As of this week, 9/22, we are about halfway into the apple season in Northern Illinois. I’ve had the opportunity to visit six orchards in the area this month and the crop looks good overall. Some orchards are running about a week ahead compared to last season. The end of September will bring...
Northern Illinois Orchards OpenApple season begins toward the end of August. Most orchards have announced their openings for the weekend of August 23rd, with almost all open by August 30th. This timing is driven largely by 'Zestar!', a...
As kids go back to school, operations have started the shift from summer crops over to fall crops, which includes the transition from peaches to apples. Peaches are in the ‘Cresthaven’ window, with cultivars like ‘Encore’, ‘Autumnstar’ and ‘Laurol’ yet to finish out the season. Apples are in...
WeatherJuly was wet, stormy and hot. End of story. But really, some farms received excessive amounts of rain all at once that left them with temporary flooding conditions that was then combined with days of heat. Between July 10-11, parts of northern Illinois received 3-5 inches of rain. Some...
Despite oppressive heat and humidity throughout the St Louis Metro East region, peach harvest continues with ongoing reports of good fruit size and quality. Harvest has moved out of the ‘Reliance’ window and into the ‘Red Haven’ window, to include cultivars like ‘PF-15A’, ‘Bounty’, ‘Newhaven’, and...
WeatherJune began with much-needed rainfall, with most areas receiving 1-3 inches over three days. Temperatures remained consistent at the start of the month, ranging from 70-80°F during the day and dropping to the 50s at night, accompanied by periodic showers and storms across the region. However...
In addition to peach harvesting in the southern part of the region of cultivars like ‘Glenglo’, ‘PF 5D Big’, and ‘Sentry’, sweet corn harvesting started the last full week of June in the St Louis Metro east. Comparatively, the northern part of the region is harvesting peaches in the ‘PF 8...
Research update from Karuna Kafle, master's student working in the Specialty Crops Entomology Lab, University of Illinois Department of Crop SciencesPlum curculio continues to be a serious concern for most peach orchards in Illinois...
Apple Fruit SetFor the week of May 19, apples are currently at about 10-11 mm for most varieties this far north. The season is moving quickly and with this growth, some growers have started their first chemical thinning application for the season. I was a bit concerned about...
Peaches hanging in there - On Friday, May 16, tornadoes impacted several locations across Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky. Many in surrounding areas not directly affected by the...
