Fruit Growers Worried About Frost
Published: Friday, May 3, 2024
The following is from the Michigan Field Office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service for the week ending April 28.
Variable rain events across the state slowed fieldwork last week. There were 3.4 days suitable for fieldwork.
Soil temperatures continued to warm up, which was favorable to oat progress. Sugarbeet planting was nearly half complete.
Winter wheat jointing made sizable advancements and continued ahead of the 5-year average.
Early planting of potatoes was ahead of schedule.
Other activities included tilling, fertilizing, and spraying where conditions allowed.
Fruit
Growers have been concerned about possible frost in the weather forecasts. Despite overnight lows, temperatures have been above normal. Many growers have been spraying fungicides on stone fruit to control diseases like brown rot, peach leaf curl, cherry leaf spot and powdery mildew.
In the Southwest, apples ranged from king bloom to 50% bloom. In the Southeast, early apples cultivators were starting to bloom.
Around the region, many crabs were in bloom and most other cultivars were right behind at the pink stage. In the Grand Rapids, apple buds were at pink and moving into king bloom. Cherry bloom has moved quickly.
Tart cherries were at full bloom in the Southwest. In the Southeast, tart cherries were at first white. In the Northwest, tart cherries were in bud burst.
Peaches were at petal fall to full bloom in the Southwest. In the Southeast, peaches ranged from first to full bloom.
Most blueberry fields were in different stages of development. In the West Central, blueberries ranged from 1-inch green to tight cluster.
In the Southeast, blueberries were at early pink. Growers have been paying attention to the possible risk of mummy berry as this is the primary risk period.
Vegetables
This winter, exceedingly warm temperatures combined with consistent rainfall expedited vegetable growers' fieldwork and planting progress.
Sweet corn planting recently commenced, with the earliest plantings having germinated.
Celery transplanting began while cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower transplanting continued. Onions were up in many fields, with some in the flag stage.
Asparagus growers were busy applying herbicides and fertilizers, and emergence was expected to occur during the next week.
Producers performed fieldwork, including laying plastic and applying burndown herbicide, for the tomato and pepper crops.
Topsoil moisture was rated very short, 0%; short, 4%; adequate, 68%; surplus, 28%.
Subsoil moisture was rated very short, 0%; short, 6%; adequate, 75%; surplus, 19%.
The crop progress schedule (last week, previous week, 2023 and five-year average) showed: corn planted, 4, 1, 2, 5; soybeans planted, 7, 1, 5, 6; winter wheat jointing, 53, 34, 19, 29; oats planted, 43, 17, 22, 34; oats emerged, 14, 1, 5, 12; sugarbeets planted, 49, 18, 68, 52; sugarbeets emerged, 17, 1, 11, 17.
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