Fruit tree blossoms are "Ripening in the Land of Oceana." Apricots are the first and usually come out around the time forsythia blooms. Appearing next are early peaches, then sweet cherries and tart cherries. As of this writing (May 3), pears are in full bloom, with apples at open cluster to pink. One must remember fruit regions closest to Lake Michigan have several microclimates as you move inland. Places like Elbridge bloom first, with western Benona coming on later. Historical data indicated we are about one week ahead of last year, but the recent cooldown may change that prediction somewhat.
It's also orchard spraying season in the "Land of Oceana." As leaves emerge (known as "silver to green tip"), protective materials are applied to control or prevent fungal diseases like apple scab and bacterial problems like fire blight. Copper compounds are the preferred choice at this stage. Peaches had a dormant spray applied in either late fall or early spring or both times to fight bacterial leaf spot. Cherry sprays begin at blossom to control brown rot organisms. As apples progress, apple scab and powdery mildew are the focus. Pink signals insecticides for, among other bugs, green fruit worms, spotted tentiform leaf miners and aphids. Orchard scouts are busy placing insect traps and are regularly checking for emergence to determine application. Spraying will continue until harvest time to produce clean fruit for customers' demand.
Spring weather normally brings cold snaps, which reduce or destroy fruit crops. Models are used to determine killing temperatures depending on growth stage. Preventing cold damage takes several forms, with frost fans being widely used. (You may have heard these helicopter-like sounds during night hours). So far three runs have been made and last several hours. Technological advances allow growers to monitor conditions and fan operations from smart phones, which enables them to make real-time adjustments to optimize their operations and improve crop yields. To aid in raising ambient temperature, an inversion cloud layer is essential. Clear skies can lower ground-level conditions by drawing colder upper air downward. It is believed that damage has occurred to peaches and cherries this year. Some observers have found apple damage but not to the extent cherry and peach crops have experienced.
As previously mentioned, farm equipment is now a common sight on roadways. This reporter recently encountered vehicles passing by him in a no-passing zone while he was attempting to make a left turn into a field and was thankfully unharmed. Please slow down and share the road to allow all involved to return home each evening.
