Fruit Development

Put up pheromone traps for:

• Peach twig borer (March 20)
• Obliquebanded leafroller (April 15)

Continue to monitor for western flower thrips through jacket drop.

Monitor shoot strikes for damage from oriental fruit moth and peach twig borer.

• Keep records (example monitoring form PDF).
• Manage if needed according to Nectarine Pest Management Guidelines.

If wet weather persists, continue to monitor for rust:

• Manage if needed according to Nectarine Pest Management Guidelines.

If orchard has a history of scab:

• Treat 3 weeks after full bloom.
• Treat again 2 weeks later if scab was severe the previous year.

Take sweep samples in orchards and adjacent crops and weedy areas, beginning from early April to early June for:

• Plant bugs (Lygus and Calocoris).
• Katydids
• Stink bugs

Manage if needed according to Nectarine Pest Management Guidelines.

Sample fruit damage every other week after color break.

Monitor powdery mildew and treat if needed according to Nectarine Pest Management Guidelines.

Manage orchard floor:

• Survey weeds and keep records (example late-spring weed survey form PDF).
• Spot treat weeds if needed according to Nectarine Pest Management Guidelines.

Monitor spider mites from late April through August:

• For best evaluation, conduct two 5-minute searches and keep records (example monitoring form PDF).
• Manage if needed according to Nectarine Pest Management Guidelines.

Select leaf samples in late June through July to analyze for nutrients. Pay particular attention to nitrogen, potassium, and some of the micronutrients such as zinc and boron.

• Take 60 to 80 mid-shoot leaves from moderately vigorous fruiting shoots.

If rain is predicted during the last 4 weeks before harvest, treat for ripe fruit rot.

Other pests you may see:

• Armillaria root rot
• Bacterial canker
• Phytophthora root and crown rot
• Peach silver mite
• Black peach aphid
• Scab
• Verticillium wilt
• Tree borers