Source: NCSU COOPERATIVE EXTENSION, 4/15/22


Happy strange bloom year to all in the apple crop! Between these warm(ish) days and cool nights, I’m sure blossom blight has been on the brain for several of you. The good news is, for Henderson County the risk is just moderate for blossom blight this week (Apr 16-17).

Blossom Blight Risk Henderson County April 16 and 17
How exactly should a “caution warning” (CougarBlight) or moderate risk (EIP/MaryBlyt) be interpreted? Basically, with the latter it means that two conditions of four in this case have been met. In this case: i) blossoms are open and ii) there will be rain. The conditions not met are those requiring heat: iii) the size of the bacterial population on the flower (number should be over 100 for infection) and iv) Avg. temps of 60 deg. F. I’ll continue to monitor the forecasts but if it gets warmer than expected make sure to visit: newa.cornell.edu or simply give me a call for help.

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