercore is a fruit disorder closely associated with over-mature apples along with several other factors. It happens most frequently in years with high sunshine and lack of cloudy, rainy days. Also, highly coloured and large fruit are most prone to the disorder. Fruit with the disorder have an appearance of water-soaked flesh because the spaces between the cells become concentrated with sugars instead of air. Small signs of watercore can disappear in storage and add sweetness to fruit. However, more serious watercore can reduce gas exchange in the fruit and lead to internal breakdown.

Recommendations:

Mature fruit are more likely to develop the disorder because as fruit mature the starches are converted to sugars. The sugar solution builds up in the fruit. Blocks that have a history of watercore should be harvested before other blocks.
Consider products to delay harvest maturity. Both ReTain and Harvista labels state delayed onset and incidence of watercore.

Avoiding Internal Browning

Internal browning is likely related to carbon dioxide injury. The disorder frequently occurs in overmature and large fruit that have high carbon dioxide concentrations. In particular, fruit harvested late in the harvest window are most susceptible because as fruit mature their ability to diffuse internal carbon dioxide concentrations decreases. The internal carbon dioxide builds up and increases the chance of injury. Consider using products that delay harvest maturity.

Pest Management Guide

We offer printable PDFs of the guides from our website:

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.

Orchard Outlook Newsletter Vol. 25, No 13 - Drought Guidance

Thursday, August 14, 2025

Up until now I’ve been silent about the drought situation as I’ve been considering what information I can offer that would be helpful. In this post, I’ll share information from research articles to help make sense of what you might be seeing in the field. I’ll also answer some of your questions because - as incredible problem solvers - you’ve identified controllable factors and want to know the influence of related decisions. And remember, the trees are working hard to protect themselves too!

My heart goes out to you all for the stress that you are going through. Please know that I’ve been monitoring the situation on apple trees and stone fruit. Don’t hesitate to tell me any barriers that you face and any recommendations that you have so I can share it in planning discussions and communicate to decision makers.

Interpretation of Drought Stress

I’ll begin by helping to document and interpret some of what’s being observed. It should be noted as a silver lining that apple trees are some of the most resistant to droughts compared to other fruit trees.

Fruit Size

Trees under drought stress will prioritize survival mechanisms over tree and fruit growth. Apple fruit are expected to have a continuous increase in their fresh and dry mass during the final two months of their growth and some of this time has been lost to water stress. Fruit size is being restricted by the drought.

How much fruit growth is restricted depends on the crop load and the water stress. I’ve measured fruit sizes of Honeycrisp 47-67 mm (1.8-2.6”), peach 40 mm (1.5”), Gala 45 mm (1.8”), and Ambrosia 44 mm (1.7”). The fruit size measurements are about 30% smaller than the sizes being reported in Ontario. Research suggests that a rain episode that interrupts a drought can lead to the greatest increase in fruit mass observed over the whole period, so there are opportunities for fruit size gains.

Curling Leaves and Wilting Canopies

The first visual canopy symptom of drought stress is curling leaves (Figure 1, top). Early this week it was common to see leaf curling on Ambrosia. Leaf curling is a plant response that reduces the surface area of the leaf exposed to the sun and minimizes water loss.

As water stress continues, the leaves can wilt (Figure 1, bottom). Wilting is the tree’s strategy to reduce their functional leaf area and by closing the pores on the leaf surface (stomata) they avoid water loss by transpiration. Apple trees on light and less than ideal soils are wilting. There are cases of wilt in pears, peaches and European plum. The leaf curling and wilting starts at the tree top and can progress down the tree. I am hopeful that if water stress is ended in trees at an early stage of leaf wilt that trees can regain their health. Leaves may not recover their functionality, but water will hydrate xylem tissues to promote tree recovery.

(Initially there were questions about leaf wilting being caused by mite pressure, but mites would not cause a widespread and uniform wilting of entire tree canopies. Also, signs of leaf bronzing would have been visible first. If you used early season preventive measures to keep mite populations low then the trees benefitted.)

Figure 1. Ambrosia leaf curling (top photos). Pear with whole tree wilting leaves (bottom left) and Gala with tree tops wilting.

Brown Leaves and Defoliation

If whole wilted trees continue to experience water stress, then the oldest leaves can dry out and fall off followed by the youngest leaves. In situations where the water stress is severe enough to cause defoliation, research has shown that trees are unlikely to survive to the following season. The dying leaves are a sign of failure of the xylem to move water from roots to leaves. I hesitate to mention this as I don’t want to cause undue stress, but I know you are seeking answers and knowledge is power when it comes to insurance claims and planning purposes. Having said that, we will not know for sure until bloom next year which trees are past the point of return. Trees on more robust soils are not wilting and are using their survival mechanisms to withstand the drought.

Rootstock Influence

There are countless variables in apple orchards (soil type, tree age, variety, rootstock etc) which in the case of a climate stress can work in our favour by contributing some resilience. Right now I'll talk rootstocks because there is research by Xu and Ediger 2021 to suggest different drought responses among the rootstocks.

(Please note that the following comments are limited because they’re based on published research with only Ambrosia and the five rootstocks G.202, G.935, M.26, M.9NIC29, and B.9. Plus, some of the work was done in the greenhouse. But regardless, there may be some helpful information to glean.)

The research reports that semi-dwarfing G.202 used the most water and had the highest water stress. This agrees with our local challenges to grow G.202 without irrigation. Our industry has also identified other drawbacks of using G.202 like delayed cropping, limited leaf area, and small fruit. As a subjective comment, it appears that the fruit on G.202 are indeed struggling with size at this time.

The large dwarfing G.935 and M.26 had stricter control of their stomata which reduced water use under stress. The rootstocks therefore contribute a drought-avoidance strategy. This is good news for our industry that is heavily reliant on M.26 because they have likely been reducing water use to avoid water loss.

The small dwarfing M.9NIC29 and B.9 had small and dense stomata that gave them a stable water status and suggested a level of tolerance to drought conditions. However, in a field setting I suspect that the smaller root system would limit water foraging abilities.

A note about peach trees:

In some of my research I’ve come across mention of peach trees and that they are more susceptible to tree death during drought than apple trees. Also, water stressed peach trees may not produce fruit the following year. It has been a very hard couple of years for peach trees…

Decision Making

Let’s focus on the controllable factors and consider their influence on the drought situation.

Reflective mulch

If you have access to water, prioritize supplying newly planted trees or rescuing trees with early signs of wilting. Limited water resources should be used to prioritize tree health rather than try to improve fruit size. The best time to water is in the early morning.

Water hauling

Is it an option to purchase water from a water hauling company? I don’t want to get your hopes up if it is unavailable due to high demand and it may require a holding tank and delivery infrastructure. I just wanted to throw this idea out there to discuss in case somebody is wondering.

As a very rough calculation, if you wanted to water a row area of 3 ft x 1000 ft (3000 sq ft), every 1-inch depth of water would require about 1,869 gallons (3000 sq ft x 1 inch x 0.623 gallons/sq ft/inch). At prices starting around $125 for 1000 gallons, it would cost around $233 for 1 inch water depth on the 3000 sq ft area. The actual area covered will depend on your water delivery method. The watering would need to be repeated every 2 to 4 weeks during drought.

One inch of water will typically penetrate the soil to a depth of 6-12 inches depending on soil type. Verify that the 1-inch of water supplied reached at least 6 inches deep by digging a small cross section with a shovel at two hours after application. This strategy only makes sense to supply water to trees that are showing early signs of leaf wilting at the top of the canopy.

Mulching

Organic mulch can help to retain soil moisture but if the soil doesn’t have moisture when the mulch is applied, the mulch will have little effect.

Summer pruning

Summer pruning is a complicated decision that may have tradeoffs. An article by Cornell states that summer pruning or hedging can reduce leaf area during drought. Removing young, exposed leaves can reduce transpiration and reduce water stress. Summer pruning is unlikely to improve fruit growth but may help with tree water status. However, I suspect that the summer pruning strategy is only helpful in trees that are not yet wilting. Pruning forces the trees to expend energy to mend wounds and that can be an additional stress to an already stressed tree.

Fruit removal

Research shows that tree water stress is influenced by crop load. For example, heavy fruit thinning of peaches can improve the water status of the tree to protect tree health. As a subjective observation, trees carrying less crop load this year appear less water stressed (Figure 2).

If you are currently hand thinning trees that have healthy leaves, remove more fruit to help increase the size of the remaining fruit. In situations of high drought stress and no access to water, consider removing fruit to mitigate the water stress on long-term tree health. However, if leaf wilting has already occurred, removing the fruit is unlikely to help.

Figure 2. Side by side trees of Honeycrisp with trees in their 'on' year on the left and the 'off' year on the right. The water stress seemed more severe where trees were carrying a crop.

Leaf tissue sampling

Leaf samples can be taken anytime after terminal bud set. If we were to get a heavy rain that causes regrowth, wait again for the shoots to stop growing.

Soil sampling

Wait to take soil samples because the soil is too dry. Typically, early August is the best time to sample but if the soil is unusually dry then it can be difficult to extract the full 6” sample depth. You’ll get a better sample if you wait for a rain (>10 mm) to moisten the topsoil.

Additional Considerations

Contact crop insurance, and take photos and records. Take photos of which tree rows and orchard sections are wilting so that if there are issues in the future you can relate it back to this drought incident. If you take a photo with your phone there is a GPS tag marking the approximate location.
Be careful with any equipment capable of causing sparks and have a fire extinguisher ready when operating equipment just in case.
Apple maggot flies are emerging from the dry ground and are flying, according to our trap captures. Continue to spray for apple maggot as you normally would. Poor apple maggot control in one year can lead to resident populations of pupae in the orchard soil and high pressure for the following four years.
Be prepared for flash floods in the event of the next heavy rain. Inspect drainage.
The Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture has created a drought webpage with resources available here: https://nsfa-fane.ca/drought/
Please reach out to each other and stay connected to friends, family, and other important supports. Whenever you can find the time, I hope you enjoy a simple pleasure like a cold treat and recognize your hard work because I sure do. This is not to underplay the situation but to encourage you to take moments to recoup.
Please know that the folks at Perennia are considering how best we can support you now and in the future. We are open to your suggestions.

References:

Girona, J., Mata, M., Campo, J.d. et al. Apple trees’ behavior to a single-season megadrought stress. Irrig Sci 43, 871–886 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-025-01017-w
Goldhamer, D.A. 2003. Managing irrigation in fruit and nut trees during drought. https://www.lawr.ucdavis.edu/managing-irrigation-fruit-and-nut-trees-during-drought
Lackso, A.N. Robinson, T.L. Gonzalez, L. Miranda Sazo, M. 2022. Practical implications of early and mid summer water stress on tree growth, cropping and physiology. https://rvpadmin.cce.cornell.edu/uploads/doc_1082.pdf
OMAFRA. 2024. https://www.ontario.ca/page/weather-risks-strategies-mitigate-risk-insufficient-moisture
Xu, H.; Ediger, D. Rootstocks with Different Vigor Influenced Scion–Water Relations and Stress Responses in AmbrosiaTM Apple Trees (Malus Domestica var. Ambrosia). Plants 2021, 10, 614. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10040614

Upcoming Local Events: Tailgate Meeting and Summer Tour

Thursday, July 24, 2025

Check out these summer learning opportunities and we hope to see you there!

Monday, July 28: Tailgate Meeting at a Local Accede Demonstration Trial

This year's fruitlet thinning window was a whirlwind because of a questionable pollination period followed by a larger than expected fruit set. Meanwhile, a new product called Accede®, a plant growth regulator by Valent, is available and there was interest in using Accede as a rescue approach late in the thinning window.

Two local demonstration trials were funded by Valent in cooperation with Perennia and local growers. The products were tested on Honeycrisp, Gala, and Ambrosia. Now is the time of the season when we can visit the orchard to look at the results and discuss local experiences to prepare for next time!

Please join us for a tailgate discussion with Michelle Cortens from Perennia, Julie Schipper from Valent, and Dan Colcuc from Nufarm. We welcome your questions and hope to support your learning with this new product. What was the application strategy? How did the product perform? What are our learnings? What are other regions learning?

The tailgate session will be held at the demonstration site at Spurr Brothers Farm on Monday, July 28 at 3 PM. Please meet us at the orchard near 639 Stronach Mountain Rd in Melvern Square (see map). Bring your thoughts, experiences, and questions if you like. There is no need to RSVP and everyone is welcome to attend.

Wednesday, August 6: Nova Scotia Fruit Growers' Association Summer Tour

The Nova Scotia Fruit Growers' Association has been hard at work planning their highlight summer event and they are excited to welcome you on the tour! Come on out for a day of exceptional learning, fun, and food! There is no need to RSVP. Riding on the bus is encouraged to reduce vehicle traffic during the event.

Orchard Outlook Newsletter Vol. 25, No 12

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Today's newsletter begins with a return to weather and degree day updates! Plus, the start of July signals that the fruit cuticle is protected enough to consider Folpan/Follow as a fungicide. Be mindful of maintaining fungicide protection to prevent summer diseases. Information is shared on apple maggot that is an upcoming concern following codling moth management. Also, keep in mind that this heat and dry weather creates ideal conditions for mite populations to double in 7-10 days. Plus, recent field visits have led to interesting field observations that I am sharing for your general knowledge.

The Orchard Outlook Committee met for the final time this spring/summer and will reconvene in a few weeks' time for preharvest discussions. *** Please note that this will be the last weekly issue of Orchard Outlook for the summer. Orchard Outlook will continue to be published occasionally for the remainder of the season. ***

Weather

2025 Degree Day Accumulations

The cumulative degree days are ahead of the 5- and 10-year averages (Figure 1). Jeff Franklin notes that, "The extreme events are 'pulling up the average' in terms of temperature. The average temperature for June was 17.2 °C compared to the 25-year average of 16.3 °C. The 3-month and 30-day seasonal forecasts from Environment and Climate Change Canada suggest that warmer than average temperatures will continue for the rest of the summer."

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

Approximately 4% more plant development heat units compared to the 5-year average, and 11% more compared to the 10-year average.
Approximately 1% less plant development heat units compared to 2024, and 16% more compared with 2023.
Approximately 1% more insect development heat units compared to the 5-year average, and 11% more compared to the 10-year average.

2025 Precipitation Update

Jeff Franklin summarizes that, "The total precipitation for June was 50.5 mm, compared to the 25-year mean of 98.9 mm. Most of the total precipitation for the month was received on June 7/8 when we received 37.9 mm. This has left us with very little rain to compensate for the hot dry weather at the end of the month."

Diseases

Apple – Scab

Where primary lesions are present, secondary infections have been occurring and will continue during wetting events of sufficient duration. The minimum wetting required for secondary infections is 3 hours less than the wetting required for primary infections.

Recommendations:

Please note that fungicide residues are washed off by a cumulative total of 50 to 60 mm of rain (2 to 2.5 inches). Summer diseases are a risk if spray programs are stretched to the limit.
If adopting a lengthened spray interval, once the 10-day interval has been reached it is better to re-apply fungicide protection prior to rainfall/possible infection rather than after.
Folpan/Follow becomes a good option at this time of the year for scab control and protection from summer diseases. Note the REI of 12 hrs for general activities and 6 days for hand thinning. Folpan/Follow is considered a cousin to Captan and is similarly a hot product that has the potential to cause fruit russetting. Do not use Folpan close to oil sprays or products containing surfactants. Also, be wary of tank mixes with liquid nutrients that are formulated to maximize uptake.
Be aware of the re-entry periods on products for hand thinning. Captan has an REI of 15 days for high density plantings and 24 days for low-density plantings. Alternatively, the product Allegro is a quick re-entry product at only 24 hours but note the 28-day preharvest interval.

Apple – Powdery Mildew

Powdery mildew infections can be expected when conditions are warm (10-25°C), humid and dry.

Recommendations:

Conditions in June were conducive to powdery mildew infections on newly developing tissue. These ongoing hot, humid, and dry conditions continue to be conducive to new infections during active shoot growth.
Trees are susceptible to powdery mildew infections for as long as new leaves are forming on growing shoots (until terminal bud set).

Protection may continue on young plantings because severe infections can reduce shoot growth, which is most concerning for young, non-bearing orchards. Continuing protection this season will prevent infection of next year's buds (to protect next year's growth), and result in less carryover of inoculum to next year. Pay particular attention to susceptible and high-value varieties such as Honeycrisp and Gala. Product reapplication intervals can vary from 7-14 days.
On large and mature bearing apple trees, the main economical concern is in protecting fruit against infection. Fruit infection causes stunting and russeting. However, fruit are only susceptible to infection during and shortly after bloom. The russet stretches as the fruit expands. Fruit are no longer at risk of infection.

There is industry resistance to group 11 products such as Flint so it should not be used for powdery mildew management.
To avoid resistance development, do not use any products with powdery mildew activity more than two times consecutively (without rotating to another chemical group with powdery mildew activity).

Apple – Fire Blight Blossom Blight

Current and Forecast Blossom Blight Risk

As far as I'm aware, the new plantings have finished flowering and I will stop industry-wide email alerts.
If you have a situation with blossoms still present please contact me directly for blossom blight updates on an as-needed basis. The current prediction is for the heat this week to continue to cause rapid bacterial growth on open blossoms and any wetting would trigger infection.

Fire Blight - Infection Management

Blossom blight infections are being reported in apples and pears.

Recommendations:

Monitor for shoot blight on suckers that can infect the rootstock.
Cut out infections when a period of 2 dry days are in the forecast. Leave prunings in orchard laneways to let dry thoroughly for several weeks. If cutting a whole tree consider letting it dry while attached to the trellis. Don’t make piles that will prevent the wood from drying. Do not work in trees when they are wet from dew.
As soon as you find fire blight infections, use an application of Apogee/Kudos (prohexadione calcium). Use a lower rate if trees have not filled their space or the full rate if tree growth is not an issue. The benefits of Apogee/Kudos:

Helps suppress the progression of infection to buy you time for cutting it out.
Builds protection in nearby trees that may not yet be infected so that if infection were to occur, the spread would be already slowed. Where infections are numerous, apply prohexadione calcium to the entire block considering that ooze can infect at a distance of at least 0.8 km away.
Reportedly has the potential to reduce or prevent canker incidence on perennial wood.

To save time, it is not necessary to sterilize the tools often as long as all of your cuts are in fire blight areas and during dry weather. Several research studies have concluded a lack of benefit from sanitizing tools. Where there is a tradeoff because of limited labour, it is best to work quickly rather than to sanitize tools.
Do not break off branches with fire blight infections as you navigate the orchard. Research shows that the bacteria becomes systemic in the tree because branches are not adequately removed. There are then a high number of new infections and significantly more canker tissue and cankers on structural wood.
Prune out fire blight infections on young trees in the current year, don't wait for winter.
Remove fire blight strikes at least 2-4 ft below active infections to remove the leading edge of the bacteria. The younger the tree, the deeper the cut. Being aggressive at the first sign of symptoms will help prevent the re-occurrence of symptoms and the need for continuous cutting back. Repeat tree inspections.
If you feel confident that you can monitor the formation of a canker on a stub cut for later removal, then a stub cut may be appropriate. A 4-inch stub cut causes a canker to form on the stub before reaching structural wood like the leader of the tree. However, do not forget to remove the stub because otherwise the canker will serve as a source of bacteria. Mark the tree for revisiting.

Apple – Black Rot

Recommendations:

Based on our limited knowledge, the highest risk of infections is theoretically between petal fall and 4-6 weeks later.

A 10 hr wetting period at 16°C to 32°C allows infection.
The optimum temperature for infection is 20°C to 24°C.
There are few management options to cover such a long risk period. Captan has activity but note the REI for orchard activities. Merivon has activity but this group 7 + 11 product should not be used more than 4 times each year. Folpan has activity but should not be applied until 30 days after petal fall to avoid russet. We do not have a model for black rot infection but protection would need to be targeted prior to wetting and ideal weather conditions.

The fruit cuticle is sensitive to damage at this stage and if damaged can allow entry of the black rot fungus. Be cautious with spray mixtures (calcium, foliar nutrients) that could create an entry point for the pathogen.

Apple - Brooks Spot

Brooks spot is caused by a fungus that creates sunken, dark green lesions on the fruit. It is a minor disease that has been an issue on Honeycrisp in the past. The symptoms of Brooks Spot can resemble lenticel breakdown and bitter pit which are also common on Honeycrisp. Include a product for cover sprays that is labelled for brooks spot such as Inspire Super, Aprovia Top, or Folpan/Follow.

Apple - Flyspeck and Sooty Blotch

These summer diseases develop on the surface of the fruit in midsummer until harvest. They are caused by fungi that overwinter in dead twigs and the fungi tend to cause more infections under conditions of moderate temperature, high humidity and rainfall. Include a product for cover sprays that is labelled for flyspeck and sooty blotch such as Captan, Folpan/Follow, Maestro, Inspire Super, Aprovia Top, Cevya, Allegro, Pristine, and Merivon. Summer diseases such as flyspeck are a risk if spray spray programs are stretched beyond the limit. Adequate fungicide coverage can stop flyspeck colony growth during periods of leaf wetting and may prevent the appearance of symptoms altogether.

Insects

Apple and Pear: Codling Moth

All treatment timing predictions have been met.

Recommendations:

If trap captures are below the treatment threshold but continue to build over time then treatment should be applied once a threshold is reached. When the time for apple maggot treatments arrives, many chemistries will also treat late codling moth.
Notes about using Imidan:

All hand thinning activities must be completed prior to application. No hand thinning can occur on trees after they are treated with Imidan. Also, a maximum of two applications may be used each year.
The product does not penetrate leaf tissue so it is a surface material that is susceptible to wash off under rainy conditions.
Approximately a week after application of Imidan, clean out the trap and start monitoring the trap. The capture of an additional 10 or more moths would indicate that a second treatment is required.

Apple Maggot

The Apple Efficacy Guide may be used to compare the products that are registered for control or suppression of codling moth and/or apple maggot. Note that high label rates are often needed for activity on apple maggot.
Please note this is the final year to use on-farm inventory of Calypso product because it is being cancelled.
Dr. Suzanne Blatt reports apple maggot trap captures beginning on July 2 at the Kentville Research Station. In blocks that are being treated for codling moth, the control is extended to early maggot flies.
The economic threshold is 1 maggot fly per orchard on a yellow sticky board.

Apply a conventional treatment 7-10 days after the first fly is captured on a yellow sticky board or immediately after a female is captured on a red sphere.
In organic orchards, Surround can be used to deter egg laying and GF 120 fruit fly bait can be used for suppression of adult flies. Both Surround and GF 120 should begin to be applied as soon as flies are present in the orchard.
Clean maggot traps 7 to 10 days after treating a block for maggot and monitor for new trap captures. Retreat if new maggot flies are caught.
Significant rainfall will wash off insecticide residues that are needed to ward off apple maggot flies. Re-treatment is required after 10-14 days or cumulative rainfall of 12.5-25 mm (0.5-1 inch). Insecticide residue should be maintained through to the end of August.

Chemical groups 5 and 28 target adult flies to prevents stings. Chemical groups 1 and 4 have activity on adults, eggs, and larvae meaning that they prevent stings and if an egg is laid the products also prevent survival of the larvae.
Sanitation through removing wild apple trees can help to prevent the buildup of populations that will migrate into orchards from the orchard perimeter.

Apple - Sucking Insects

Aphids: Monitor for aphids in young trees and nursery plantings where feeding can disrupt shoot growth. If leaves are curling, high water volumes are needed for effectiveness. Green aphid will move back into orchards that were treated previously so continue to monitor. Assail and Calypso also have activity on codling moth, apple maggot and leafhoppers. Be cognizant of REIs if installing trellis.

Mites: European red mite, two spotted spider mite and apple rust mite are the prominent species that affect apple trees. Although not directly damaging to the fruit, these mites in their motile life stages can drain the nutrients from the trees and dramatically degrade fruit quality.

Scout your orchards or check your scouting reports to see if there is a treatable population. Those growers with a consultant will receive the most accurate information because mite counts are done using a specialized machine for brushing and beneficial predators are noted as well.
In a hot and dry year, mite populations can double in 7-10 days. Keep this in mind given current weather conditions.
Mites have many generations per year and therefore have a high potential to develop resistance. For resistance management, it is critical to rotate miticide classes.

Good spray coverage is critical.
July is the time of year to control rust mite before foliage becomes bronzed in mid to late August.
All miticides are effective on European red mite and two-spotted spider mite but only products Nexter, Envidor, and Magister provide control of rust mite.

Potato leafhopper: Feeds on the young leaves of terminal shoots leading to yellowing at leaf edges, and cupping that will eventually turn brown. Adults are pale yellow-green and walk sideways whereas the white apple leafhopper is white and moves forward and back. Monitor your scouting reports or updates.

Potato leafhoppers can transmit fire blight. Their presence in young plantings and nurseries is concerning, especially in areas of active fire blight infections. Insecticides labelled for leafhoppers are the group 4 products and they include Assail/Aceta, Calypso/Theme, Cormoran, and Sivanto Prime.

Scale Crawlers

If you had scale last year at the packout then they should still be monitored even if an oil application was used in spring.
The scale that are under a waxy coating at this time of year are the adults that are about to give birth to live young. Those live young are the crawlers that leave the waxy coating and become susceptible to insecticides. Typically the crawlers are active in July at about 4-6 weeks post-bloom and with the heat this year they could be on the move early.
Monitor for activity by using traps that are made by using black electrical tape (with adhesive side out) around the scaffold limbs of trees, in areas with known infestations. Crawlers yellow bodies will be caught on the tape when they become active.
When the crawlers are active, Movento with a surfactant is one of the most effective products. The neonicotinoid products Assail/Aceta and Closer may also affect crawlers.

Obliquebanded Leafroller

Monitor or check scouting reports for larval populations. The caterpillar feeds on terminal shoot growth and also on apples, leaving a scar.

Stone Fruit - Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD)

Spotted wing drosophila lay eggs in ripening tender fruit, and larvae may be present at harvest. If monitoring indicates treatment is required, use insecticides weekly. These products rely on contact with spotted wing drosophila adults.
Products registered for control of SWD in peach/nectarine, plum, and cherry are listed in the Stone Fruit Management Guide. PHI varies widely:

Longer PHIs for Danitol, Harvanta, Imidan, Up-cyde (peach/nectarine) and Malathion (peach/nectarine)
Shorter PHIs for Malathion (cherry and plum), Delegate, Exirel, Entrust, Up-cyde (cherry)
Rotate insecticide groups to prevent resistance development.

Note that for cherries the label rate for Malathion 85E was increased to provide control at 855-2500 mL/ha instead of only suppression at the old rate. The maximum number of applications is 2 while maintaining the same REI and 3-day PHI.
Field sanitation is critical to control of spotted wing drosophila. Remove and dispose of infested ripe, overripe and rotten fruit which serve as source of food for larvae to complete development. Seal cull fruit in plastic bags or cover cull piles with plastic and allow to heat in the sun for a week or place culls in bins or half bins lined with bin liners and seal for at least 5 days before disposal. Alternatively, mowing the orchard floor immediately after harvest to destroy fruit on the ground may help.
Do not bury infested fruit because SWD can survive being buried as deep as 18 inches.
Control will require a minimum 7-day spray interval under dry conditions with tighter intervals following a rain.
Sprays need excellent coverage. Use full row covers instead of alternate row sprays, reduce tractor speeds, and calibrate sprayers with adequate spray volume to get into fruit clusters.

Field Observations

Leaf Spotting on Ambrosia

The leaf spotting looks similar to the symptoms of frog eye leaf spot but new thinking suggests that frog eye leaf spot might not be the primary cause. I'm aware of the issue and I'm exploring a promising theory but I don't want to speak too soon, so stay tuned for details.

Are you seeing leaf spotting in Ambrosia too as shown in Figure 2? Here's what we know:

The occurrence of leaf spotting on Ambrosia is widespread throughout our growing region, and it has been noted in other growing regions like Massachusetts as well.
The leaf spotting is showing up predominantly in Ambrosia but in a handful of other varieties as well.
Severe leaf spotting can result in leaf drop.
The last time we had notable leaf spotting in Ambrosia was the year 2023.
Mature leaves in the mid shoot regions are affected first, and the youngest leaves on growing terminals are not affected.

Figure 2: Symptoms of leaf spot on Ambrosia. Photos taken on June 23 and June 27.

Scion Rooting as Rescue Option for Weak Plantings

For whatever reason, sometimes a planting can be weak and fail to fill its space. Maybe trees have been exposed to environmental stressors or maybe the dwarfing rootstock was too small to begin with. I recently observed a planting where frost heaving had exposed much of the shank and weakened the trees. It was, however, interesting to note that the trees in the planting that had scion rooted were generally the healthiest (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Scion rooted trees can be vigorous where dwarfing rootstocks struggle to succeed. A scion rooted tree without frost heaving (left) and a tree that scion rooted and then maintained its scion root after heaving (right).

Past local experience has shown that scion rooting can be a management option for weak plantings that fail to fill their space or struggle to thrive. Where scion rooting was used in the past on a weak block, the grower says they wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

For some there might be the concern of too much vigour from scion rooting. After covering the graft union, it took the trees about 5 years to set strong scion roots to become vigorous. Given the short lifespan of orchards there isn't much concern about trees in this situation getting too big. If to much vigour result, then management practices like summer pruning, apogee, and root pruning can keep the vigour in check.

Nurseries and T-Budding

Challenges with Vigorous Geneva Rootstocks

The vigorous Geneva rootstocks can fail to accept tbuds, and other propagation approaches like chip budding and bench grafting are recommended. In several situations now, tbudding G969 has resulted in failed bud unions. What appears to happen is that the Geneva rootstock overwhelms the tbud with excessive callus formation (Figure 4).

Figure 4: Two different on-farm nursery situations where tbudding Honeycrisp on G969 has failed due to excessive callus formation and an overly vigorous rootstock.

Challenges with Loose Connections

Several on-farm nurseries are also reporting that some shoots extending from tbuds have collapsed (Figure 5). This collapse is not caused by fireblight. Interestingly, the collapsed shoots still have green vascular tissue and new leaves are growing. The vascular connection is likely healing but the situation points to an already weakened tbud union. The tbud union appears to be loose, possibly resulting from wind damage. Removing the shoot reveals browning on the inside (Figure 6).

Figure 5: Several on-farm nurseries have experienced collapse of shoots extending from tbuds (left). The vascular tissue is healthy and green (middle). New leaves are growing (right).

Figure 6: The base of the shoot extending from the tbud is brown and appears to have a loose connection (left). A healthy shoot with all green tissue in the tbud is shown for comparison (right).

Horticulture

Tree Health

Check the height of the graft union above the soil line. If frost heaving has occurred it is recommended that you hill soil to cover exposed roots and an overexposed rootstock shank. An overexposed rootstock shank may be more susceptible to winter injury during fluctuating warm winter temperatures. Exposed roots are susceptible to herbicide sprays.
Suckers become more prevalent when there are exposed roots due to frost heaving. Try to hill the soil to cover the roots.

Solstice Reminders

Top dressing is not recommended after the end of June. Late release and uptake will prevent trees from hardening off before the winter.
Around July the trees are storing reserves in the roots for next year’s growth. When they are storing reserves, late glyphosate applications can be damaging if taken up by root suckers and transported to the root system. Avoid the risk by avoiding glyphosate applications after the end of June.

Nutrition

Calcium:

The goal of foliar Ca sprays is to increase the concentration of Ca in the fruit and reduce the incidence of bitter bit. Begin calcium applications at 4 to 6 weeks after petal fall when fruit have reached the golfball stage at around 35 mm. Calcium applied at two-week intervals is better than occasional, high-rate applications.
Ca has very low movement within the tree and needs to be applied directly to the fruit surface to be absorbed. Therefore, thorough coverage is important to cover developing fruit.
The recommended rate is 4.5 to 15.5 kg elemental calcium per ha (4 to 14 lbs of elemental calcium per acre) over an entire season spread over six to eight cover sprays.

Low rates will not cause leaf burn but will likely lead to only minor control of bitter pit and likely will not enhance storage life of the fruit.
High rates may lead to some leaf burn, give good control of bitter pit, and may also enhance storage life of the fruit.
Determine how much elemental calcium you would like to apply over a season and then work backwards to determine the required number of sprays.

Calcium chloride flake (77% CaCl2) is the most economical Ca material to use but also the highest risk for foliar burn. Calcium chloride flake has a low risk of leaf burn when applied at the standard rate of 4.5 kg per 1000 L of water/ha (4 lbs/100 gal/ac).

Calcium chloride flake is 77% calcium chloride which is composed of one calcium and two chloride molecules. According to the weight of the molecules the calcium portion represents about 28% of the total weight. Therefore, our calcium chloride flake contains 28% elemental calcium.
For each spray at the standard rate of 4.5 kg per 1000 L/ha, the 28% portion that is elemental calcium is 1.3 kg/ha (1.1 lbs elemental calcium per acre).
The risk of leaf or fruit damage from calcium is highest in hot weather. Susceptible varieties can develop lenticel spotting if damaged. Target fast drying conditions for applications.

Risk of leaf injury may be enhanced by Captan. Incompatibility has been observed with Epsom salts, and liquid or emulsifiable pesticide formulations in some cases. Do not apply calcium with Apogee/Kudos. Note that nutrient product formulations with calcium may contain boron that would interact poorly with water soluble packaging.

Mowing

As grass becomes long the extra surface area increases transpiration. Keep grass mowed to conserve moisture.
Keeping the orchard floor cover mowed pre-bloom will minimize dandelion flowers that attract bees, which increases the safety of insecticide applications.
Mowing and herbicide strips help to prevent issues with two-spotted spider mite (John Michael Hardman).

Pruning and Training

Select strong terminals on young trees and remove competing terminals to single the tops if there are no re-entry intervals active.
Pruning and training practices should be done on dry and sunny days, especially in blocks with high risk of fire blight. Wounds can take about 2 days to heal. Do not work in trees when they are wet from dew.
Ensure that deer fencing is installed as soon as possible to protect new growth on young trees. Prior to deer fencing, the product Bobbex may be used as a deer repellent but it requires frequent application to new growth and after rainfall.
Newly planted trees should be pruned for tree structure and supported as early as possible after planting. Prioritize trees that are known to be brittle at the union, including many of the new Geneva rootstocks (G.11, G.41, G.16 etc).

Cover Crops

Perennia has a series of videos about cover crops by Sonny Murray and Rosalie Gillis-Madden that can be accessed from our website.
Summer grasses such as pearl millet and sorghum-sudangrass that have been growing in popularity lately can be planted from mid-June until early August.
For August and September plantings of cover crops, check out the factsheet about Fall Cover Crop Species Selection and Management that was written by Sonny Murray and Caitlin Congdon.

Summer Hedging/Pruning

A local study by Perennia in 2013 evaluated the regrowth on summer hedging using Ambrosia on M.9 and Gala. Results indicate that the last week of June = 6 to 21 cm of regrowth, first week of July = 4 to 12 cm of regrowth, and second week of July = 2 to 3 cm of regrowth. No regrowth is expected after terminal bud set around the first week of August although it was not included in the trial.
On vigorous trees, delay summer pruning until terminal buds have been set on vegetative shoots. Pruning prior to this on vigorous trees can promote bud break and weak shoot growth.
In cases with a lot of shoot growth, summer pruning could be a good opportunity to expose the fruit to light and improve fruit colour. Remove vigorous shoots in the entire canopy but especially at the top.
If there is fire blight in a block then there is a greater risk of spreading it by summer pruning than dormant pruning.

Nursery Trees

Scion leaders need support. Stakes should be placed on the side opposite from the bud so it pulls the bud toward the rootstock rather than away.
Monitor for green aphids.
Remember the importance of weed control in nurseries. Management practices now will impact the outcome of the final tree. Encourage the growing point to be successful!
Budding

As August approaches, find a source of bud wood that does not have a history of fire blight strikes. Trees that have shown signs of fire blight strikes or that are situated near fire blight infections should be eliminated as a source of bud wood. Cut bud wood fresh every morning if possible.
Occasionally sanitize all tools used for bud wood collection, storage, and budding by washing in detergent and water and disinfecting with sodium hypochlorite bleach. During bud wood collection and budding, frequently spray hand tools with fresh sodium hypochlorite bleach solution, diluted one part to nine of water.

Events and Notices

NSDA Programs Update

Department of Agriculture 2025-26 Program Guidelines and Application forms are available. Please visit www.novascotia.ca/programs for more information. Please contact your NSDA rep for support with applications. Some programs that are still open for application include:

On-Farm Climate Action Fund for Nova Scotia is Open

The On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) is part of the Government of Canada's Agricultural Climate Solutions, a multi-stream program to help farmers tackle climate change.

Farmers can access up to $100,000 in funding to implement Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) that will contribute to on-farm sequestration of carbon and reduce greenhouse gases. Eligible projects must focus on:
• Nitrogen management
• Cover cropping, or
• Rotational grazing

Perennia Food and Agriculture Corporation will be implementing the fund to help farmers adopt these practices in Nova Scotia. Training for farmers and agronomists will also be offered over the three-year program, which ends in March 2028.

Deadline for the first intake of applications is August 31, 2025.

The first step in applying is to complete a program pre-screening form, found on this page https://ofcaf.perennia.ca/funding/. Once the pre-screening is submitted and reviewed, a link to the on-line application form will be sent.

For more information on the program please visit ofcaf.perennia.ca.

Save the Date - NSFGA Summer Tour August 6

The 2025 NSFGA Summer Orchard tour will be held on Wednesday, August 6th, 2025. This year NSFGA is continuing to offer the evening portion of the tour and hosting a barbecue dinner, with families welcome to join for an evening meal! A bus will be provided, seats are limited.

Events like this are only possible through sponsorship! NSFGA has announced that sponsorship opportunities are now available.

Pest Management Guide

We offer printable PDFs of the guides from our website:

This Orchard Outlook has been published with the input of the Orchard Outlook Committee including this week's participants: Joan Hebb, Danny Davison, Harrison Wright, Ian Willick, and Jeff Franklin.

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

Pages

On-Farm Water Management Program - Now Open

Friday, August 22, 2025

Orchard Outlook Newsletter Vol. 25, No 14 & Honeycrisp Fruit Maturity

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Table of Contents:

Late Season Diseases

Preharvest Management of Apple Storage Rots and Fungi

Recommendations:

Insects

Apple Maggot

Horticulture

Defoliation from Necrotic Leaf Blotch?

Tree Health

On-Farm Nursery

Honeycrisp Fruit Maturity Report

Harvest Fruit Quality

Revisit Crop Load and Hand Thinning

Bitter Pit and Calcium

Preharvest Management Strategies - ReTain and Harvista

Summer Pruning and Hedging

Reflective Mulch

Using a Delta Absorbance (DA) Meter

Recommendations:

Reducing Bruising

Recommendations:

Considering Watercore

Recommendations:

Avoiding Internal Browning

Pest Management Guide

Orchard Outlook Newsletter Vol. 25, No 13 - Drought Guidance

Thursday, August 14, 2025

Interpretation of Drought Stress

Decision Making

Additional Considerations

Upcoming Local Events: Tailgate Meeting and Summer Tour

Thursday, July 24, 2025

Orchard Outlook Newsletter Vol. 25, No 12

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Table of Contents:

Weather

2025 Degree Day Accumulations

2025 Precipitation Update

Diseases

Apple – Scab

Recommendations:

Apple – Powdery Mildew

Recommendations:

Apple – Fire Blight Blossom Blight

Fire Blight - Infection Management

Recommendations:

Apple – Black Rot

Recommendations:

Apple - Brooks Spot

Apple - Flyspeck and Sooty Blotch

Insects

Apple and Pear: Codling Moth

Recommendations:

Apple Maggot

Apple - Sucking Insects

Scale Crawlers

Obliquebanded Leafroller

Stone Fruit - Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD)

Field Observations

Leaf Spotting on Ambrosia

Scion Rooting as Rescue Option for Weak Plantings

Nurseries and T-Budding

Horticulture

Tree Health

Solstice Reminders

Nutrition

Mowing

Pruning and Training

Cover Crops

Summer Hedging/Pruning

Nursery Trees

Events and Notices

NSDA Programs Update

On-Farm Climate Action Fund for Nova Scotia is Open

Save the Date - NSFGA Summer Tour August 6