Bloom PeriodBy the time you read this, most fruit trees in northern Illinois will have bloomed. When I visited an orchard in mid‑April, most cultivars were at tight cluster to half‑inch green. Just a week later, some cultivars had already entered late pink and even bloom. This...
May is a critical month for assessing winter trunk damage because trees are fully leafing out and water demand is increasing. Differences in vigor among cultivars and rootstocks that were subtle during bloom are often more obvious now. Along with thinning decisions, this is a good time to evaluate...
The 2026-2027 Midwest Fruit Pest Guide has been updated and the PDF files are available for download. New this year, the spray guide has been divided up into separate sections by fruit family and you can download specific sections, making it...
The mid March cold snap brought temperatures in the 18 to 22 degree range across southern Illinois. Double row covers on plasticulture strawberries did not provide enough protection to save flowers from popcorn up to full bloom in maturity. Flowers in tight bud were saved for the most part. As of...
The luck of the leprechauns may have been with growers this St. Patrick’s Day. By that I mean apples and peaches in Southern Illinois were/are all in bud development stages sensitive to below freezing temperatures, and we definitely got below freezing. Where the luck came in is...
When I started with Extension, I was fresh out of my Ph.D. program with Dr. John Masiunas…and really wet behind the ears compared to what I know now. I have so many people to thank for sharing their expertise and friendship throughout my career, including colleagues, growers, and support...
We have been on the spring roller coaster for temperatures in southern Illinois. March 15-17 saw temperatures plummet, with March 16 not even getting above freezing. We saw lows down to the upper teens across the area. However, by the weekend we were pushing 90 degrees for high...
This October has brought excellent apple harvests across many Northern Illinois orchards, with a mix of traditional, PRI, and MAIA varieties showing strong performance. I visited several orchards this past month and saw healthy crops and steady visitor turnout. Post-harvest fruit quality has varied...
The St Louis Metro East region has been so dry the last several months that it was rather bittersweet for the St Louis Metro East to receive a 3” rain event on one of the biggest fall agritourism weekends. On the one hand, the entire landscape was in desperate need of rain, but on the other...
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...
