Petals continue to fall and bloom is winding down throughout the state. Nonpareil, Monterey, and California type pollinizers have under 5% of their flowers remaining in all growing areas. Viable Carmel flowers are down to 20% in the central region and are virtually done in the other regions. Butte and Padre are the only varieties with viable flowers left in all regions. The central region has the most viable flowers with over 40% remaining. The south has under 30% remaining while the north has just over 10% left.
Warm temperatures and abundant bee activity has persisted through the waning days of bloom. Daytime highs reaching into the 70s, combined with overnight lows in the 40s, brought bees out early and kept them out late in all regions. All areas saw at least 6 hours of very good bee activity.
With rain in the forecast final applications for bloom diseases are being made. As mentioned previously, some of these applications are being made by air due to saturated orchard conditions. Water districts have begun to deliver water though few growers have begun to irrigate with the wet weather over the past week.
By Brian Noeller
Photos by Dennis Meinberg, Jereme Fromm, Ernie Reichmuth and Matthew Willson
Nonpareil jacket stage – Madera County
Nonpareil and Aldrich – Madera County
Fritz jacket stage – Stanislaus County
Nonpareil petal fall and jacket – Stanislaus County
Nonpareil and Monterey – Madera County
Sonora nutlets – Butte County
Northern Conditions and Bloom Status
Current weather at the National Weather Service
| Variety | Dormant | Green Tip | Pink Bud | Popcorn | Bloom | Petal Fall | Jacket | Out of Jacket |
| Sonora | % | % | % | % | % | 30% | 62% | 8% |
| Nonpareil | % | % | % | % | % | 31% | 66% | 3% |
| California | % | % | % | % | % | 32% | 68% | % |
| Carmel | % | % | % | % | % | 38% | 62% | % |
| Peerless | % | % | % | % | % | % | 97% | 3% |
| Monterey | % | % | % | % | % | 38% | 62% | % |
| Butte | % | % | % | % | 12% | 48% | 40% | % |
| Padre | % | % | % | % | 12% | 63% | 25% | % |
Central Conditions and Bloom Status
Current weather at the National Weather Service
| Variety | Dormant | Green Tip | Pink Bud | Popcorn | Bloom | Petal Fall | Jacket | Out of Jacket |
| Sonora | % | % | % | % | % | 3% | 96% | 1% |
| Nonpareil | % | % | % | % | 3% | 18% | 79% | % |
| California | % | % | % | % | 2% | 20% | 78% | % |
| Carmel | % | % | % | % | 20% | 35% | 45% | % |
| Monterey | % | % | % | % | 4% | 22% | 74% | % |
| Butte | % | % | % | % | 40% | 30% | 30% | % |
| Padre | % | % | % | % | 49% | 26% | 25% | % |
Southern Conditions and Bloom Status
Current weather at the National Weather Service
| Variety | Dormant | Green Tip | Pink Bud | Popcorn | Bloom | Petal Fall | Jacket | Out of Jacket |
| Sonora | % | % | % | % | % | 20% | 80% | % |
| Nonpareil | % | % | % | % | % | 48% | 52% | % |
| California | % | % | % | % | % | 32% | 68% | % |
| Carmel | % | % | % | % | 2% | 40% | 58% | % |
| Monterey | % | % | % | % | % | 45% | 55% | % |
| Butte | % | % | % | % | 25% | 45% | 30% | % |
| Padre | % | % | % | % | 30% | 45% | 25% | % |