East Michigan Fruit Update – May 2, 2017

 

With cooler temperatures and rain over the last five days, pollination of apples is a concern. Our season is running about seven to 10 days ahead of normal for bloom dates.

 

 

Rain and cooler temperatures started last Thursday, April 27, for most fruit growers, causing a concern for pollination of apples. Because pollinators were active early- to mid-week last week, they have been hard to find in orchards. Our season remains seven to 10 days ahead of normal for both degree-day totals and bloom stages.

 

Most of our region has received 0.75 to 2 inches of rain in the last five days, bringing tree and small planting to a standstill. Rain and warm temperatures last week brought the first fire blight sprays of the season for apple growers in the most southern parts of the region.

 

Apples were at full bloom in the southern parts of the region as of last Wednesday, April 26, or Thursday, and a few days later for growers along the I-69 corridor and to the north, with the exception of growers close to Lakes Erie or Huron who are much further behind. Later varieties, like Northern Spy, are at king bloom. There is some lack of bloom in limbs and from tree to tree in some apple varieties, especially in Honeycrisp. This factor, combined with the uncertainty of pollination, will make thinning especially challenging this season.

 

New pests to report this week in apples include oriental fruit moth trap catch and very few, small fruit tree leafroller larva. Obliquebanded leafroller larvae continue being seen on terminal leaves, with some leafrolling taking place. Redbanded leafroller and spotted tentiform leafminer adult trap catch is climbing this past week. Beneficials are starting to be found, including lacewings and syrphid flies.

 

Most MSU Enviroweather stations had one apple scab wetting event this past week and have an ongoing one at this time. Spore discharge continues with each rain event. With bloom in apples, growers need to be concerned about fire blight infections, especially where fire blight was a problem last season. Growers in the southern parts of our region had their first fire blight infection event last Thursday; most growers covered for that event. The Enviroweather website has a great MaryBlyt tool to determine fire blight infection events. Growers also need to be on the lookout for oozing fire blight cankers where it was a problem last season.

 

Pears are at full bloom. Pear psylla adults are flying.

 

Peaches are mostly in the shuck. Oriental fruit moth trap catch continues to be seen. Most growers have a good crop of peaches this season.   

 

Sweet cherries have been at full bloom for over a week and are fast approaching early petal fall. Most growers have applied a cover for brown rot control.  

 

Tart cherries are at full bloom to early petal fall.

 

Plums are at petal fall for European types, and Japanese types are mostly in the shuck with a few early flowering varieties at early shuck split.

 

 

Grapes are at bud burst for Concord and European varieties.

 

Strawberries are just starting to see early bloom at the ends of rows and field edges. Flower trusses and new leaves are emerging from the crown.

 

Raspberry leaves are emerging from the bud for summer fruiting types, with tip dieback continuing to be seen on many varieties. New canes are emerging from the ground in fall raspberries; the longest canes are 4 to 6 inches in length.

 

Blueberries are at early bloom for early varieties, with most varieties at late pink bud. I have not found any signs of mummy berry mummies on the ground.