If you have flea beetles out there with numbers “too high” to count, you should spray Diazinon as soon as possible. Cranberry weevils (second generation) are out and abundant in some cases. The threshold for spraying is higher for the summer generation; an average of 9 is used to trigger a spray. Remember Actara is Zone II regulated and highly toxic to bees. If you are in a Zone II and use Actara, you must submit a form to MDAR within 10 days of the end of the month. Forms are available at the Station, at CCCGA or on-line through MDAR’s web site.
You should be well into scouting for CFW eggs now. Collect 50 berries per acre with a minimum of 200 berries per management unit. Repeat scouting procedure every 3-4 days until August 15. If CFW pressure is low through fruit set, it may be safe to extend your interval a little. If numbers trigger a spray, spray ASAP.
QuinStar is a good option for yellow loosestrife (should be flowering soon) control, but it has a 60-day PHI and likely has handler restrictions. Poast, used for grass control, also has a 60-day PHI. Chlorothalonil products and Stinger have a 50-day PHI. Callisto has a 45-day PHI. Select and Intensity (grass herbicides) have 30-day PHIs as does Roundup and Actara.
If you have patches of dodder, you can spray them with concentrated Callisto applications. We have the SLN label on our web site under Services/Pesticide Labels. Spraying before dodder flowers is much more effective than spraying after flowers or seed are present. Select and Intensity are good options to control poverty grass; treatment is best before the grass flowers!
If you are using fast-acting soluble fertilizer sources for the conventional cultivars, 30-40% of your N goes out at late set.
The CCCGA Summer meeting is set for August 16 at the Upland Club in Plympton. Lunch is $16 and you should register with CCCGA as soon as you can. Lunch prices increase after August 8 and tickets will NOT be available on the day of the event.
