Between Two Rows

In this episode of Between Two Rows, Erika and Kristy are talking pollination - what drives it, what disrupts it, and who's doing the work in the orchard with these two questions: 

1) Can damaged blossoms impact pollination?

2) Do I actually need to bring in honeybees?

First, Erika breaks down the key factors behind successful pollination (and fertilization), including weather, bloom conditions, and how frost or cold injury can i...

In this episode of Between Two Rows, Erika and Kristy dig into two common spring questions: 

1) How late is too late for dormant oil?

2) How can I mitigate blind wood?

First, Kristy starts with dormant oil timing, breaking down what "dormant" and "delayed dormant" really mean, and how that timing impacts control of scale and mite pests. Then, Erika shifts to blind wood, unpacking the drivers behind those canopy gaps - from bud de...

In the Season 2 premiere of Between Two Rows, Erika and Kristy tackle two orchard questions that just won't drop:

1) Why are there still leaves on the tree?

2) How do intervals on pest control product labels get set?

First, Erika investigates why some trees hold onto their leaves longer than expected, breaking down the physiology of leaf drop, the role of the abscission layer, and whether marcescence really applies to apples. Then we ...

In this episode of Between Two Rows, Erika and Kristy dig into the N factor - how nitrogen shapes tree growth, fruit quality and orchard health, tackling two grower questions: 

1. What is the nitrogen demand in an orchard? 
2. How can urea be used as a disease management tool? 

First, we explore orchard floor management and supporting sanitation strategies to breakdown overwintering apple scab. We walk through how ur...

In this Halloween episode of Between Two Rows, Erika and Kristy get spooky and dig into two grower-submitted questions: 

1. Why do I like bugs... especially the creepy, crawly ones? 
2. What is a chimera - a magical mutation or an orchard trick? 

First, we explore why some bugs are downright fascinating - from parasitoids that hijack their hosts to fungi that turn insects into 'zombies'. Then we switch gears to the o...

In this episode of Between Two Rows, Erika and Kristy dig into two grower-submitted questions: 

1. What is calcium's role in bitter pit? 
2. Is there an ideal time to manage fire blight? 

First, we explore the calcium pathway - how calcium moves through the tree, why fruit is often the last to receive it, and the role this plays in the development of bitter pit. Then we shift gears to fire blight, tackling the questi...

In this episode of Between Two Rows, Erika and Kristy dig into two grower-submitted questions: 

1. What is this fluff on my tree? 
2. Does timing of nutrient application affect next year's fruit set? 

First, we break down woolly apple aphid ID, damage and what their life cycle means for management. Then we dig into how the timing of your nutrient applications can influence next year's fruit set, with insights to help...

In this episode of Between Two Rows, Erika and Kristy dig into two grower-submitted questions: 

1. What exactly is flower induction and what hormones are involved? 
2. What are the impacts of weather on orchard pest development? 

First, we break down the hormonal and physiological processes behind setting next year's buds. Then we shift gears to the insect world and tackle how temperature influences pest development ...