Dormancy to Delayed-Dormancy

Count mummy nuts in orchard.

• If more than two nuts per tree remain, knock off and destroy mummy nuts by the initiation of bloom to reduce navel orangeworm and brown rot.

Manage orchard floor vegetation:

• After harvest, assess weeds present and identify those that were not controlled by a fall preemergence herbicide application.
• Keep records (PDF).

In January, consider applying postemergence herbicides in tree row strips alone or in combination with preemergence herbicides.

Take spur samples for scale and mite eggs mid-November to mid-January.

• Record results (PDF).
• Manage if needed according to the Pest Management Guidelines.

Examine trees for peach twig borer hibernacula in the crotches of one-year-old wood.

• Consult the Pest Management Guidelines to determine if treatments should be made during dormancy, bloom (Bacillus thuringiensis only), or in May.

In orchards with varieties that retain leaves, monitor rust for possible spring fungicide application and take a first-year twig sample (green shoots) to monitor for scab infections.

• If scab infections are high, consider dormant or delayed-dormant treatments.

Other pests you may see:

• Armillaria root rot (oak root fungus): mushrooms emerge during wet periods.
• Pocket gophers (mound-building activity).