Kentucky Fruit Facts January-February Newsletter 2018 http://www.uky.edu/hort/documents-list-fruit-facts Cooperative Extension Service John Strang, Extension Fruit Specialist, Editor University of Kentucky Horticulture Department Denise Stephens, Newsletter Designer 1100 So. Limestone St. Lexington Ky 40546-0091 (859) 257-2909 Inside this Issue: Fax: (859) 257-2859 Fruit Crop News . .1 extension.ca.uky.edu Upcoming Meetings. .2 Thornless Erect Blackberry Cultivar Trial . 3 of the state showing that we had a few spots that Pesticide Certification: Who Needs It? . .4 were particularly cold and peach flower bud damage Black Knot. .6 probably occurred in these areas. The temperatures Cane Diseases of Brambles. .6 below 0°F more than likely caused damage to Receiving Fruit Facts on the Internet . .8 thornless blackberries. The rule of thumb is that for every degree below 0°F thornless blackberries lose 10% of the crop. Keep in mind that these Fruit Crop News low temperatures occurred in early January when John Strang, U.K. Extension Horticulturist and Matt Dixon, blackberries were at their maximum hardiness level U.K. Ag Meteorologist so there may not be any injury to plants where the temperature was a few degrees below 0°F. We are hopefully through the coldest portion While pruning watch for signs of San Jose of the winter and it is time to start pruning apple and Scale in your trees. Feeding by each insect causes pear trees. Prune the oldest trees first leaving your an increase in the reddish purple pigments beneath youngest until later in the spring. If you have semi- the bark leaving a small circular spot around the dwarf or dwarf trees that are spaced out and trained to feeding site. The dormant oil or superior oil spray is a Central Leader this heritage video may help refresh normally used to control San Jose Scale and where your memory on pruning http://video.ca.uky.edu/ serious problems are found growers may want to use videos/video/187/ If you have dwarf trees that are the Esteem 35WP growth regulator between half- being trained to a Vertical Axis System this publication inch green and second cover on apple. The low rate is should be helpful http://www.uky.edu/hort/sites/www. effective before bloom, but the high rate is necessary uky.edu.hort/files/documents/appletraining.pdf Finally after bloom for control. if you are training trees to the high density Tall Spindle Take a moment and check beneath your System this YouTube video is very good. https://www. trees for vole tunneling. These short-tailed mice youtube.com/watch?v=pngepwJFZGI are plant feeders and when other forage is scarce Wait until March to prune peach and nectarine and particularly when there is snow cover, they trees as they do not develop the same hardiness concentrate on chewing the bark off fruit tree roots. levels as apple and pear trees and pruning causes a Control measures are in the Midwest Fruit Pest localized de-hardening where pruning cuts are made. Management Guide. Examination of peach buds at the Princeton Research The 2018 Midwest Fruit Pest Management and Education Center and Lexington Horticultural Guide is out and there are a number of changes from Research Farm show little or no damage to peach the 2017guide. Hard copies are available through flower buds. However, in early January temperatures your Kentucky County Extension Office or it can be were considerably colder in some areas than at our down loaded at no cost at https://ag.purdue.edu/hla/ research stations. Matt Dixon in the U.K Ag Weather Hort/Pages/sfg_sprayguide.aspx Center provided the Extreme Low Temperature map Upcoming Meetings 2606 Breeding Rd., Edmonton, KY 42129. 1:00 p.m. All times EST unless noted CST, Contact Metcalfe County Extension Office 270- 432-3561. Feb. 24 Kentucky Superfoods (Blueberries) Feb. 19 Orchard Production, Bullitt County Co-op Association Developmental Meeting, Extension Office, 384 Halls Lane, Shepherdsville, KY Warren County Extension Office, 3132 Nashville 40165, 6:00 p.m. CST. Contact 502-543-2257. Rd., Bowling Green, KY 42101, 3:30 p.m. CST, All Feb. 22 Home Strawberry Production, Lyon growers are welcome. Contact 270-842-1681. County Extension Office, 231 Main St., Eddyville, KY Feb. 27 Apple Grafting Workshop, Taylor 42038. 6:30 p.m. Contact 270-388-2341. County Extension Office, 1143 South Columbia Ave., Feb. 22-24 14th Annual West Virginia Small Campbellsville, KY 42718., 5:30 p.m., Contact: 270- Farm Conference, Morgantown Event Center and 465-4511. Waterfront Place Hotel, Morgantown, WV. To register Mar. 1 Ohio Food Industry Summit 2018, see: https://extension.wvu.edu/conferences/small- Nationwide Hotel & Conference Center, 100 Green farm-conference Meadows Drive S, Lewis Center, OH 43035 9:00 Feb 23 Hands-on Fruit Tree Pruning a.m.-3:00 p.m., Registration $145.00, ciftinnovation. Workshop, The Giving Fields, 101 Anderson Lane, org. Melbourne, KY 41059. 1:00-3:00 p.m. Limited Mar 2 Spring Viticulture Workshop, U.K. class size, registration required. To register call Horticultural Research Farm, 4321 Emmert Farm Campbell County Extension Office, 859-572-2600 or Lane, Lexington Ky 40514. Contact 859-494-1657. register online at www.ca.uky.edu/campbell. Dress Mar. 3 Apple Orchard Field Day, Fleming appropriately and bring pruning equipment if you have County Extension Office and Morehead State it. University Farm, 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. See program Feb. 23 Informal Apple Pruning Meeting, below. UK Research and Education Center, 1205 Mar. 5 Fruit Tree Sprays, Bullitt County Hopkinsville Street, Princeton, KY 42445, 1:00-4:00 Extension Office, 384 Halls Lane, Shepherdsville, KY p.m. CST. Contact 270-365-7541 Ext. 262. Meet 40165, 6:00 p.m., Contact 502-543-2257. in lobby of main building and travel up to research Mar. 6 Fruit Grower Orchard Meeting, orchard. Mulberry Orchard, Matt and Amanda Gajdzik, 1330 Focus will be on pruning vertical axis apple and Mulberry Pike, Shelbyville, KY 40065., 10:00 a.m., open center peach training systems, but will also give See program below. participants a chance to experience pruning a mature Mar. 6 Tree Fruit Pruning Workshop, tall spindle apple training system. Hopkins County Extension Office, 75 Cornwall Drive, Feb. 24 Fruit Tree and Blueberry Pruning Madisonville, KY 42431., 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. CST. Demonstration, Valley View Orchard & Blueberries, 2 Contact 270-821-3650. KY 40383, 6:00 p.m., Contact 859-873-4601. Mar. 7 Fruit Tree Grafting Workshop, Apr. 16 Grafting Fruit Trees, Bullitt County Woodford County Extension Office, 184 Beasley Dr., Extension Office, 384 Halls Lane, Shepherdsville, KY Versailles, KY 40383, 6:00 p.m., Contact 859-873- 40165, 6:00 p.m., Contact 502-543-2257. 4601. Apr. 19 Plasticulture Strawberry Field Mar. 8 Pruning and Grafting Workshops, Walk, Bob Craycraft Farm, 3075 E KY 8, Vanceburg, Laurel County Extension Office, 200 County KY 41179, Lewis County, 5:00 p.m., Contact 606- Extension Rd., London, KY 40741., 10:00 a.m. 796-2732 grafting; 2:00 p.m. pruning. Contact 606-464-2759. Apr 21. Kentucky Nut Growers Association Mar. 8 Fruit Tree Pruning, 14691 Decoursey Spring Meeting, Henderson County Extension Office, Pike, Morningview, KY 41063. 3:00-5:00 p.m. Dress 3341 Zion Rd., Henderson, KY 42420, 9:30 a.m. CST. for cold weather. Pre-registration required by phone Contact Danny Ganno 270-860-8362. at: 859-356-3155 or online at: https://kenton.ca.uky. edu/content/line-class-registration Apple Orchard Field Day - Saturday, March 3 Mar. 9 Tree Fruit Pruning and Grafting Fleming County Extension Office Demonstration, Grayson County Extension Office, 1384 Elizaville Rd. 123 Commerce Drive, Leitchfield, KY 42754, 10:00 Flemingsburg, KY 41041 a.m.-2:00 p.m. CST. Contact 270-259-3492. Phone: 606-845-4641 Mar. 13 Pruning Demonstration, Clay Registration $10.00 covers lunch and materials County Extension Office, 69 Jameson Rd., Manchester, KY 40962. Meet at the Clay County Extension office at 1:00 p.m. and then carpool to the Program: orchard demonstration at 1:30:p.m. Contact 606-598- All times EST 2789. 8:30-10:30 a.m. Apple Tree Grafting Workshop Mar. 15 Fruit Tree Pruning Demonstration, – John Strang Earl Blackwell Farm, Estill County., 5:00 p.m., 10:30-12:30 p.m. Rotating Sessions Contact 606-723-4557. Wildlife Control - Matt Springer Mar 20 Apple Grafting Workshop, Scott Insect Management - Ric Bessin County Extension Office, 1130 Cincinnati Rd., Disease Management - Nicole Gauthier Georgetown, KY 40324., 6:00 p.m., Contact 502-863- Apple Varieties and Culture - John Strang 0984. 12:30 Lunch Mar. 24 Plasticulture Strawberry Meeting, Wilson’s Cedar Point Farm, 66 Garfield Tarter Rd., Morehead State University Apple Orchard Nancy, KY 42544, 10:00 a.m., EST Sponsored by the (Browning’s Apple Orchard) Kentucky Strawberry Association. Growers will have Wallingford, KY the chance to see Joel’s newest strawberry bed shaper 2:00 p.m. Tree Pruning and Wildlife Control and plastic laying equipment to make very high Management – John Strang and crowned beds and see the strawberry plant growth Matt Springer response. Contact Pulaski County Extension Office 606-679-6361 or Joel Wilson 606-305-8762. Fruit Grower Orchard Meeting - Tuesday, March 6 Mar. 26 Small Fruit Production, Morgan Mulberry Orchard County Extension Office, 1002 Prestonsburg St., Matt and Amanda Gajdzik, owners West Liberty, KY 40165, 6:00 p.m., Contact 606-743- 1330 Mulberry Pike 3292 Shelbyville, KY 40065 Apr. 10 Fruit Pruning Demonstration and Market: 502-655-2633 Grafting Workshop, Cumberland County Extension Amanda Mobile: 502-220-7516 Office, 90 Smith Grove Rd., Burkesville, KY 42717, Website: https://www.mulberryorchardky.com/ 2:00 p.m.