Hurricane Francine might have put a damper on the first “official” pumpkin weekend this season, but the following weekends have been near perfect for drawing crowds to fall agritourism activities.  The pumpkin crop is overall good to excellent, and demand is high.  Apple harvest, including u-pick has reached the last cultivars of the season including ‘GoldRush’, ‘Enterprise’, ‘Ludacrisp’, ‘Fuji’, ‘Braeburn’, ‘Granny Smith’ and ‘CandyCrisp’ (pictured in photo provided by Steve Miller, Liberty Apple Orchard 2024). 

Strawberry plasticulture plantings are being monitored closely for any signs or symptoms of Neopestalotiopsis, with growers maintaining a protectant fungicide program ahead of covers going on later this season. The grape harvest for the most part is now complete.  Pecans and horseradish are just in the earliest stages of harvest but should pick up once row crop harvest has been completed.

The entire St Louis Metro East is on the dry side, but I don’t think many are complaining about the near perfect Indian summer weather…unseasonably warm and sunny during the day but cooling enough at night to warrant a light sweater or sweatshirt.  The area has not experienced a hard freeze yet, but a few mornings have dipped low enough to develop frost in low areas.  Field corn has finally dried and lost all vestiges of green, and trees in the landscape have just started putting on some color.