Fruit and Vegetable News

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Understanding dormancy and chilling hours in perennial fruit crops

Image: The cycle of growth, fall acclimation, and dormancy that a perennial fruit crop goes through each year. These stages are all necessary for its growth, reproduction, and survival, and can provide a lens that helps growers better understand fruit production. Infographic by Madeline Wimmer. Words to be familiar with : Fall acclimation : A series of physiological changes triggered by external and internal factors that prepare a perennial plant to survive the winter and have enough carbohydrate reserves to support next year’s bud break, before mature, photosynthesizing leaves have developed. Dormancy : the portion of a plant’s life cycle when a number of physiological changes occur that allow the plant to overwinter in a less active state. Endodormancy : Also referred to as true dormancy, this state happens when plants first acclimate and go into dormancy. This state usually remains until a certain number of chilling hours have accumulated. Chilling hours : Hours where the ambient te

Choosing apple rootstocks and ordering bare root apple trees

Given that it's November, we're far away from the start of the growing season, but now is a good time to think about ordering apple bare root trees for future plantings; which may mean receiving plants for establishment in 2026 when ordering now, depending on the order. Most growers are familiar with the fruit characteristics offered by various apple varieties, which is is contributed by the scion, or the top portion of the apple tree. However, one of the most important questions to answer prior to ordering apple bare root trees is "Which rootstock should I choose?" Apple trees consist of a scion variety that is grafted, or fused with a rootstock variety. In this photo, a young Honeycrisp tree grafted onto a G935 rootstock. The graft union, where the scion and rootstock come together, is visible near the base of the plant. (Photo credit: Annie Klodd). While some growers practice grafting their own apple trees, many choose to order pre-grafted trees instead. Thus,

Coolbot walk-in coolers

With the upcoming deadline for the Beginning Farmer Equipment and Infrastructure Grant program, we are publishing a series of articles about low cost equipment that can make farming more efficient on a small-scale. All of the equipment highlighted works well for farmers on rented land, as it can be easily moved to a new site. In this article, we highlight the use of coolbot walk-in coolers A lower cost cooler option Safe storage of produce generally requires temperatures below 40 degrees. Normal walk-in coolers require a condenser and evaporator to bring a walk-in cooler down to this temperature range. A CoolBot controller works with a normal air conditioner to achieve the same result. When is a CoolBot the right type of cooler? CoolBots are generally much simpler and less expensive than traditional walk-in coolers. However, they are not always the right infrastructure for a produce farm. Coolbots work well with smaller walk-in coolers (less than 10’ x 20’), coolers that are very

Low-cost packshed structure design ideas

With the upcoming deadline for the Beginning Farmer Equipment and Infrastructure Grant program, we are publishing a series of articles about low cost equipment that can make farming more efficient on a small-scale. All of the equipment highlighted works well for farmers on rented land, as it can be easily moved to a new site. In this article, we highlight ideas for low-cost packsheds. Packsheds are an essential part of food safe produce handling on the farm. Let’s begin by looking at common reasons for building a packshed and key features that must be included in any packshed design. Why build a packshed? Packsheds provide an accessible space for washing, packing and grading produce on vegetable farms. Packsheds serve as a central space for storing harvest supplies like knives, rubber bands, produce bins and wax boxes. Packsheds allow farmers to clean and pack vegetables in a food safe manner. This leads to better quality and longer lasting produce, which increases farm profitability

Lower cost equipment for seeding and transplanting on vegetable farms

With the upcoming deadline for the Beginning Farmer Equipment and Infrastructure Grant program, we are publishing a series of articles about low cost equipment that can make farming more efficient on a small-scale. All of the equipment highlighted works well for farmers on rented land, as it can be easily moved to a new site. In this article, we highlight tools for seeding and transplanting. Why Purchase Seeding and Transplanting Tools? Although it is possible to seed and transplant vegetable crops by hand, there are many advantages to using tools for these tasks. Seeding and transplanting tools greatly improve efficiency, are easier on the body, lower costs, increase yields and make for easier harvesting and cultivation. Push seeders Push seeders generally do not require a tractor, electricity, fuel or any specialized tools to set up or fix. A push seeder works by the user walking it down a bed, which lays seed in a straight row. Features of push seeders All push seeders are built to

Walk behind tractors: A low cost way to mechanize your farm operation

With the upcoming deadline for the Beginning Farmer Equipment and Infrastructure Grant program, we are publishing a series of articles about low cost equipment that can make farming more efficient on a small-scale. All of the equipment highlighted works well for farmers on rented land, as it can be easily moved to a new site. In this article, we highlight walk behind tractors Why Purchase a Walk Behind Tractor? Walk Behind tractors can provide an affordable way to start mechanizing basic operations on your farm like tillage and cultivation. These machines work well for farmers that run small acreage farms. They can accomplish many of the same tasks as a tractor but at a much lower price point. Walk Behind tractors are relatively simple to repair compared to traditional tractors - making them ideal for farmers uncomfortable fixing heavy equipment. Note: although Walk Behind tractors can perform some functions on larger operations - they are generally not appropriate for larger vegetable

Fall drought conditions update + are you seeing abnormal blueberry bud development this year?

Madeline Wimmer- Extension educator (wimm0035@umn.edu) Fall drought conditions update: Images: Minnesota maps showing drought intensity for the state on October 24th and November 7th, 2024. Viewers may note that while recent rainfalls in some Minnesota regions have relieved parts of the metro and the southeast corner, many regions are still experiencing drought levels ranging from abnormally dry to severe drought levels. This year’s unique weather patterns have had a notable impact on Minnesota’s fruit-growing season. The growing season started off with frequent rain events that created a number of challenges for fruit growers related to pest management and overall plant stress, and was followed by a warm, dry late-summer, which has now led to a dry fall, with many regions of Minnesota experiencing moderate (D1, refer to drought map images above) to severe drought conditions (D2). A recent UMN WeatherTalk article explained how the average fall (September 1 - November 30) precipitati