Merced Mysteries & Minutiae: Merced County almond blooms peeking out

The last couple of weeks, the skies have been clear, with the sun shining and temperatures pleasant.

It’s the kind of weather that beckons you outdoors and goes perfectly with a glass of sweet tea.

The week of sunny skies comes as a break from rainy days fueled by an El Niño that’s been welcomed by our parched Central Valley – home to acres and acres of farmland.

In a farming community like ours, weather is a big deal. The crops are the livelihood of many, and the crops depend largely on climate conditions.

Merced County is home to more than 100,000 acres of almond orchards, the county’s second top commodity in 2014, the most recent data available. Almonds generated $790.7 million in 2014 for Merced County.

Statewide, almonds are the No. 2 crop, behind milk.

The warm weather caused some concern for at least one reader who called me recently. The almond tree behind his home has started to blossom, and he was worried it was too early in the season to be seeing and smelling the white, fragrant flowers.

Q: Are almond trees blooming early this year? What does it mean when almond orchards bloom early, and how do farmers deal with it?

A: According to the Almond Board of California’s website, almonds bloom between late February and early March. Different varieties of almonds bloom at different times.

Ballico almond grower Tim Lohman said from what he’s seen, blooms are appearing about the same time as last year – a couple of weeks early. Almond orchards here in Merced seem to be a couple of days behind those in the South Valley, such as in Tulare County.

According to Blue Diamond Almonds, buds are responding to the warmer weather in the central region of the state.

When almonds bloom earlier, there’s a risk of the delicate nutlet being exposed to potential frost, Lohman said.

“Almonds are very delicate when they first emerge from the flower,” he said. “The nutlet is protected by the flower jacket a little bit.”

Freezing temperatures are not unheard of in March, and that’s when the almond is most vulnerable, Lohman said.

Drought conditions have made monitoring and controlling ground temperatures more difficult, since water is a simple solution to that problem.

This year, with the potential of more rain from El Niño while trees are in bloom, there’s also a concern for blossoms to be damaged and fungus to form.

“Fungus can start growing with wet weather, especially warm wet weather,” he said.

Farmers typically battle fungus by applying fungicide with precise timing.

“Typical cultural activities such as fertilizing, mowing and herbicide applications are wrapping up so that growers can stay out of their orchards as much as possible while bees are present,” Blue Diamond’s bloom/harvest report says.

Because of the early blooms, bee deliveries are increasing, and beekeepers are working quickly to get hives placed ahead of blooming, Blue Diamond says.

Denise Qualls of Pollination Connections, a business that connects beekeepers with growers, says earlier blossoms are better for bees because they have more foraging and work to do, preventing them from starving to death in orchards while waiting for blooms.

“The challenge for beekeepers is getting bees in the orchards before the bloom gets to be too significant,” Qualls said. “With the amount of orchards and acreage, and the amount of bees, it’s a scramble.”

Qualls said the demand for bees is “exorbitant.”

“We’ve gotten so many calls this week,” she said. “I feel bad for the growers. Growers are short thousands of hives, and then there’s the little guys who don’t get any at all.”

Bees aren’t as easy to come by because of a growing threat from invasive mites, Qualls said. And California has a massive almond market that bees must pollinate.

So as you’re driving around over this holiday weekend, take a minute to enjoy the semi-early almond blossoms, a special treat provided by our nourishing Central Valley.

This story was originally published February 14, 2016 at 3:58 PM with the headline "Merced Mysteries & Minutiae: Merced County almond blooms peeking out."