Dr. Tree Fruit and Don
This podcast focuses on providing timely commercial tree fruit production advice for beginning industry professionals and seasoned growers. Educators from Penn State Extension and faculty from Penn State University’s horticulture, entomology, and plant pathology departments drop in to give insights and observations about what is going on in the orchards.
Episodes
94 episodes
Season 7, Episode 7 - Tree Health Management
A late April freeze might seem like a single bad night, but what we’re seeing across Pennsylvania orchards is a season-long management puzzle. Kari, Shan, and Greg outline what's important in a challenging year.Host: Don SeifritSpeak...
Season 7, Episode 6 - Spring Chaos
Don, Kari, Greg, and Shan walk through the overnight freeze and the chain reaction it triggers across fruit set, disease risk, and insect timing in our orchards. We share what to scout first, what to spray only when it makes sense, and ho...
Season 7, Episode 5 - Fire Blight Threat During Bloom
Don is joined by Kari, Shan, and Greg during this scorching hot April week to discuss fire blight infection periods, bloom thinning, and insect flights.Host: Don SeifritSpeakers: Kari Peter, Shan Kumar, Greg KrawczykPhoto Cred...
Season 7, Episode 4 - April Freeze
Don is joined by Kari and Shan this week to discuss what happens what a spring freeze doesn’t just “nip” buds. Shan highlights what to do after the frost: how to sample across a block, cut buds to spot real freeze damage in the reproductive tis...
Bonus Episode: SPARC Orchard Roundup Introductory Episode
This bonus episode is to highlight another fruit podcast focused on horticulture/phenology/physiology topics from Extension professionals and researchers around the country. It's hosted by Don and includes personnel from Cornell, Michigan State...
Season 7, Episode 3: Green Tip Game Plan
Don, Kari, Shan, and Greg highlight the very first stages of spring as green tip begins to emerge around the state in apples.Music Credit: “The Raven and the Swan” by Josh Woodward is licensed under a Attribution 3.0 United States Licens...
Season 7, Episode 2 - End of Winter Wins
Don, Kari, Greg, and Shan dig into stone fruit losses and disease timing as a warm spell pushes early peaches toward bud swell. We outline what early scouting actually tells you and how to get ready for oriental fruit moth and codling moth....
Season 7, Episode 1 - Introducing Dr. Sara Serra
We welcome our new pomologist, Dr. Sara Serra, and dig into how pruning, harvest timing, and vision tech can raise fruit quality across apples, pears and peaches. The Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention begins Jan 27. Regis...
Season 6, Episode 19: How Growers Beat Rain, Rot, And Risk For A Strong Apple Year
Don, Kari, Shan, and Greg unpack the season’s rollercoaster: a soggy May that drove scab, rust, and bitter rot risk, followed by a dry, color‑rich harvest window. We lay out infection windows, what worked for Honeycrisp, why alternate row cover...
Season 6, Episode 18 - Dry Fall, Fast Maturity
Kari, Greg, Shan and Don share a fast, practical harvest update focusing on EverCrisp and Fuji maturing ahead of color and what that means for storage. We also cover late pest pressure, storage rot prevention, and label uncertainty.Photo...
Season 6, Episode 17 - August Harvest Overview
Don, Kari, Shan and Greg highlight disease and insect pressure to watch out for during a critical period to harvest some important Pennsylvania varieties. Keep an eye out for Shan and the crew's harvest maturity assessments weekly on Tuesdays.<...
Season 6, Episode 16 - Harvest Coverage Reminders
Don, Kari, Shan and Greg talk about important reminders for the upcoming harvest, including spray coverage throughout the end of the season.Photo Credit: Lindsay Brown, Penn StateMusic Credit: “The Raven and the Swan” by Josh Wood...
Season 6, Episode 15 - Last One Before the Maturity Assessments Start
Kari, Don, Shan and Greg go over the important things to note for the end of July. This includes insect pressure, the last bit of disease sprays before harvest, and testing for plant nutrition.Photo Credit: K. Peter, PSUMusic Cred...
Season 6, Episode 14 - July Timing for Sprays
Kari, Don, Greg and Shan go over what's critical in this heat regarding pesticides, coverage, and tree nutrition.Photo Credit: K. Peter, PSUMusic Credit: “The Raven and the Swan” by Josh Woodward is licensed under a Attribution 3....
Season 6, Episode 13 - Last One Before Field Day
Kari, Don, Greg and Shan discuss what to do in the current heat wave just before the FREC Field Day. Keep an eye out for fungicide resistance!Fungicide Resistance Tables:
Season 6, Episode 12 - Start of June Update
Don, Kari and Greg discuss what to keep an eye out for with a hot June on the horizon.PSU FREC Field Day: https://extension.psu.edu/penn-st...
Season 6, Episode 11 - Rain, Rain, Rain
Kari, Don, Greg, and Shan discuss the end of the Spring season and what to do when the weather doesn't seem to want to cooperate. Topics include the end of the thinning window, fungicide coverage, and insect life cycles.FREC Field Day: <...
Season 6, Episode 10 - Critical Timing
Kari, Don, Shan and Greg meet up to discuss the large (and timely) volume of work headed down the pipe.FREC Field Day: https://extension.psu.edu/penn-state-fruit-research-and-extension-center-field-dayPhoto Credit: K. Peter, PSU
Season 6, Episode 9 - Spring Fling '25
Kari, Don, Greg and Shan discuss the MANY items coming down the pipeline within the next few days.FREC Field Day: https://extension.psu.edu/penn-state-fruit-research-and-extension-center-field-dayPhoto Credit: K. Peter, PSU...
Season 6, Episode 8 - Windy Days, Disease Pressure and Post-Bloom Sprays
Kari, Greg, Shan and Don discuss the wild weather that we've experienced early this season and the importance of disease, insect and blossom management.Photo Credit: E. WinzlerMusic Credit: “The Raven and the Swan” by Josh Woodwar...
Season 6, Episode 7 - Blooms, Blights, and Bugs
Kari and Don and joined yet again by Shan and Greg to provide the full spectrum of updates for the early season.PS Extension Spring Orchard Meetings: https://extension.psu.edu/spring-orchard-meetingsHosts: Don Seifrit, Kari Peter<...
Season 6, Episode 6 - Damage to Blossoms and Disease Pressure
Kari and Don are joined by Shan and Greg. Shan gives a phenology update from around the state, as well as highlights areas where some blossom damage occurred. Kari mentions several upcoming infection periods, and Greg highlights things to keep ...
Season 6, Episode 5 - Cold Weather Warnings
Kari and Don are joined by Shan and Greg. Kari and Shan outline some cold weather concerns for the next 24 hours, and Greg highlights the importance of good weather data for insecticide application timing.NEWA Website: https://www.newa.c...
Season 6, Episode 4 - State Horticultural Association Job Posting
Kari has a disease update, and then she and Don are joined by Sarah Zost from the State Horticultural Association of PA. SHAP is looking for a new Executive Secretary. Job posting will be listed below when available. Since Sarah is a local frui...
Season 6, Episode 3 - Fruit Bite! Apple Scab Alert
Kari provides a lightning fast update for the upcoming infection period starting the week of March 31, 2025.Hosts: Don Seifrit, Kari PeterPhoto Credit: K. Peter, PSUMusic Credit: “The Raven and the Swan” by Josh Woodward is li...
