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Ask other growers about sprayers, mowers, scythes, pruning tools, tractors, row-mulchers, wood chippers, cider presses, fermenting vats, and more.
Re: curculio progress - 6 weeks ago
This year has been a weird one. Lots of "anomalies" in terms of insect and disease pests being more prevalent, more virulent, and out for earlier/longer periods of time than "normal." That without a significant increase in resilience of the trees. Can we help trees adapt to changing conditions? I think the answer is an absolute, yes. The best question is how and something I�by Mike Biltonen - Bug by Bug
The Fungal Connection - 7 weeks ago
The Fungal Connection Saturday, June 25, 2022 ~ 8:30-10:30am *NEW for 2022* There is little doubt that the foundation of any farm or orchard is the soil on which is stands. Yet for far too long we have looked at soil and something dead (well maybe not "we" here, but society in general); a combination of sand, silt, clay and gravel made of inert ingredients that we’re nothing more thby Mike Biltonen - Making It Better
Re: curculio progress - 8 weeks ago
PC is a tricky one because we do not have really good monitoring tools (e.g., pheromone traps) and the insecticides that we have are marginal at best. It is a pest that, as Alan points out, likes those first warm nights and can do a lot of damage in a single night. For me, PC requires a multi-pronged approach and multiple applications of different insecticides, esp in this age of extended bloom pby Mike Biltonen - Bug by Bug
Re: bicarb for scab and mixing - 2 months ago
Hey Chris, Honestly, the results - which I can send you - were in a conventional research program with lots of different tank mixes. Ecoswing did seem to make a difference, but it wasn't clear cut since they never tried it alone or with other biofungicides. However, it was enough of a difference that I decided to finally try it in my bio program and see what results it made for me. This isby Mike Biltonen - Fungal Pathogens
Re: bicarb for scab and mixing - 2 months ago
I've assumed that K-bicarb was short-lived since its reaction with water or humidity is what kicks it into action. K-silica is interesting from a plant protection standpoint (but not a plant immune booster) since it "fills" the intracellular spaces between cells and strengthens the overall tissue structure. Whereas calcium strengthens cell walls. calcium and silica together (alongby Mike Biltonen - Fungal Pathogens
Re: clay orchard - 2 months ago
I've enjoyed reading everyone's responses and they echo a lot of my own thoughts. A few things to add (in some cases to reiterate), but first ...... my own orchard was planted into a site where the clay predominated (also it was part old vineyard and part scrubby pine forest) and I didn't have enough time to adequately prepare the soil before I planted the trees, so everything wasby Mike Biltonen - Starting an Orchard
Re: Apple Borer Again - 2 months ago
Hi Joanne, To answer a few of your questions: 1. How much spinosad? Not much. The "normal" rate/acre is 8 oz and so if you calculate and spread that out over an acre's worth of trees you'll be about right. 2. How long will it last? Not very, certainly not an entire season. But if you time it to when the first larvae are hatching you should be able to catch that wave. Asby Mike Biltonen - Bug by Bug
Re: Apple Borer Again - 2 months ago
I've had this cursed conversation with a number of growers I consult with. Based on years experience (and constant vigilance) I feel i have struck on the right combination of approaches. - know when the adults are flying and mating - so understand there life cycle and biology. This goes for dogwood borer as well. with DWB there are pheromone traps to capture adults when they fly. This isby Mike Biltonen - Bug by Bug
Labs for testing plant teas - 3 months ago
I am planning to run a series of nutrient tests this year where we making a number of plant teas (fresh and fermented) from a variety of medicinal herbs for use on plants. I am seeking a reliable lab that can conduct these kinds of tests (on the tea itself, not an extract per se or plant sap analysis). So, has anyone ever done this? What labs can folks recommend? Are there any pitfalls or thingsby Mike Biltonen - Grower Research
Re: Root rot on young apple tree - 3 months ago
A "quick" test for any pathogens would be pasteurize a small qty of the soil where your trees are planted and then do a beak sprout test where you germinate mung beans (or whatever) in separate samples of pasteurized and unpasteurized soil. If there is any difference in growth, the you have "some issue." What it is or may be a different question. It could be phytophthora, rhizby Mike Biltonen - Just Talk
Re: 2022 Thinning trials - 3 months ago
I've used Regalia before as a thinner and it does work. Greg Peck's research shows that applied at petal fall timings can reduce fruit set. It can also burn petals and blossom thin that way. That's a bit trickier as I've taken too much off in some instances. Timing is critical and that's where using the pollen tube growth model can help so you don't off too much befoby Mike Biltonen - Organic Thinning
Re: Reference book on Grape growing? - 3 months ago
Pierre Masson has several good books - this is a good general one with a chapter on grapes - Here. Jean-Michel Florin - Here.. Brit and Per Karlsson - Here. And of course Deidre Heekin - Here.by Mike Biltonen - Grapes
Re: soil vs leaf tests - 3 months ago
It would be good to see or know the actual levels before commenting. I've found most extension agents (based on ivory tower research) focus on baseline nutrition and not optimal nutrition. Also, very rarely do they consider the ratios of nutrients to another, much less the interactions or quantum functionality. Many labs do not even test for the full spectrum of micronutrients. Not to discouby Mike Biltonen - Tree Fruit Nutrition
Re: do you care? - 5 months ago
Mason, I think you'll find some kindred spirits here. Nobody is too chummy with Zuckerberg et al (though some of us do use FB - guilty!) or social media in general. We prefer a good pair of Felcos and some nice bittersweets. Thanks for chiming in and letting us know you're out there. Cheers!by Mike Biltonen - Just Talk
Re: The Future of HON and the Forum - 5 months ago
I just want to clarify that by using the word clandestine I didn't mean anything necessarily secretive or nefarious going on, I just didn't understand the BOA's role in the past and I don't understand its role going forward. Without Michael, how does the BOA function, if at all? Apart from some mentions here and there, it didn't have an outward-facing role as far as I couby Mike Biltonen - Just Talk
Re: Freeze Protection - 5 months ago
The ultimate answer will be: it depends. I have used wind machines extensively over the years and they work, but only under specific conditions. You need to have an inversion and the temperatures can't get too low before it just blows around cold air. In my experience, they are ineffective below 28F. Water (ice) is effective, but as James said you need to keep pouring it on while it is freezby Mike Biltonen - Grower Research
Re: soil vs leaf tests - 5 months ago
Hi Molly, I do not have any experience using kelp vs borax (Solubor) in comparison. I do know that boron is essential for fine root hair growth and that encourages denser contact with soil solution and particles to pick up calcium and other nutrients. It also feed soil microbes and encourages Michaelryzal connections. However, while boron can be toxic to stone fruit (and grapes) it is still anby Mike Biltonen - Tree Fruit Nutrition
Re: Michael - 5 months ago
Thanks Brittany. I for one second the need to have a rigorous discussion about how to keep the forum going. There are a small handful of folks that contribute and participate on a regular basis, a bunch of others that pop in from time to time, and still more (the majority) that we never hear from. Apart from the finances and the management of the site, we need to (still?) figure out who's inby Mike Biltonen - Just Talk
Re: Michael - 5 months ago
I didn’t know Michael well, but I knew him well enough. We met several times over the past 20 years. A few times at conferences, mostly at the Berkshire Roundtable each March. I never made it to one of his intensives or visited him at Lost Nation Orchard, and I hadn’t seen him at the Roundtable since March 2020 because of Covid. And we were mere days away from another vigorous “hang,” talking appby Mike Biltonen - Just Talk
Re: Trees in a Hoop House - 5 months ago
Ah yes, the orchard in a hoop house trick. When I worked at Red Jacket in Geneva NY we had 2 long Haygrove high tunnels that had cherries, apricots and a few plums in them. There were a lot of issues with them principally that they were not installed on the right site (not the tunnel's problem) and the taking down/putting up of the plastic, plus wind, caused huge expenses and labor problems.by Mike Biltonen - Orchard Systems
Re: Inflation Cometh to the Farm - 5 months ago
But Todd, you know how apple growers just "love" to nuance the heck out what they do. I jest of course. But your statement: "Or more directly, how little can we do to actually grow things in a responsible fashion" was exactly the reason I started my Apostrophe Orchard. How little was just enough, how much was too much....where is the sweet spot? Masanobu Fukuoka (Mr. One Strawby Mike Biltonen - Just Talk
Re: spring gypsum - 5 months ago
"%CEC occupied by calcium" makes more sense. It's still very low.by Mike Biltonen - Tree Fruit Nutrition
Re: Competitive Colonization with Beneficial Fungi - 5 months ago
Interestingly I have started to grow mushrooms and contamination is always an issue. Whether fungal or bacterial, it is always an issue. I say this because I was able to grow Trichoderma (instead my preferred mushroom0 quite easily by using biochar that was left outside au naturel for a year. What I learned is that Trich doesn't just occupy space it feeds on mycelium which sounds great if yoby Mike Biltonen - Fungal Pathogens
Re: spring gypsum - 5 months ago
Brittany - I presume you mean base cation ratio (%) and not CEC (Cation Exchange Capacity) when you mention the calcium levels. If that is the case, then yes, any value in the 50s is very low. I like to see CECs between 8-12 with OM at 4-5%. Any higher than that then you are moving into an organic soil territory with either very strong binding effects for cations or very low soil biological actby Mike Biltonen - Tree Fruit Nutrition
Webinar Series: An Orchard is More than the sum of its Parts - 5 months ago
ANNOUNCING The 2022 Know Your Roots Orcharding Webinar Series: “Holistic and Biodynamic Pomology: An Orchard is More Than Just the Sum of Its Parts.” This revised 16-course series covers almost all aspects of orchard stewardship for any apple grower, but with an organic and cosmic flavor, and includes updated and new material spread throughout the year. While the focus will be primarily on applesby Mike Biltonen - Just Talk
Re: Introduction and help w/old wild trees - 6 months ago
Hi Josh and Charlie, I'd love to find out where you are in the FLX. I live and farm outside of Ithaca with my own apple orchard (one I won the other I manage). If you PM me I can send you a document I put together that addresses my approach to this very issue. I'd also love to also speak with you about consulting on your project (that's what I do for a living) and or collaboratinby Mike Biltonen - Pruning
Re: Fireblight Options - 6 months ago
Hi Edgar, You're very welcome. I would advise switching out Regalia at Pink for Cueva + DN. Brand Name Active Ingredient Mode Lifegard LC Bacillus mycoides isolate J SAR BlightBan A506 Pseudomonas fluorescens A506 CC Blossom Protect Aurobasidium pullalans DSM 14940, 14941 CC Bloomtime FDby Mike Biltonen - Bacterial Opportunists
Re: Fireblight Options - 6 months ago
First off, I wouldn't apply Regalia at bloom for fireblight since it has been shown to thin apple blossoms at 1+ gal/acre plus esp if there is an adjuvant or oil in the tank mix. Second, copper can cause phytoxicity and thereby burn flowers/flower parts, reducing the overall fruit set - but mostly on high elemental copper compounds and not necessarily on lower ones like Cueva. None of this iby Mike Biltonen - Bacterial Opportunists
Re: thinning cider varieties - 6 months ago
Measuring TCSA is a pretty straightforward exercise. Determining crop load per TCSA is another matter and depends on the variety. Here's a quick video to explain: here. Now, they say 30 cm (or 11.811") but I usually measure at 45.72 cm (or 18") just above the top of my trunk guards. It's all relative anyway, so if you are developing your own crop load/TCSA database then it doeby Mike Biltonen - Organic Thinning
Re: Periodical Cicadas - 6 months ago
Thanks for posting this! I saw this article and it really resonated with a passion of mine over the years, and one we don't talk enough about when we discuss controls. We're all too often focused on sprays and forget to leverage the other aspects of nature that can assist - such as beneficials. Two growers I work with had trees with serious cicada damage last year. The result was damageby Mike Biltonen - Bug by Bug