May 7, 2018

Warm weather, rain start Michigan fruit crops

More seasonably warm weather combined with recent rainfall brought the first push of green growth in fruit crops for the year. Drier conditions early in the week allowed for the planting of new trees, clearing of brush, application of fertilizer, and spraying for pests.

• Apricots were beginning to bloom, about two weeks behind normal.
• Sweet and tart cherries ranged from bud swell in the Northwest to tight cluster in the Southwest, with most areas reporting cherry buds at side green to green tip.
• Peaches were at red calyx to pink in the Southwest, but only at swollen bud further north. Japanese plums ranged from green tip in the East to first white in the Southwest.
• European plums ranged from bud swell in the East to green tip in the Southwest.
• Apples ranged from silver tip in the north to 0.5-inch green in the south.
• Pears remained dormant in the Northwest while they ranged from budburst to tight cluster further south.
• Blueberries were mostly at bud swell to bud break with flower buds opening only in early varieties.
• Strawberries were putting out new leaves, but flower trusses were not yet visible.
• Juice grapes were at very early bud swell while wine grapes remained dormant.

– United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service Great Lakes Region