Welcome to our 2020 Spring Newsletter. In this edition we cover a number of topics that pertain to growers large and small including:
• Bramble Trellising & Pruning
• Frost Protection Considerations
• Get the Best Price for Your Berries
• New Market Ideas for Your Product
• Strawberry Spring Fungicide Recommendations
• Planting Dates for Plasticulture
• Strategies for Dealing with Heat Stress
• Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) Update.
Many of these topic ideas came specifi cally from all the diff erent growers we met and conversed with
during the winter meetings.
Other highlights from the winter meetings include:
Increasing strong interest in all small fruit but specifi cally blueberries. As part of the Mid-Atlantic Fruit & Vegetable Conference in Hershey, PA, I gave a presentation on new product systems as well as new variety options. These new variety options include 3 blueberry varieties -Blue Ribbon, Top Shelf and Last Call. Based on trial information, including our own trials at Nourse Farms, these varieties show a great deal of potential. We are sold out for spring 2020 and encourage growers to order early
(fall 2020) for spring 2021!
New production systems – not only at the Hershey conference but many of the conferences included presentations on new production systems. As noted in our Fall 2019 Newsletter, we have added two new products to our propagation and production – strawberry tray plants and long cane raspberry plants. These plants are used to product fruit in glass greenhouses and other structures, using a variety of containers and substrates.
NASGA “Service with Impact Award”. I was deeply honored to be the recipient of the 2020 North American Strawberry Growers annual “Service with Impact Award” as presented at this year’s annual conference in San Antonio. It is humbling to be included in the group of past recipients but an honor to be given the award. This honor is given to a person deemed to have made an outstanding contribution to the strawberry industry. At Nourse Farms, we value any contribution we, as a nursery, can make to further not only the strawberry industry but all the industries we serve.
Here at Nourse Farms we are preparing for the upcoming shipping season. We understand the critical importance of coordination and on-time delivery. We continue to upgrade our processes for the highest customer service performance for our customers. Your assistance in keeping us informed of your planting situation is important. Thank you for your past business and wishing you the best for the 2020 season.
