Good news – the sky is blue again! I was wondering if we would have haze until all the fires were out in the west.
Bad news (well not that bad) – Frost warning for tonight. And while you won’t find me hanging out in the weedy edges of your fields at those temperatures, remember that it is not yet cold enough to not find ticks out there waiting for you to wander by. Stay tick safe!
And on the issue of staying safe, this story made me think of Christmas tree growers. https://www.morningagclips.com/farmer-who-is-lucky-to-be-alive-takes-time-for-safety/ There is a lot going on when you are out working but keep safety up there at the top of mind.
It drives me nuts when I have to look up an acronym to understand what something is about (feel free to call me out if I do it to you- I’ll give myself a bye for IPM), so I looked this one up for you:
IVM (Integrated vegetation management) – Non-target injury: Applicator Prevention and Response
Wed, Sept 23, 2020 12:00-1:30 Eastern
Don’t forget the Agritourism webinar we’ll be presenting Sept 23 from 7:00-8:00
Join Zoom Meeting
https://cornell.zoom.us/j/91887654517?pwd=cEFBSUovbGdWT0gvM0gxSFJLenpkdz09
Meeting ID: 918 8765 4517
Passcode: 123456
GDD Sept 18 Sept 23
Champlain 2240 2252
Geneva 2512 2534
Riverhead 3180 3222
Another set of bug questions this week – Cinara aphids. They are large, often black in color and don’t do much physical damage to the trees. However, they can stay on the tree after it is cut and once in someone’s home, abandon the tree for the walls, etc. When squashed they are likely to leave a purple stain. Neither characteristic leads to happy customers. So scout for them this time of year on trees that are market sized – sometimes the presence of wasps/yellow jackets on the honeydew helps. They are often in colonies on the trunk. We don’t seem to hear of lots of trees with them at the same time but you might want to mark those trees and keep an eye on the colony as you get closer to cutting as beneficials may take care of them. Shaking will dislodge many but not all – one more thing to check when you are selling trees.
Pictures – https://influentialpoints.com/Gallery/Cinara_curvipes_bow-legged_fir_aphid.htm
Have a great week!