Blue Diamond Almonds Bloom Report for February 29, 2016

This report covers conditions and observations made Monday, February 29, 2016.

This is the final daily report of the 2016 bloom season.The next scheduled report will be posted on Monday, March 7, 2016. In the event of any significant occurrences prior to that date, this site will be updated as soon as possible.

Northern Region –

Weather in the Sacramento Valley remained warm Monday with overnight lows staying in the upper 40s and daytime highs reaching the low 70s. Light winds and clear skies warmed the air early and provided bees with an opportunity for 6 to 8 hours of very good work.

Orchards continue to turn green throughout the northern region. Observers are reporting that less than 10% of flowers have petals remaining in all varieties. Warm weather has encouraged nutlet development and will continue for the next few days. By Friday, a powerful storm is expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds to the area, and is forecast to last well into next week.

Northern Region
Date	2/29/2016
Temperature
High	Low
73	47
Wind Speed	0 to 2 mph
Clouds	Clear
Bee Activity	6 to 8 Hours / Very Good

Bloom Stages
Percentages	Dormant	Green Tip	Pink Bud	Popcorn	Bloom	Petal Fall	Jacket	Nutlet	Total
Sonora							98	2	100
Nonpareil						3	97		100
California						1	99		100
Carmel						2	98		100
Peerless							100		100
Monterey						1	99		100
Butte						7	93		100
Padre						8	92		100

 

Central Region –

Warm weather and partly cloudy skies covered the North San Joaquin Valley on Monday. Overnight lows in the mid 40s gave way to highs in the mid 70s with calm winds. As bloom draws to its conclusion bees were able to put in 7 solid hours of work on what few viable flowers were left.

Very few petals are left in all the earlier blooming orchards and leaves are starting to emerge quickly in the central region. The early blooming Sonora is now completely leafed out with a few nutlets starting to emerge. Nonpareil, Monterey, Carmel, and California-type varieties have only around one-tenth of their petals remaining. The later blooming Butte have no viable flowers remaining while Padre has under 5% of its flowers presenting for pollination. The ground is white with petals from shedding flowers.

Beekeepers are starting to remove hives in earlier blooming orchards. Weather forecasts predict a powerful storm sweeping through the region over the weekend, bringing heavy rain and strong winds. The potential for these conditions have growers ready to apply another round of fungicide treatments with those that haven’t yet applied fertilizers beginning to do so.

Central Region
Date	2/29/2016
Temperature
High	Low
77	45
Wind Speed	4 to 6 mph
Clouds	Partly Cloudy
Bee Activity	6 to 8 Hours / Very Good

Bloom Stages
Percentages	Dormant	Green Tip	Pink Bud	Popcorn	Bloom	Petal Fall	Jacket	Nutlet	Total
Sonora							99	1	100
Nonpareil						7	93		100
California						6	94		100
Carmel						18	82		100
Monterey						16	84		100
Butte						39	61		100
Padre					3	45	52		100

 

Southern Region –

Weather in the southern region remained warm on Monday, with overnight lows in the mid 40s and daytime highs reaching the mid 70s. Light winds swept through Madera and Fresno Counties, while Southern Kern and Tulare Counties experienced gusts up to 12 miles per hour.

Nutlets are beginning to size in Nonpareil and its California-type pollenizers. Early blooming varieties have continued to grow leaves, and the later blooming Butte and Padre varieties are beginning to leaf out fairly strong. Temperatures through the end of the week are expected to remain in the upper 60s to low 70s, with overnight lows staying in the high 40s. These conditions will provide opportunity for strong nutlet growth and post-bloom crop establishment.

By Friday night, rain is expected to enter the region and continue through the middle of next week. Over the weekend, a powerful storm is expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds to the region. These predictions have forced some growers to plan another round of fungicide treatments as a precautionary measure.

Southern Region
Date	2/29/2016
Temperature
High	Low
74	45
Wind Speed	0 to 5 mph
Clouds	Partly Cloudy
Bee Activity	6 to 8 Hours / Good

Bloom Stages
Percentages	Dormant	Green Tip	Pink Bud	Popcorn	Bloom	Petal Fall	Jacket	Nutlet	Total
Sonora						8	91	1	100
Nonpareil						15	85		100
California						11	89		100
Carmel						18	82		100
Monterey						16	84		100
Butte					2	38	60		100
Padre					9	40	51		100