Hey guys, the grower formerly known as Larry {the} Gardener here. I've been having to make those same life and death decisions with the 2 BST2's and the BST1 in my FP patch. Bud worms led to bud rot on the 2 BST2's, and there was some PM on the BST1 early on. I've taken all of BST2 {Rotten Stinking Bastard}, about half of BST2 {Peach} and a few buds off the BST1 {Hurricane Head}. I check on them every three or four days, and have been taking buds every time I go. Sucks to cut early, but I have about enough to get through the year off the BST's with none of my seeds ready yet.
It does suck, but all these were Bag Seed Testers, so I was able to talk myself into not getting too worked up about it. Then a couple three days ago I saw a brown tipped bud on the young CP1 in the BP patch. I looked the plant over good, and didn't see any worms. But later that night at the camp, a small worm crawled out of as I was trimming the dead part from the green. It will be Monday at the earliest before I can get back there. Up until now my seeds haven't had any of the PM or worm problems of the BST's. This will make the next few weeks a bitch if the rest of them are affected too. I think this is just a bad year for worms. Driving through the end of the hayfield we planted in longleaf pines, I saw the weeds wrapped up with worms. They are thick in the oak trees as well.
Have any of you had worm problems with a Spring crop? I'm hoping to get a big part of my crop done by March 15th next year. I will still do some full seasons, but I won't be starting as early as I did this year.
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