To date, the weather has been very warm, with conditions favoring bee flight and pollination, but not the various bloom time diseases. The bloom looks strong across the county. In other words – so far, so good. I have received a few calls from a variety of topics, and will post some thoughts on these topics. Next week, there looks to be a few showers moving into the area, so fungicide coverage may be needed to prevent various diseases – especially if a fungicide application hasn’t been made. If an application has been made, it should provide protection for 10-14 days, dependent upon the amount of rain received. Delayed Varietal Bloom, Weak Bloom.I have received several calls regarding delayed bloom of Monterrey and Fritz. Although these thoughts are conjecture, discussions with a few advisors concluded that post-harvest tree conditions/ practices may be the cause for these issues. Tree conditions include defoliation of trees last fall from scab and rust, water stressed from a delayed harvest, and inadequate rainfall during the dormant period. Practices that may have encouraged this separation include delayed application of nitrogen and water during the post-harvest period, and missed pre-irrigations this past winter due to lack of water. Also consider that these trees have had high yields over the past few years – with two years of delayed harvests (mid-Sep-Oct) with Fritz/Monterrey. Many people have asked about inadequate chilling being a possible cause, but ample chilling has been received. More importantly, if it was a weather effect, we would expect to see the variations in bloom time occurring across a wide area – not just in a single orchard. For example, one orchard has had an issue with the delayed bloom, while the neighboring orchard with the same varieties is blooming as expected. Birds Eating Blossoms?Catching me a bit