SE Michigan: Monroe, Washtenaw, Wayne and Lenawee counties regional report for July 21

Dan Pavuk, Ohio State University Extension - July 21, 2010

Editor’s note: This article is from the archives of the MSU Crop Advisory Team Alerts. Check the label of any pesticide referenced to ensure your use is included.

Weather, weeds, insects and diseases

The temperatures continue on the hot side this past week in southeast Michigan, reaching into the lower 90s on several days. Rainfall has been widely scattered; some areas received over an inch, but other locations had less than 0.25 inches or none at all. Many growers have been using irrigation extensively during the past couple of weeks.

Weeds are very dense in many places. Some growers are noting that the heavy rains earlier in the season probably significantly reduced effectiveness of preemergence herbicides, and wet field conditions had prevented applications of postemergence weed control products.

I have seen instances of anthracnose on pepper, Septoria leaf spot and early blight on tomatoes, and Phytophthora capsici on summer squash.

Corn earworm moth trap catches have been slowly increasing lately. Western bean cutworm moths are being caught, as are European corn borer moths. Diamondback moth captures continue to be high. Squash bug numbers are building to large numbers in some pumpkin and squash plantings.

Crop report

Sweet corn harvest is in full swing now in southeast Michigan and northern Ohio. Summer squash crops are very good, as are zucchini and cabbage. Tomatoes are developing rapidly now. Watermelons are also growing very well, as are peppers. Peppers are being harvested in some locations.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).