Southeast Michigan vegetable update – June 13, 2018:
Across the state, heat stress is being seen in transplants put in the ground during the unseasonably hot Memorial Day weekend. …..All of these symptoms can easily be mistaken for a disease or nutritional issue, though if it is heat stress plants should recover and grow normally with time.
Crop notes for cucurbits:
For cucumbers and melons, note that in the next couple of weeks we will likely see downy mildew establish in Michigan, so keep an eye out for it as you are in your fields. Currently, cucurbit downy mildew has established itself in the southern U.S., and Mary Hausbeck’s spore traps in the Bay area and west Michigan have caught very low numbers of cucurbit downy mildew spores.
Downy mildew usually arrives in our region around the Fourth of July, but every year is different. Keep an eye out for this disease, especially after strings of cloudy days with high humidity.
Crop notes for Pumpkin:
Pumpkins and winter squash have gone in, plants have emerged. Squash vine borer emergence is predicted to begin in the next few days in our region. This day-flying moth is a pest as larvae tunnel into the plant’s crown, causing wilting and plant death. I have traps out in Washtenaw and Lenawee counties and will report on catches to help time any control efforts. For more information on this pest and control measures, see “Squash Vine Borer Biology and Management” from MSU Extension.
Read the article from the MSU Vegetable Program.
West central Michigan vegetable update – June 13, 2018
For cucurbits, Jack O’ Lantern growers at some farms were focused on early-season weed control with cultivation and rotary hoeing this week. In-row weeding with reggie weeders was also on the to-do list for some fields.
Cucurbit downy mildew spore counts increased slightly at an Allegan County trapping location this week. The pickle industry has moved plantings earlier this year in some parts of the state. This may mean we could see earlier than normal cucurbit downy mildew sightings.
Southwest Michigan vegetable update – June 13, 2018
Tunnel-grown, slicing cucumbers are at 4 inches and harvest will probably begin next week. Harvest from early, direct-seeded zucchini and yellow squash will began later this week or early next week.
West central Michigan vegetable update – June 6, 2018
For cucurbits, planting of butternut for processing has occurred and Jack O’ Lantern planting was ongoing at some Oceana County farms. The cucurbit downy mildew spore trap network is up and running. To date, spores have been captured in Muskegon and Saginaw counties, but not in numbers that are very concerning.
Read the article from the MSU Vegetable Program.
Southwest Michigan vegetable update – June 6, 2018
Tunnel-grown cucumbers are in bloom as are some early, direct seeded zucchini and summer squash.
Cantaloupe and watermelon are doing well and have begun to grow off the plastic.
