East Michigan vegetable update – May 17, 2017
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EmailPlanting continues with few issues.
Weather
We are getting warm days and nights, which should spur some more rapid growth in rooted transplants and seedlings. Friday and Saturday mornings, May 19–20, are forecasted to be much cooler that the rest of the week, but should not generate a frosty condition.
The table below are degree-days (DD) base 50 degrees Fahrenheit since March 1, rainfall (inches since April 1) accumulations and soil temperature ranges (Fahrenheit over the last week) to date from Michigan State University Enviro-weather stations in the region.
|
Rainfall and DD totals as of May 17, 2017 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Location |
DD (+ added from last week) |
DD 5-year average |
Rainfall (+ added from last week) |
Rainfall 5-year average |
Soil temperature ranges |
|
180 (+ 31) |
220.3 |
5.09 (+ 0.32) |
3.83 |
41.0 – 68.6 |
|
|
206 (+ 42) |
235.5 |
5.06 (+ 0.00) |
4.34 |
44.2 – 56.1 |
|
|
259 (+ 50) |
250.1 |
6.93 (+ 0.51) |
5.58 |
57.0 – 62.7 |
|
|
224 (+ 47) |
243.4 |
6.71 (+ 0.27) |
4.83 |
46.6 – 61.4 |
|
|
215 (+ 48) |
229.4 |
6.78 (+ 0.08) |
4.54 |
46.1 – 54.5 |
|
|
240 (+ 43) |
259.7 |
4.03 (+ 0.22) |
5.05 |
47.1 – 70.0 |
|
|
179 (+ 38) |
194.3 |
7.47 (+ 0.35) |
5.09 |
46.9 – 61.1 |
|
|
208 (+ 47) |
225.7 |
6.28 (+ 0.26) |
4.42 |
45.0 – 56.8 |
|
|
209 (+ 38) |
237.5 |
4.51 (+ 0.33) |
4.52 |
44.2 – 60.7 |
|
|
165 (+ 28) |
201.5 |
5.52 (+ 0.52) |
4.38 |
40.7 – 63.2 |
|
Crops
Asparagus harvest is picking up.
Transplant producers are facing a few issues, particularly moisture management causing some mildews and what is likely some physiological stressors that may be pH related. I’ll be taking samples this week.
Plastic beds for peppers, tomatoes and slicing cucumbers were being laid last week in St. Clair County. Growers have been cleaning tomato stakes to get the dirt off and then soaking them in a 1 part bleach, 9 parts water solution for up to 30 minutes. This is to reduce bacterial infections from last year’s crop that hangs out in the wood. If using a product with an agricultural use label, always follow the label. Some require more dilution.
Field rhubarb harvest is picking up with lots of hoeing going on last week.
Please contact me at phill406@msu.edu or 616-901-7513 to pick up any suspected disease samples from your farm, or send the diseased plant parts to MSU Diagnostic Services.
