January 8, 2018

Save the Date – 2018 South Jersey Commercial Tree Fruit Meeting

Dear Growers,

The 2018 South Jersey Commercial Tree Fruit Meeting has been scheduled for February 15. The meeting will be held at, Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 121 Northville Road, Bridgeton NJ.

The meeting will consist of presentations on the horticulture, entomology, and pathology of tree fruits during the morning, followed by an included lunch. The Full program will be published in the upcoming weeks.

Pre-registration is required and a fee will be charged to cover the cost of morning coffee/pastries and lunch.

Pesticide Credits Category: Core (2); 10 (6); 1A (07); 3A (07); 3B (01); & PP2 (07)

For registration call or email:

Susan Bradbury at bradbury@aesop.rutgers.edu or (856) 455-3100 x 4101 or

Joan Medany at jmedany@co.gloucester.nj.us or (856) 307-6450 x1

For program details contact: Hemant Gohil at 856-418-6538 or email at gohil@njaes.rutgers.edu

Filed Under: Blueberry, Cranberry, Fruit, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Wine Grape Tagged With: , ,
August 2, 2017

Delayed Harvest and Extended Storage of ‘Gloria’ Peaches.

‘Gloria’ is a large, yellow-fleshed, freestone, non-melting peach that ripens around mid-August. This late blooming variety, developed by Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station is unique because of its very attractive color, low acidity, distinctive flavor, and very firm flesh. Previously we saw that letting ‘Gloria’ hang longer lets fruit get sweeter and larger. Firm flesh allows for relatively longer hang time on the tree after fruit has reached commercial maturity, providing greater flexibility in harvest scheduling and shipping to growers as well as buyers. We have estimated how long it is safe to let ‘Gloria’ fruit remain on the tree and in cold storage without affecting fruit quality. Studies in two orchards in Southern NJ indicated that; [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blueberry, Cranberry, Fruit, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Wine Grape Tagged With: , , , ,
May 19, 2017

2017 Wine Grape Twilight (North and South Jersey)

North Jersey:  May 23, 5:30 PM @ Terhune Orchard Winery, 330 Cold Soil Rd, Princeton, NJ 08540

South Jersey:  May 24, 5:30 PM @ White Horse Winery, 106 Hall St, Hammonton, NJ 08037 [Read more…]

Filed Under: Fruit, Tree Fruit, Wine Grape Tagged With: , ,
April 27, 2017

2017 New Jersey Commercial Tree Fruit Production Guide

Dear Fruit Growers,

The 2017 New Jersey Commercial Tree Fruit Production Guide is available electronically for free. Anyone may print paper copies if they choose to. If you already have a copy of 2016 NJ Commercial Tree Fruit Production Guide, you only need to print 10 page addendum (first 10 pages), available at: https://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/publication.asp?pid=e002.

Print copies of 2017 NJ Tree Fruit Production Guide available for $25 per copy.

For North Jersey, please contact: Diana Boesch: email – boesch@njaes.rutgers.edu or Phone – 908 -788-1339

For South Jersey, please contact: Joan Medany: email – jmedany@co.gloucester.nj.us or Phone – 856-307-6450 ex. 1

Filed Under: Fruit Tagged With: , ,
April 18, 2017

South Jersey Tree Fruit Twilight Meeting III

5:00 pm May 1, 2017 @ Hill Creek Farms, 1631 State Highway 45, Mullica Hill, NJ 08062

5:00 pm.      Welcome Remarks and Updates

                            Hemant Gohil, Gloucester County Agriculture Agent and Program Organizer

5:05 pm.      National Peach Council Updates

                          Kay Rentzel, Director, National Peach Council

5:15 pm.       WPS Respiratory Protection Requirements for 2017 Growing Season

                          Patricia Hastings, Pesticide Safety Education Program Coordinator, Rutgers U. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Fruit Tagged With:
March 22, 2017

DEP and NJDA Extend Allowance of Controlled Open Burns to Protect Crops from Frost Threats

(17/P23) TRENTON – With the state expected to experience more freezing temperatures tonight and Thursday night, the Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Agriculture will again allow farmers to do controlled open burning or use specialized torches known as smudge pots to protect flowering crops from damage.

The two agencies previously authorized precautionary and voluntary use of smudge pots on March 10 due to below-freezing temperatures forecast through that weekend.

Temperatures are expected to drop to the low 20s tonight and Thursday night through most of the state. The expected freeze follows unusually warm temperatures in recent weeks that coaxed some economically important fruit tree crops to bud much earlier than normal.

Peach, blueberry and apple crops are particularly susceptible. Damage from freezing weather now can significantly reduce yields of these crops later in the season. There are concerns in particular about early varieties of peaches that are at a stage where buds are about to flower. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blueberry, Fruit, Tree Fruit Tagged With: , ,