Imperial White Currant in flower
This week is starting off with some cold, blustery weather that, if you weren’t looking at the blossoms out in the field, would make you think we were back in February again. Still managing to avoid any frosts thus far. Speaking of blossoms though – pears, cherries, and currants are all starting to bloom! Apples are not far behind.
Fruit/Bud/Tree Development
- Pears are beginning to bloom: Doyenne de Juliet, Armida, Abbe Fetel, Chojuro, etc. are all in bloom. Orcas, Ubileen, Shinseiki, Kosui, and more are not far behind those as well. Biennial bearing on certain varieties very apparent at this stage (some trees are loaded with blossoms, other trees are all leaf buds after producing fruit last season).
- Ribes (currants and gooseberries) are also starting to bloom. Noting the long strigs on some new varieties for us like the Imperial White and Pink Champagne currants that look promising.
- We made some scoring/notching cuts on some young high density apple trees to try to encourage dormant buds to push and we’re seeing some axillary buds swell and push, which is encouraging.
Pest & Disease
- Seeing initial peach leaf curl infection on opening apical bud leaves in Betty peaches.
- Now is the time as buds break and blossoms burst to clearly see diseased and dead limbs on shrubs and trees – noting a few chlorotic currant canes (could be they’ve been girdled by borers) to prune out, as well as some dead twigs and buds on peaches.
- Noted some dead tent caterpillars on plum tree branch. Tent caterpillars haven’t been an issue for us out in Everson, but a pest to keep an eye out for.
Peach Leaf Curl on new leaves on Betty peach
