Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Affects of heat

Seeing a  lot of western blight on hazelnuts due to
lack of rain, lack of irrigation and burn on the
 south side of tree already.  - Witches broom in
 the tops of the trees.

Table bets and chard - leaf miners.  The transparent
areas on top of the leaf.  There will be a little miner
 in between the leaf layers.

Tomatoes and peppers - early blight - black spots
on lower leaves.

Spinach - bolting already.  Got to hot.

Finding small leaf rollers or inch worms on
blueberry fruit.


Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Enjoy the summer

Cherries - nearly done.
Strawberries - nearly done.

Rasp[berries - smaller crop this year.
Blueberries - big crop and now ready on
early varieties.
Blackberries - looks like a huge crop.  Remember that
 the wild blackberry is needed for bumble bees, honey
 bees. mason bees, other pollinating insects and predators.

Tansey ragwort - our nemesis.  Please a few growing
 (not going to seed) in a corner of the lot or pasture. 
The biological insects did such a good job, the tansey
population crashed, and so did the bio insects.  We need
to remember - balance. A few tansey ragwort plants
for the bio.  Just like planting or keeping the pollen
flowers and blackberries, if everyone does a small
 bit, we can help save the bees and pollinators, and
 tansey bio insects.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Gardens and veggies

Kale and broccoli are looking nice.

Kale -= is leafing out nicely.

Tomatoes - starting to size and flower.
Some zucci - doing OK.

Cucumbers - very slow.
Peppers - slow, too cold in the AM's.
Place water jugs next to them to keep them warmer.

Only one report of spotted wing drosophila
in strawberries.

Cherry fruit fly - low numbers so far.

Apples - pretty scabby.  Pears - still pretty clean.

Red currants - still picking and nice color.
Red and golden raspberries - nice crop.

Weeds - going crazy.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Now what

Strawberries - ripening nicely and little damage form
the rain except for Monday and Tuesday of this week.

Early blueberries - ripening, seem to be bigger this year. 
Keep a weary eye out for a disease called mummyberry
 where the berries become gray/white, very hard.  Try
 to pick and destroy these berries.

Thin apples - ASAP.

Apple and pear scab - really bad.

Cole crops - doing really well.
Warm season plants - kind of growing but very slow.

Spotted wing drosophila - slow to emerge, even tho
traps showed it in March/April.  Keep traps filled
with fresh apple cider vinegar.

Cherry fruit fly - also slow emergence.  Put up yellow
sticky board to monitor flies.

Weeds and lawns - going crazy.

Moss really bad this year.  For growing areas,
just add ag lime.




Friday, June 13, 2014

Rain and wet

Weekly crop report

Rain today - protect tree fruits from fungus problems.
Cherries - being picked.
Strawberries - good season.
Red currants - excellent crop.
Early blueberries - nice crop.
Grapes - looks like a big crop.

Apples - scab and cedar rust problems.

High population of leaf hoppers this year.



Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Meeting



Disease Alert Meeting
Black Leg & Leaf Spots in Brassica, Mustard & Radish Crops

June 18th – starting at 1:30 PM
Linn County Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte RD, Albany

Program followed by Q&A session on recent disease epidemics in Brassiceae
•           important for growers of Brassica, Raphanus, Sinapis seed and vegetable crops
•           important for producers who use brassicas as forage and cover crops  

Program speakers:
Lindsey du Toit – Vegetable Seed Pathologist, Washington State University
Carol Mallory-Smith – Professor of Weed Science, Oregon State University
Cindy Ocamb – Plant Pathologist, Oregon State University Extension
Maryna Serdani – Plant Pathologist, Oregon State University Plant Clinic
 
 

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Pear saw fly

Are those really slugs on the leaves? No. Caterpillars? 
No. Pear sawflies, also known as pear slugs or cherry 
sawflies, are out and feeding in the North Willamette Valley. 
The are the larvae of small wasps. They have been spotted on 
cherry but have other common hosts including pears and plums. 
Look for them on the lower leaves of host plants. I've put together
 a new pear sawfly page with more information, links, and images. 
Robin
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/nurspest/pear_sawfly.html