Blue Diamond Almond Bloom Report – March 7, 2013
Blue Diamond Almonds – Almond Bloom Report – March 7, 2013
Northern California Almond Bloom Report –
Owing to its geographic location, the Sacramento Valley incurred the greatest impacts from Wednesday’s storm system, although the inclement weather largely failed to live up to its expectations. Morning low temperatures were reported in the mid and upper 50’s, owing to the mostly cloudy skies that covered the region at sunrise. The degree of cloud cover decreased as the day progressed, providing the region with a bit more sunlight, but failing to push maximum temperatures above 59 degrees. Rainfall totals for the day ranged from 0.2 to 0.4 inch, falling mainly during pre-dawn showers.
Inclement conditions helped to scrub petals from the almond trees, greatly reducing the apparent amount of viable bloom remaining to be pollinating. Looks can be deceiving, however, as the only varieties to drop below the 10% open bloom threshold have been the early blooming Sonora and Peerless. All other varieties still have a significant proportion of their flowers open and available for pollination. The Nonpareil remains well synchronized with the most popular pollenizers, with both types having enough viable, open bloom to meet the bee’s needs for a few more days, while the late blooming Butte is now at its peak bloom, leading the Padre by a slight amount.
Conditions
| High Temperature: | 59°F |
| Low Temperature: | 46°F |
| Wind: | 10 to 15 mph. |
| Rain: | 0.2 to 0.4 inches |
| Sky Conditions: | Partly cloudy. |
| Bee Activity: | None in northern areas, 5 hours poor activity in the south. |
Bloom Status
| Dormant | Green Tip | Pink Bud | Popcorn | Bloom | Petal Fall | Jacket | Nutlet | |
| Sonora | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 8% | 31% | 61% | 0% |
| Nonpareil | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 47% | 38% | 15% | 0% |
| California | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 26% | 49% | 25% | 0% |
| Carmel | 0% | 0% | 0% | 6% | 60% | 25% | 15% | 0% |
| Peerless | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 4% | 26% | 70% | 0% |
| Monterey | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 45% | 37% | 17% | 0% |
| Butte | 0% | 0% | 0% | 3% | 70% | 23% | 4% | 0% |
| Padre | 0% | 0% | 0% | 8% | 75% | 17% | 0% | 0% |
Data reflects a composite of the growing region
Central California Almond Bloom Report –
Overcast skies covered the northern San Joaquin Wednesday morning, as light rain swept over the region. Morning low temperatures were held in the mid and upper 40’s by the wet conditions with daytime highs rising only into the upper 50’s. Clouds covered the region throughout the day, driven across the skies by winds that reached speeds in excess of 20 mph. Scattered showers roamed through the region during the afternoon hours, however, the storm largely failed to live up to expectations, producing more wind than rain. Official rainfall totals for the day ranged from trace amounts to just a few hundredths, falling mainly during the pre-dawn hours.
Observers noted that there was a noticeable hum of bee activity in the almond orchards. However, the dark skies and windy conditions reduced the intensity of their efforts resulting in 4 to 6 hours of poor to fair activity for the day.
Almond orchards in the northern San Joaquin Valley struggled to hold their petals against the scrubbing action of the brisk winds. While the Carmel, Butte and Padre plantings are predominantly at or near their peak bloom, some degree of petal fall is apparent in every orchard in the region. The greatest amount of petal fall is found in the Sonora and California type varieties, which are leading the way into the jacket stage. Meanwhile, the Nonpareil still has a significant proportion of its buds available for pollination and remains well synchronized with its associated pollenizers. Nutlets are now visible growing within the protective jackets on the Sonora and Peerless.
Conditions
| High Temperature: | 59°F |
| Low Temperature: | 48°F |
| Wind: | 10 to 15 mph. |
| Rain: | Trace to 0.06 inches. |
| Sky Conditions: | Overcast. |
| Bee Activity: | 4 to 6 hours of poor to fair bee activity. |
Bloom Status
| Dormant | Green Tip | Pink Bud | Popcorn | Bloom | Petal Fall | Jacket | Nutlet | |
| Sonora | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 40% | 25% | 35% | 0% |
| Nonpareil | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 79% | 16% | 5% | 0% |
| California | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 61% | 25% | 14% | 0% |
| Carmel | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2% | 89% | 8% | 1% | 0% |
| Monterey | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2% | 85% | 12% | 1% | 0% |
| Butte | 0% | 0% | 0% | 11% | 88% | 1% | 0% | 0% |
| Padre | 0% | 0% | 1% | 17% | 82% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Data reflects a composite of the growing region
Southern California Almond Bloom Report –
The promise of rain was nearly stolen away from the southern region as the supposedly potent storm system that was forecast to pass through the central state fell apart and lost most of its intensity. Overcast skies at dawn held morning low temperatures in the mid and upper 40’s in all areas of the region, while daytime highs reached into the lower 60’s. Official stations largely reported only trace amounts of rain, falling short of expected amounts. Winds of 10 to 15 mph were the dominant feature of the storm, scrubbing petals from the almond trees and reducing the bee’s desire to leave their hives. Observers reported that the combined effects of the dark, cloudy skies and winds held the bee’s efforts to 5 to 6 hours of poor to fair activity.
Wednesday’s winds continued the cascade of petals flowing from the region’s almond orchards as the proportion of viable flowers continues to decline. The early blooming Sonora now has the majority of its flowers in the jacket stage and is expected to complete its bloom over the coming weekend. Observers are also reporting that nutlets are now visible growing within the jackets of the Sonora. California types are leading the Nonpareil into the petal fall and jacket stages, while the Carmel, Monterey, Butte and Padre now have the greatest proportion of viable bloom remaining available for pollination.
While the storm failed to bring significant rainfall to the region, conditions were poor enough to bring most orchard operations to a halt for the day.
Conditions
| High Temperature: | 63F |
| Low Temperature: | 47°F |
| Wind: | 10 to 15 mph. |
| Rain: | Trace. |
| Sky Conditions: | Overcast to broken clouds. |
| Bee Activity: | 5 to 6 Hours of poor to fair bee activity. |
Bloom Status
| Dormant | Green Tip | Pink Bud | Popcorn | Bloom | Petal Fall | Jacket | Nutlet | |
| Sonora | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 18% | 27% | 55% | 0% |
| Nonpareil | 0% | 0% | 0% | % | 58% | 30% | 12% | 0% |
| California | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 38% | 28% | 34% | 0% |
| Carmel | 0% | 0% | 0% | 5% | 76% | 19% | 0% | 0% |
| Monterey | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 65% | 24% | 11% | 0% |
| Butte | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2% | 88% | 10% | 0% | 0% |
| Padre | 0% | 0% | 2% | 6% | 86% | 6% | 0% | 0% |
Data reflects a composite of the growing region