Southwest Michigan fruit update – April 29, 2025
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EmailBloom is coming (and in many cases, it is already here).
MSU fruit updates
Michigan State University Extension is in the process of filling the tree fruit specialist position based at the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center. Because of this, there will be a more abbreviated tree fruit section in our weekly updates until the position is filled.
We are also moving our weekly integrated pest management (IPM) updates to a virtual format and dividing them into tree fruit-specific meetings and small fruit-specific meetings. The small fruit weekly updates are held Tuesday evenings. Tree fruit weekly updates are held Wednesday afternoons. We are hoping to return to joint small and tree fruit updates next year. Thank you for your understanding and happy spring!
Weather
This week is expected to be pretty warm. Tuesday night (April 29) will be windy and warm with the potential for scattered showers and highs nearing 80. It’s likely to cool down pretty substantially overnight into Wednesday, making Wednesday fair and cool with lows in the lower 70s and likely cloud cover at the end of the day. Showers and thunderstorms are likely to develop overnight Wednesday into Thursday. Friday will be cool with highs in the 60s, which will continue into the weekend.
Lows are expected to get into the upper 20s to low 30s on Wednesday, so keep an eye on the weather and your crop’s phenology. Check out this article on using sprinklers to protect blueberries from spring freezes, or this article that covers multiple methods of frost protection. Medium term outlooks for May point to warmer and drier than normal for the first half of the month.
Tree fruit
The first oriental fruit moth was caught this season. There was an increase in red banded leafroller catch. No green fruit worms were caught this week. Plum curculio continues to be caught at the same levels as last week. Coddling moth, lesser appleworm, San Jose scale and dogwood borer traps were all set this week. Ambrosia beetles have been caught at high pressure sites.
Apricots are in the shuck in Berrien County, depending on variety and location. Some small levels of freeze damage have been observed in some locations. Early indications are somewhere between 10-20% damage.
Cherries are at full bloom in southern parts of Berrien County and first bloom up through southern Allegan County.
Japanese plums are beginning petal fall. European plums are slightly behind, with many varieties in bloom.
Peach and nectarine are at full bloom.
The early apple variety Zestar is at full bloom in Berrien County. Many varieties are at king bloom. Scab sprays will be needed to protect against future rains as green tissue emerges. Protectants are preferred over systemic fungicides at this time of year for scab control.
Pear is at first bloom. Scab sprays are needed as green tissue emerges.
Small fruit
Grape bud break is underway. Early hybrids like Marquette are showing green tissue. Open leaves are expected this week. Other hybrids are between late bud swell and early leaf opening. Juice grapes are in late bud swell as well. Pruning for spring should be finishing up. For growers looking to delay bud break, some research indicates oils such as Amigo sprayed on dormant buds can delay bud break for a few days, but delayed pruning seems to have more consistent results. Grapes break bud near the upper portions of the canes first. By waiting until frosts are finished before final pruning, the early buds that will be pruned off anyway will get damaged. Once those canes are removed, the retained buds will open later.
Blueberry continue to wake up. Early varieties in the southern parts of Berrien County are approaching the late pink bud stage with early varieties in southern Allegan County finishing up the early pink bud stage. Blueberry tip midge was caught in traps at the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center.
Pollination is around the corner. Check out this Blueberry Pollinator Stewardship Guide from Michigan State University Extension to help keep up your hive health. With pollination approaching so quickly, it’s important to touch base with your beekeepers. Next week is looking great for pollination with weather in the 60s.
With summer coming, make sure your irrigation system is not just working but also working correctly. Join Michigan State University Extension’s blueberry and irrigation teams at the first ever Blueberry Irrigation Workshop on May 16 at the Trevor Nichols Research Center.
Strawberry flower trusses have begun to emerge. A few blooms were observed in early varieties. There were areas that might have experienced a frost last week. Irrigation for frost can make it so that fungicides have a hard time sticking. If sprays are needed, use systemic options and treat early in the morning for the most time for the plant to absorb the fungicide before the next watering. With bloom and bee activity, do not use insecticides. Cool, wet conditions can favor angular leaf spot, a bacterial disease. The only effective bacterial controls are copper formulations. Growers are looking at early season herbicides to control overwintering weeds and have begun spreading straw. When selecting an herbicide, check the preharvest interval.
Bramble leaves are beginning to emerge in many varieties. In summer bearing raspberries, last year’s primocanes should be headed (cut back) to the desired height and any remaining floricanes from last year should be removed. Fall bearing raspberries should be cut or mowed to the ground.
Surveys
Please fill out this survey from our colleagues across the Midwest about novel weed sprays!
Upcoming meetings
This year, in lieu of our historical Monday Night Fruit IPM Meetings, we will instead be hosting Tuesday night small fruit IPM meetings. They will take place entirely online at 5:30 p.m. starting April 1 and will occur weekly until June 24. Sign up here for the small fruit meetings.
The tree fruit IPM lunch meetings begin April 16. Sign up here for the tree fruit meetings.
Want to learn more about Bulletins Live! Two? Join Jackie Perkins and Cheyenne Sloan on May 22 at one of two webinars to learn more. For more information and to register, check out “Upcoming webinar will provide instructions on using the new Bulletins Live! Two system.”
