New Plantings Reminders Raspberries Blueberries Herbicides Growing conditions and crop development are quite different across the province. In the southwest, about 2 inches of rain last week was welcomed but more would be fine too. Strawberry buds are poking out of Veestar in the early areas of the province. Raspberry primocanes are approaching 4-6 inches, which is a critical stage in biennial production. In contrast, in eastern Ontario, some strawberry growers are still removing straw mulch and there has been little if any primocane growth on raspberries.
Conditions are still very dry in the Barrie area and much of eastern Ontario.
In Norfolk, Oxford and Brant counties, strawberry plant growth is slow, although buds are poking out of the crown in Norfolk, they are not evident further north. Hopefully strawberry plants are taking advantage of cool moist soils and are generating new root growth. This morning they were still less than 5 degrees in several strawberry fields I visited. When soils are cool, soil fumigants take longer to work, and longer to dissipate. You should allow at least a week for fumigant to dissipate out of the soil, longer if high rates are used or soils are cool.