High winds and rain swept across the state Sunday morning accelerating petal fall as bloom rapidly approaches its conclusion. Winds averaging 8 miles per hour throughout the state combined with peak gusts over 20 miles per hour showered petals off their flowers. There are few flowers with viable pollen left in any varieties besides Butte and Padre throughout the state and a few Carmels in the central region. Butte and Padre have 35% and 42% of their flowers remaining open for pollination in the central and south while the northern region is averaging 25% of their viable flowers remaining. The Carmel in the central region has roughly 14% of its viable flowers remaining on average. Bloom is essentially done in all other varieties throughout the state. Certain areas like west Fresno county and southern Merced county remain three or four days behind the rest of the state.
Temperatures ranged from the low to mid 40s overnight to the mid to upper 60s Friday and Saturday throughout the state. On Sunday temperatures dropped to the upper 30s overnight with daytime highs in the mid-50s and lower 60s. Observers reported rain overnight and into the morning throughout the state mostly in the form of thunder showers. Rain accumulation ranged from trace amounts to .5 inches depending on location. Observers also reported localized hail around Ripon and Chowchilla. The hail did little to affect crop in those areas knocking off a limited number of flowers. Bees flight through the weekend averaged 6 to 7 hours of very good flying per day on Friday and Saturday throughout the state. With inclement weather on Sunday bee flight ranged between 0 and 3 hours of poor flying.
As orchards continue to dry out growers are catching up with activities that got postponed from wet weather. Herbicide applications are resuming and growers are starting to plan for their first nitrogen application of the year. Bee keepers are beginning to pull hives from early blooming orchards where no flowers remain.
By Brian Noeller
Photos by: Mel Machado; Dennis Meinberg; Ernie Reichmuth; Matt Willson
Northern Conditions and Bloom Status
| Variety | Dormant | Green Tip | Pink Bud | Popcorn | Bloom | Petal Fall | Jacket | Out of Jacket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonora | % | % | % | % | % | 25% | 73% | 2% |
| Nonpareil | % | % | % | % | % | 30% | 70% | % |
| California | % | % | % | % | % | 16% | 84% | % |
| Carmel | % | % | % | % | % | 25% | 75% | % |
| Peerless | % | % | % | % | % | % | 100% | % |
| Monterey | % | % | % | % | % | 30% | 70% | % |
| Butte | % | % | % | % | 22% | 34% | 44% | % |
| Padre | % | % | % | % | 31% | 30% | 39% | % |
Central Conditions and Bloom Status
| Variety | Dormant | Green Tip | Pink Bud | Popcorn | Bloom | Petal Fall | Jacket | Out of Jacket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonora | % | % | % | % | % | 13% | 87% | % |
| Nonpareil | % | % | % | % | 1% | 23% | 76% | % |
| California | % | % | % | % | % | 24% | 76% | % |
| Carmel | % | % | % | % | 14% | 29% | 57% | % |
| Monterey | % | % | % | % | 4% | 27% | 69% | % |
| Butte | % | % | % | % | 38% | 24% | 38% | % |
| Padre | % | % | % | % | 41% | 26% | 33% | % |
Southern Conditions and Bloom Status
| Variety | Dormant | Green Tip | Pink Bud | Popcorn | Bloom | Petal Fall | Jacket | Out of Jacket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonora | % | % | % | % | % | 5% | 94% | 1% |
| Nonpareil | % | % | % | % | 1% | 8% | 91% | % |
| California | % | % | % | % | % | 4% | 96% | % |
| Carmel | % | % | % | % | % | 5% | 95% | % |
| Monterey | % | % | % | % | 1% | 11% | 88% | % |
| Butte | % | % | % | % | 35% | 27% | 38% | % |
| Padre | % | % | % | % | 42% | 36% | 22% | % |