Hi Fruit Growers!

The sun is shining today – that’s my good news for the day.

          Some early apple flower buds have cracked open and green tip is just around the corner. Now is an excellent time to apply a copper fungicide to protect against fire blight. New York state’s Scaffold weekly newsletter that does an excellent job discussing fire blight and early season scab  management. I strongly recommend reading it. You can subscribe to weekly Scaffold Newsletters by contacting Art Agnello at: ama4@cornell.edu and include your name, location (city/state or province) and affiliation (e.g., commercial grower, home/hobbyist grower, fruit industry representative, consultant, university, government, etc.)

          Another newsletter you should subscribe to is UMass Healthy Fruit. Jon Clements, Jaime Pinero, Dan Cooley, and Liz Garofalo do a great job supplying helpful information each week. This publication costs $65 each year and is well worth it! You can purchase a subscription at UMass Extension Bookstore at this link.

          A third extremely useful newsletter comes from Mary Conklin at UConn. You can sign up for her email newsletters by contacting her at mary.concklin@uconn.edu

          I encourage you to read out of state newsletters for information because I do not do a good job with weekly newsletters. I used to be better, but since I’ve been running the URI Plant Clinic (2005) I have not been able to do it. Sorry – but there are terrific, timely newsletters available and much better than I ever did!

          I have permission to make farm visits this week as long as I travel alone and stay 10′ away from another person. Hopefully I’ll get permission next week too. Let me know if you need/want a farm visit.

          Take care and be safe! And I hope to see you soon,

Heather