new-eng-crop-weather State NEW ENGLAND WEEKLY CROP WEATHER Week ending date 06/30/02 Issue NH-CW2602 Volume 22, Number 10 (issued weekly on the Internet, May - October) July 1, 2002 - 4 pm Agricultural Summary MIX OF HEAT AND RAIN SPEEDS CROP GROWTH For the week ending June 30, 2002, there were 5.5 days suitable for field work across New England. Pasture condition was rated as 0% very poor, 2% poor, 17% fair, 62% good, 19% excellent. Timely rain and hot temperatures improved the condition of many crops and accelerated growth. Growers had ample opportunity for fieldwork and to make dry hay between showers. Major farm activities included: planting field corn, vegetables and sweet corn; finishing up planting tobacco; harvesting strawberries and early vegetables; weeding and cultivating fields; cutting dry hay and chopping haylage; mowing orchards; monitoring for pests and disease; applying fungicides, herbicides and insecticides. SOIL MOISTURE ACROSS NEW ENGLAND ---------------------------------------------- Soil Rating This Week Last Week Last Year ---------------------------------------------- -- Percent -- Topsoil Moisture Very Short 4 1 1 Short 12 11 21 Adequate 59 55 69 Surplus 25 33 9 Subsoil Moisture Very Short 2 2 10 Short 17 17 11 Adequate 73 75 69 Surplus 8 6 10 ---------------------------------------------- Field Crops Report Farmers in parts of New England were able to make dry hay last week; however, others had difficulty making hay due to on-and-off rain showers. Second cut hay was ten percent harvested by June 30 and was rated in good to excellent condition, an improvement over the condition of the first cutting. Maine oat and barley crops were rated in excellent to good condition by week's end. Maine potato emergence is up to 95 percent complete, behind last year but on schedule with normal. Some field corn has turned yellow due to the recent wet conditions. Shade and broadleaf tobacco growers completed transplanting their crops by week's end; blue mold has been detected on some shade tobacco. Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report FRUIT: Strawberries progressed to 55 percent harvested by the end of the week. Pick-your-own operations received improved business with the arrival of hot, dry weather. Orchards were mowed and peaches, along with some varieties of apples, were thinned. Maine wild blueberry growers irrigated where necessary and continued to monitor fields for insects and disease. Cranberry growers in Massachusetts applied fruit rot fungicides last week; the crop is quickly approaching petal fall stage and fruit set was rated average. VEGETABLES: Vegetable growth and condition improved with last week's sunny, warm weather. Farmers continued to plant summer vegetables and harvested asparagus, tomatoes, beet greens, cucumbers, spinach, broccoli, squash, peas, zucchini, radish, and lettuce last week. Sweet corn remained in good to fair condition and planting is on schedule with last year and normal. Crop Progress Tables FIELD CROP PROGRESS ACROSS NEW ENGLAND -------------------------------------------------------- Crop 2002 2001 5-yr Avg Condition -------------------------------------------------------- -- Percent Emerged -- Barley, ME 100 100 99 Excellent/Good Oats, ME 100 100 99 Excellent/Good Potatoes Maine 95 99 95 Excellent/Good Mass 100 100 100 Good Rhode Isl 100 100 100 Good/Excellent Silage Corn 90 95 95 Good/Fair Sweet Corn 90 85 90 Good/Fair -- Percent Planted -- Silage Corn 95 99 99 Good/Fair Sweet Corn 95 95 95 Good/Fair Tobacco Shade 100 100 100 Good Broadleaf 100 99 95 Good/Fair Dry Hay -- Percent Harvested -- First Cut 65 80 70 Good/Fair Second Cut 10 10 5 Good/Excellent --------------------------------------------------------- FRUIT CROP DEVELOPMENT ACROSS NEW ENGLAND ---------------------------------------------------------- -- Percent Harvested -- Crop 2002 2001 5-yrAvg Fruit Size Condition ---------------------------------------------------------- Apples -- -- -- Avg Good/Fair Peaches -- -- -- Avg Good/Fair Pears -- -- -- Avg Fair/Good Blueberries Highbush -- <5 -- Avg Good Wild, ME -- -- -- Avg Good Cranberries,MA -- -- -- Avg Good Strawberries 55 60 60 Avg/B.Avg Fair/Good ---------------------------------------------------------- Weather Summary For the week ending Sunday, June 30, 2002 ---------------------------------------------- AIR TEMPERATURES PRECIPITATION STATE LO HI AVG DFN LO HI ---- --- --- --- --- ---- ---- ME 39 93 67 +3 0.35 2.00 NH 34 93 68 +4 0.52 2.46 VT 41 90 68 +4 0.48 4.01 MA 42 94 73 +6 0.00 1.96 RI 49 92 74 +6 0.17 0.48 CT 50 94 74 +6 0.11 0.94 ---------------------------------------------- Copyright 2002: AWIS, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Weather Information Table Weather Summary For New England Agricultural Statistics Service Prepared By AWIS, Inc. For the Period: Monday June 24, 2002 To: Sunday June 30, 2002 AIR CUM SINCE MAR 1 TEMPERATURE GROWING DEGREE DAYS ----------- BASE-50F BASE-60F STATION LO HI AVG DFN TOT DFN TOT DFN ------- -- -- -- -- --- ---- --- ---- MAINE Albion 44 86 68 +0 451 -190 101 -67 Allagash 39 82 62 -1 242 -134 52 +3 Augusta_ME 53 87 70 +4 546 -51 159 +14 Bangor 46 88 69 +4 489 -33 128 +18 Barnard 45 85 66 +3 399 -32 88 +19 Bath 47 88 67 +2 425 -93 95 -15 Bethel 46 88 68 +3 481 -57 122 +6 Brassua_Dam 41 80 63 +2 296 -38 54 +17 Brunswick_ME 52 89 69 +4 482 -36 124 +14 Caribou 46 82 66 +3 367 -52 94 +29 Corinna 44 86 67 +2 465 -49 108 +5 Danforth 42 84 65 +0 363 -109 79 -13 Dover-Foxcroft 40 82 65 +2 327 -104 61 -8 Durham 47 88 68 +1 489 -145 131 -39 East_Hiram 45 88 67 +3 508 -28 134 +19 Eustis 46 82 63 +3 307 -28 51 +17 Frenchville 44 79 64 +2 306 -70 79 +30 Gray 57 86 70 +6 563 +62 164 +68 Greenville_ME 47 81 65 +2 383 -59 94 +22 Guilford 45 83 65 +2 323 -108 56 -13 Hollis 46 91 70 +6 560 +70 164 +72 Houlton 40 82 65 +1 391 -38 91 +21 Kennebunkport 49 90 69 +0 459 -225 116 -75 Livermore_Falls 46 89 69 +6 494 +57 136 +65 Moosehead 42 85 64 +2 314 -20 55 +18 New_Sharon 51 86 70 +7 570 +133 171 +100 Patten 46 83 65 +2 327 -102 71 +1 Portage 47 82 66 +3 359 -60 92 +27 Portland_ME 50 88 70 +5 538 +37 142 +46 Rangeley 45 83 64 +3 304 -15 52 +23 Sebec_Lake 42 87 66 +3 395 -47 82 +10 Vanceboro 46 82 66 +2 361 -68 75 +6 Waterville 49 87 69 +2 486 -155 130 -38 NEW HAMPSHIRE Barnstead 47 89 71 +4 637 +9 189 +25 Benton 47 86 67 +4 521 -5 148 +46 Berlin_AG 48 85 67 +3 477 -36 119 +16 Bethlehem 45 85 67 +3 452 -74 113 +10 Concord 45 92 72 +5 733 +105 266 +102 Diamond_Pond 45 80 62 +3 283 -14 48 +27 First_Conn_Lake 42 83 62 +3 281 -16 46 +25 Greenville 40 90 70 +6 599 +33 175 +52 Keene_AP 43 91 71 +3 743 -4 262 +30 Lakeport 52 88 71 +5 685 +109 226 +87 Marlow 40 87 68 +2 524 -139 155 -24 Mt_Washington 34 59 50 +5 23 +23 0 +0 North_Conway 50 89 70 +5 603 +25 195 +56 Otter_Brook_Lk 48 90 71 +3 657 -90 217 -15 Plymouth 43 89 68 +4 516 +26 137 +42 Rochester 49 89 70 +3 676 -9 215 +18 Weare 51 86 69 +3 614 -49 187 +8 VERMONT Ball_Mt_Lake 43 90 70 +5 602 +65 188 +76 Bethel 41 87 69 +5 638 +136 216 +113 Burlington_VT 52 86 71 +3 736 +35 266 +57 East_Haven 43 85 66 +4 455 +56 117 +52 Island_Pond 43 84 66 +4 450 +51 117 +53 Montpelier 46 87 68 +4 576 +53 173 +62 Morrisville_AG 45 85 66 +3 452 -58 111 +2 Mount_Mansfield 42 85 62 +6 269 +98 50 +43 Northfield 45 86 68 +5 571 +116 160 +75 Pownal 50 86 69 +5 611 +68 186 +69 Rochester 43 87 68 +5 541 +39 165 +62 Rutland_AG 44 88 69 +1 618 -135 198 -37 Sunderland 43 88 69 +2 580 -138 175 -35 Sutton 49 84 67 +5 461 +62 118 +53 Townshend_Lake 48 90 71 +4 673 +1 221 +30 Union_Vill_Dam 43 88 69 +2 600 -87 193 -5 MASSACHUSETTS Ashburnham 53 90 71 +6 691 +138 227 +103 Boston 53 93 76 +6 920 +93 355 +87 Greenfield 50 92 73 +4 807 -2 293 +29 New_Bedford 50 87 74 +4 823 +11 267 +15 Otis_AFB 55 86 72 +6 725 +130 213 +69 Plymouth 47 89 73 +5 759 +120 253 +81 Walpole 50 91 73 +6 824 +131 305 +108 West_Medway 47 93 74 +7 855 +162 320 +123 Westover 54 93 75 +4 945 -8 386 +40 Worcester 59 88 73 +7 747 +118 269 +109 Worthington 45 88 70 +5 631 +82 207 +88 RHODE ISLAND Providence 56 92 77 +8 916 +149 346 +108 Woonsocket 49 91 74 +7 831 +149 309 +129 CONNECTICUT Bakersville 52 90 73 +2 776 -140 282 -48 Bridgeport 66 90 77 +8 977 +139 384 +99 Hartford_AP 53 94 76 +5 1007 +98 419 +92 Norfolk 53 89 72 +7 743 +197 258 +140 Norwich 54 92 75 +7 892 +76 342 +81 Thomaston_Dam 54 91 74 +8 875 +180 337 +145 Willimantic 50 90 74 +7 875 +170 336 +139 1-WEEK PRECIP 4-WEEK CUM PRECIP ------------- ----------------- TOTAL TOTAL STATION INCHES DFN DAYS INCHES DFN DAYS ------- ------ ---- --- ----- ---- --- MAINE Albion 0.73 -0.06 5 3.48 +0.17 14 Allagash 1.35 +0.58 3 2.10 -0.82 10 Augusta_ME 0.50 -0.25 4 3.80 +0.73 16 Bangor 0.46 -0.31 4 3.24 +0.14 14 Barnard 1.09 +0.25 3 2.90 -0.55 10 Bath 0.46 -0.33 4 4.45 +1.09 14 Bethel 0.64 -0.26 4 5.03 +1.34 13 Brassua_Dam 0.81 -0.15 4 2.56 -1.11 11 Brunswick_ME 0.48 -0.31 5 5.09 +1.73 15 Caribou 1.68 +0.94 3 2.86 +0.15 13 Corinna 0.71 -0.11 3 3.04 -0.30 10 Danforth 1.17 +0.28 3 3.45 +0.04 11 Dover-Foxcroft 0.50 -0.34 3 1.93 -1.52 13 Durham 0.37 -0.47 5 4.44 +1.01 16 East_Hiram 0.51 -0.33 4 3.89 +0.35 15 Eustis 0.93 +0.11 4 3.71 +0.58 15 Frenchville 0.94 +0.17 3 2.26 -0.66 12 Gray 0.35 -0.42 4 4.13 +0.91 15 Greenville_ME 1.15 +0.31 4 3.23 -0.22 14 Guilford 0.94 +0.10 5 3.07 -0.38 15 Hollis 1.25 +0.41 4 4.87 +1.45 16 Houlton 0.73 -0.04 4 2.23 -0.85 13 Kennebunkport 1.17 +0.36 4 6.15 +2.74 15 Livermore_Falls 0.85 -0.06 5 4.91 +1.06 15 Moosehead 1.08 +0.12 5 2.58 -1.09 11 New_Sharon 1.05 +0.14 4 4.22 +0.37 14 Patten 1.06 +0.29 4 2.89 -0.19 14 Portage 0.88 +0.14 3 2.02 -0.69 10 Portland_ME 0.47 -0.30 3 4.40 +1.18 16 Rangeley 1.01 +0.17 4 4.38 +0.95 15 Sebec_Lake 0.65 -0.19 4 2.85 -0.60 12 Vanceboro 0.98 +0.21 4 2.84 -0.16 14 Waterville 1.01 +0.22 4 3.71 +0.40 14 NEW HAMPSHIRE Barnstead 0.90 +0.20 4 4.99 +2.04 16 Benton 1.63 +0.79 4 5.26 +1.73 16 Berlin_AG 1.43 +0.51 4 7.91 +4.09 12 Bethlehem 1.80 +0.89 5 6.62 +2.87 18 Concord 1.08 +0.38 3 5.30 +2.35 16 Diamond_Pond 1.89 +0.83 4 6.54 +2.23 16 First_Conn_Lake 2.10 +1.04 4 5.38 +1.07 15 Greenville 0.65 -0.19 2 4.94 +1.48 14 Keene_AP 1.21 +0.37 1 3.82 +0.46 12 Lakeport 0.70 -0.07 4 4.16 +0.91 13 Marlow 1.93 +1.09 4 5.29 +1.84 15 Mt_Washington 2.46 +0.70 4 10.70 +3.39 18 North_Conway 0.69 -0.22 5 4.57 +0.86 18 Otter_Brook_Lk 1.41 +0.57 4 5.60 +2.24 16 Plymouth 0.80 -0.04 4 3.01 -0.35 13 Rochester 0.75 -0.02 4 6.14 +2.87 17 Weare 0.82 -0.02 3 5.13 +1.68 15 VERMONT Ball_Mt_Lake 1.34 +0.32 4 7.83 +3.59 15 Bethel 0.63 -0.21 3 4.38 +0.89 14 Burlington_VT 1.32 +0.49 5 6.83 +3.58 16 East_Haven 2.38 +1.40 4 8.08 +4.10 15 Island_Pond 1.58 +0.60 4 7.73 +3.75 17 Montpelier 1.95 +1.19 5 7.42 +4.18 19 Morrisville_AG 3.10 +2.18 4 8.18 +4.43 15 Mount_Mansfield 4.01 +2.47 4 12.34 +6.11 16 Northfield 1.67 +0.94 3 5.38 +2.45 10 Pownal 2.38 +1.36 4 6.50 +2.26 15 Rochester 2.30 +1.46 4 6.62 +3.13 15 Rutland_AG 0.87 +0.03 3 4.10 +0.75 13 Sunderland 2.25 +1.54 4 8.98 +5.89 16 Sutton 2.24 +1.26 5 8.02 +4.04 18 Townshend_Lake 1.11 +0.41 4 5.02 +2.10 14 Union_Vill_Dam 0.66 -0.06 4 3.44 +0.41 15 MASSACHUSETTS Ashburnham 0.73 -0.11 4 4.58 +1.23 14 Boston 1.34 +0.64 2 4.73 +1.84 14 Greenfield 1.66 +0.82 4 5.77 +2.22 16 New_Bedford 0.82 +0.04 2 4.12 +0.78 11 Otis_AFB 0.01 -0.69 1 3.57 +0.57 9 Plymouth 0.03 -0.74 1 3.38 +0.17 11 Walpole 0.19 -0.65 2 3.96 +0.48 13 West_Medway 0.05 -0.79 1 3.73 +0.25 10 Westover 0.45 -0.46 4 3.62 -0.17 16 Worcester 0.75 -0.13 1 4.77 +1.16 13 Worthington 0.61 -0.30 3 4.80 +1.19 14 RHODE ISLAND Providence 0.17 -0.59 3 3.34 +0.25 13 Woonsocket 0.48 -0.43 3 4.07 +0.31 12 CONNECTICUT Bakersville 0.15 -0.67 3 4.90 +1.41 12 Bridgeport 0.76 -0.08 2 4.29 +1.07 11 Hartford_AP 0.11 -0.71 4 5.13 +1.64 14 Norfolk 0.94 -0.10 3 6.22 +1.92 14 Norwich 0.13 -0.64 2 4.44 +1.37 11 Thomaston_Dam 0.38 -0.53 3 3.98 +0.18 13 Willimantic 0.36 -0.55 4 3.66 +0.15 15 Summary based on NWS data. DFN = Departure From Normal (Using 1961-90 Normals Period). Precipitation (rain or melted snow/ice) in inches. Precipitation Days = Days with precip of 0.01 inch or more. Air Temperatures in Degrees Fahrenheit. Copyright 2002: AWIS, Inc. All Rights Reserved. For detailed ag weather forecasts and data visit the AWIS home page at www.awis.com or call toll free at 1-888-798-9955. Other Agricultural Comments and News CONNECTICUT - Howard Rood (FSA), Fairfield/Litchfield: Weather was hazy, hot and humid all week. Farmers were busy getting in hay. Scattered thunderstorms at the end of the week. Dawn Pindell (FSA), Windham: Grass is growing faster than can be cut. Making hay as fast as can be done. Corn looks good on dry ground, but on wet ground is a bit yellow. Heat helping growth. Vegetables mostly planted. Blueberries and peaches look good. Peaches thinned. Light pear crop due to frost and poor bloom which may be drought related. Perhaps 50% of apple crop in some orchards. Mowed orchards again. Weather is promising for good crop potential. Garden ornamentals are gorgeous. Nancy Welsh/Karen Lockman (FSA), New Haven: Fields are dry, producers are waiting for a gentle rain. Corn looks good, hay is fair. Strawberries vary in size and quantity depending on variety. Their flavor and taste is sweet and juicy. Richard Meinert (Ext), CT Cooperative: Making hay between afternoon thunderstorms. Finishing up nitrate testing on corn. Second cutting of haylage underway. Some slower corn fields coming under weed pressure as canopies haven't closed yet. MAINE - Marvin Hedstrom, Northern Aroostook: Potatoes: Cultivating and spraying fungicides on potatoes. Applying herbicides on late planted small grains. Recent rainfall and high temperatures are helping crops grow rapidly. Potato plant stand is excellent despite cold, wet spring. This can be attributed to nearly all growers using some type of seed piece treatment. Potatoes still have some catching up to do. Pam Hickey (Ext), Central Aroostook: Hilling and cultivating continue, herbicide applications, rock picking, and some initial fungicide. Plants are growing rapidly; minimal insect activity has been reported at this time. Steve London (Ext), Southern Aroostook: Potato crop is looking very good at this stage. Albert Dow (NRCS), Piscataquis: Thunder showers made haying a struggle. Strawberry growers are in full production. Water for berries has been adequate. Potatoes are budding. Donna Lamb (Ext), Piscataquis: Warm weather has improved the corn growth. Off and on rain makes haying a challenge. Much of the first cut has gone into haylage. Janet King (FSA), Somerset: First crop of grass silage, some corn still being planted. The hay crop in Somerset County is very good this year. Corn is coming up slow, strawberries are being harvested. Rick Kersbergen (Ext), Waldo: Warmer weather has helped the corn, but heavy rains last night will slow hay harvest. Strawberry harvest is well underway. More cutworm damage showing up on numerous fields with some showing more than 50% of original population. Trudy Soucy (FSA), Knox/Lincoln: Fresh vegetables are now at farm stands. Strawberries are in. Thunder showers making haying difficult. Warm weather has finally arrived, but noticeably cooler along the coast. David Yarborough (Ext), Washington: Wild Blueberries: Fly traps being place in the fields to monitor for blueberry maggot fly. Some fields beginning to receive irrigation. No other insect or disease problems noted. Michael Tardy (FSA), Androscoggin: Finally, we had some heat. Some of the crops appear to be leaping out of the ground. Haying for bales is still difficult. Farm aromas abound and the second crop has a good start. Most strawberry growers are advertising "pick your own." We're starting to see those early market garden crops on the stands and at the Farmer's Market. Now we have the roller coaster ride of July. Will it be hot and dry, hot and wet, cool and dry, or cool and wet? Tune in! Parker Rand (FSA), Cumberland/York: Summer weather is here, sun then rain, makes grass grow, but making it hard to harvest. Strawberry season is in full swing. Sweet corn under plastic is in tassel, cultivating, spraying and harvesting peas, lettuce, zucchini and some broccoli. Gary Raymond (FSA), Franklin: There are lots of strawberries and they are big and juicy. Thank goodness for wrap. It has been tricky getting in square bales. The heat and moisture mix looks good for excellent growth. Laura Rand (FSA), Oxford: Producers are busy cutting hay and cultivating fields. Silage corn got off to a slow start, but the weeks's weather certainly has helped. MASSACHUSETTS - Arthur Williams (FSA), Berkshire: Hay cutting continues, most for silage feed. Sidedressing field and sweet corn. Hay weather end of week. Two to three inches of rain this week. Sweet corn locally for 4th of July; may be two weeks early. Kip Graham (FSA), Worcester: At this time, crops overall appear to be growing well. We are hoping for a prosperous season. Frank Caruso (Ext), Plymouth: Cranberries: Cruising through bloom rapidly. Even the late varieties are in full bloom in most places. Fruit rot fungicide sprays being applied. Getting ready for the first fruitworm sprays. Bloom looks fantastic; bees have been working diligently, setting up the fruit. Could use some rain, as it is getting dry again. John Devine (FSA), Franklin: Hot humid weather and sidedressing have helped most crops "catch up" this week. Unfortunately this weather has also brought scattered heavy rains and hail in some areas. These unpredictable conditions have affected a lot of late first-cut hay. Many farms will begin their second cutting this week. All vegetable and tobacco farmers are watching for any signs of insect or fungus damage. Most have already started an aggressive spray and cultivation schedule. Potatoes continue to grow at a rapid pace, most fields are flowering now. Ted Smiarowski, Jr. (FSA), Hampshire/Hampden: Lots of sunshine, heat and humidity with a few evening showers are making crops grow well. Harvesting strawberries, lettuce, radishes, greens and summer squash. Fungicides are being applied because this is the right weather for diseases. Gary Guida, Worcester: Topdressing sweet corn with urea. U-pick strawberries started here. Not much of a crop, only 1-2 marketable berries per plant. Expect strawberry harvest to be over by Thursday, lowest yield, latest and shortest season I ever had. These were "maiden plants" and I will be lucky to get 1000 qts/ac. Perennials and annuals selling very well. Big demand for corn and tomatoes. NEW HAMPSHIRE - Amy Ouellette (Ext), Belknap: Strawberry harvest is in full swing with first berries good size. Some greenhouse tomato plants showing disease and/or nutrient deficiencies. Field tomatoes grew well this week, several being trellised. Harvesting peas, early broccoli, early cut flowers, greens, herbs, greenhouse tomatoes and cucumbers. Pastures dried during week, making animal traffic less destructive. Hay and haylage being made. Mums planted in pots for fall sales. Good week for field work. Tina Savage (Ext), Carroll: Localized daily thunder showers allowing some farmers to make good quality first cut hay, others get rain daily making quality hay production difficult. First cut hay still in the field is very heavy, regrowth of already cut fields looking very good. Warmer, sunny weather is encouraging the growth of vegetable crops and field corn. Carl Majewski (Ext), Cheshire: Somewhat frequent rain events are still hampering dry harvest by making poor drying conditions. Warm, humid weather has made for good growing conditions for early-planted corn, especially along the Connecticut River Valley. Regrowth on early-harvested grass and alfalfa is ready for reharvest, and some producers have started the second cutting for hay and/or haylage. Tom Buob (Ext), Grafton: First cut continuing and second cut in progress. Alfalfa mixes good to excellent. Corn growing slowly. George Hamilton (Ext), Hillsborough: Fruits: Strawberry harvest is in full swing (75% harvested) and blueberries starting to turn blue - start of harvest is around the corner. Orchardists busy monitoring for pests, spraying and mowing orchard floor. Growers thinning peaches and some apple varieties, along with training newly planted trees. Vegetables: Continuing successive plantings. Growers continued harvesting early season vegetables such as lettuce, greens, radishes, peas and summer squash. Growers busy trying to sidedress fields with fertilizer, cultivating, mowing weeds, scouting for pests and spraying. Disease pressure major concern to growers. Field Crops: With drier weather during week, farmers continued to bale hay or make haylage at a faster rate. Grass hay is maturing rapidly. Trying to finish planting and weed spraying corn fields. Sidedressing fertilizer to field corn and harvested hayfields. Weather: Thunderstorms produced gully washers on Thursday night. David Seavey (Ext), Merrimack: Strawberries at peak harvest. Some hayfields cut for the first time. Spraying continues on several crops to control apple scab, powdery mildew, root rot, fruit rot, striped cucumber beetle, and slugs. Some vegetables were replanted. Fertilizer topdressing on hayfields and sidedressing on sweet corn. More disease problems appearing during extended rainy periods. Nitrogen fertilizer have leached out or soils. Fruit crops are sizing well. Warm temperatures at the end of the week have accelerated growth of corn, tomatoes and peppers. Strawberry sales were good on a rainless weekend. Nada Haddad (Ext), Rockingham: Warmer and drier week allowed pick-your-own strawberry farms to be busy with pickers. Monitoring insect and diseases in apple orchards; powder mildew on apple has been seen. Spraying apple and fruit trees for pests. Picking early vegetables and greenhouse tomatoes. Weeding, cultivating and fertilizing vegetables. So far it has been a tough season. Geoffrey Njue (Ext), Strafford: Most of the days in the week were excellent for farm activities. Weeding for vegetables and corn. Peach growers doing final thinning. Apple growers doing some fungicide and pesticide sprays. A lot of activity in harvesting of strawberries. Pick-your-own operations experienced big crowds. Nurseries and greenhouses had a good week. RHODE ISLAND - Karen Menezes (Ext), Newport: Cultivating summer crops, hilling potatoes, field and sweet corn looking great. Winding up strawberries and looking at some of the later berries. Some thunder showers. Marilu Soileau (FSA), All Counties: Local producers began harvesting peas as well as green and yellow squash this week. Potatoes are in bloom! Strawberry pick-your-own operations are going strong. The need for water in Washington County is apparent. The scattered heavy rains of June by-passed that area of the state. We've heard of one dry well already. All vegetable crops have "taken off" with the sunshine and heat. VERMONT - John St. Onge (FSA), Lamoille: Wild week of weather for crops. Almost four inches of rain left the ground pretty soggy. A gorgeous weekend allowed for haylage to be put up while the hot weather kept the corn crop growing. The grass has been growing like crazy but the corn crop needs some very hot weather to catch up. A tough year for dry hay so far. Bill Snow (Ext), Orange: Continued efforts to put up dry hay between showers. Some second cut hay fields being cut. Corn is knee high in some fields. No flooding in our area so far except in a few spots. Dave Blodgett (NRCS), Orleans: Most farms working on harvesting first cut hay. Field are wet making harvesting a challenge. The last four days dried the fields a lot. Yields for first cut hay are high but quality is low due to maturity. Lynette Hamilton (FSA), Windham: We had more rain last week: 2.75 inches in 24 hours. Then it turn hot and dry, great hay weather. Second crop is looking good. All veggie producers say their crops are doing great. No worms yet. Jeff Carter (Ext), Addison: Generally fair weather with field work continuing between rains. Most clay soil still too wet to get in field. Harvesting some dry hay bales and still ensiling haylage, most of first crop harvest completed, second crop regrowth vigorous. Continued planting corn; most of the crop is in and is between 5 to 18 inches high. Soybeans in good condition. Some manure spreading on hay fields. Newly seeded alfalfa, clover, grasses coming up fine with moist weather. Not bad rainfall, most to north of here. Richard Noel, Grand Isle/Franklin: Raining every other day. Some haylage going in, most baled hay looks like bedding. A couple of big showers; over an inch in Franklin, Grand Isle County. Corn starting to yellow in places and many skips showing from plants drowning ! A lot of surface erosion happening and the rivers up here look like the muddy Mississippi. Dennis Kauppila (Ext), Caledonia: Very wet week, 3-4 inches of rain. Real problems trying to get that first cut of hay off. Some of the corn that was flooded has grown through silt deposited by river. What to do with that flooded hay is quandary, can't feed it. Hot and muggy. Sherwin Williams, Rutland: Potatoes cultivated and hilled. Nitrogen applied to early sweet corn and other vegetables, hand cultivation on tomatoes and peppers. An inch of rain for a period. Peas on the market "so people can have peas and salmon for 4th of July." Last cutting of asparagus, spinach, radishes, scallions. In market also rhubarb for "strawberry rhubarb pie." Strawberries locally tend to be short. Have a happy 4th of July. Maria Garcia (Ext), Chittenden: We had some serious storms roll through Northern Vermont this week. Some heavy winds cause minor damage to some apple tree limbs. Reporters are from: Extension Service (Ext), Farm Service Agency(FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS), or other knowledgeable individuals. JUNE 2002 CROP WEATHER SUMMARY: Cool, wet conditions that were prevalent in May continued into June, making it difficult to get crops planted. Crop growth was stunted by the below normal temperatures and some fruit and vegetable crops suffered accordingly. New England farmers took advantage of each dry day and as of mid-June, the planting of most major crops had been completed. Farmers found it difficult to make dry hay due to the consistent rain and wet fields, so most of the first cut was chopped for haylage. Second cutting had gotten underway by the end of the month and the crop was reported in better condition than the first. Potato emergence was complete in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and was nearly all emerged in Maine by the end of June. The condition of the potato crop ranged from good to excellent by month's end in all states. By June 23, Maine oat and barley crops were fully emerged and by the end of the month, they were both in excellent to good condition. Tobacco growers in the Connecticut River Valley took advantage of the dry final week of June to complete the transplanting of both shade and broadleaf tobacco. The condition of apples, peaches and pears steadily improved over the month, increasing growers' hopes that this year's output would not be greatly affected by the poor weather conditions during bloom. Fifty-five percent of New England's strawberry crop had been harvested as of late June, with crop condition rated as fair to good in most areas; cool, wet conditions earlier in the season caused some berries to rot in the field. Massachusetts' cranberry crop was approaching petal fall by month's end and was reported in good condition. Maine's wild blueberry crop was also rated in good condition as of late June, and growers continued to be on the lookout for pests and disease. Contact Information To receive this report every Monday evening, send an e-mail message to listserv@newsbox.usda.gov and in the body, type subscribe usda-new-eng-crop-weather Statisticians: Emily McAllister, Robin Helrich Stat Assistant: Wayne Colpitt Deputy: David Luckenbach New England Agricultural Statistics Service National Agricultural Statistics Service United States Department of Agriculture Aubrey R. Davis, Director 22 Bridge St, 3rd Floor PO Box 1444 Concord, NH 03302-1444 Phone: (603) 224-9639 Fax: (603) 225-1434 Internet: http://www.usda.gov/nass/ E-Mail: nass.nh@nass.usda.gov ****************** end of report ***********************