Tree Nut Farm Press

Ants are always in the almond orchard — however, they aren’t as visible as they are now, advises Walt Bentley, regional IPM entomologist at the University of California Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Parlier....More

With good soil moisture levels following late winter and early spring rains, all that Don Norene’s walnut trees needed to prod them into serious production mode was warm, dry weather....More

America’s pistachio growers are on track to their biggest crop ever this year. Fortunately, demand continues to grow and the industry should be able to sell most, if not all, of the crop, says Richard Matoian, executive director of American Pistachio Growers....More

The tiny pecan nuts in Buddy Achen’s orchards near Las Cruces, N.M., were developing normally at early season, and the trees were in good shape....More

Veteran Butte and Glenn Counties almond grower Dan Cummings was expecting Nonpareil production in his Sacramento Valley orchards to be down this year and pollinator production to be up. But, so far he has been surprised....More

When almonds are drying on the ground during harvest, they are susceptible to damage from that perennial pest, the Southern fire ant. Soft-shelled almonds are particularly at risk, with the fire ant entering through a suture in the hull, removing the nutmeat and often leaving only the pellicle....More

After a sluggish start, walnut trees in the north end of the Sacramento Valley shifted into high gear with the onset of warm weather....More

Weather last month in the Kettleman City area, in western Kings County where California Pistachio Orchards is located, wasn’t boring....More

Pecan orchards in New Mexico’s Mesilla Valley started leafing out the second week of April, flowering shortly after that, and reached peak bloom in early May....More

Ben Wilson, Kern County, Calif. almond grower, is beginning to get an idea of how this year’s crop is shaping up....More

Glenn County, Calif., pecan grower Keith Larrabee likes what he’s seeing in his orchards near Butte City, Calif. “The trees look very healthy,” he says. “Because of the rain and cold weather, things have been moving slowly, but flowers on some early trees and catkins on others are starting to push.”...More

The pistachio orchards of S&J Ranch in Madera County started blooming the first week of April, about the normal time, says Kevin Olsen, vice president of S&J Ranch, a farm management company that also produces citrus and other permanent crops in the San Joaquin Valley....More

Walnut bloom for San Joaquin County grower Chris Locke started with Serrs, Vinas, Hartleys, Howards, and Tulares, and will be followed by Chandlers, the last to bloom in late April....More

As his Kern County, Calif., pistachio trees moved through full bloom, Carl Fanucchi has brightened his hopes for a good year due to welcomed spring rains....More

When Bill Krueger checked Chandler, Hartley and Howard walnut trees in Glenn County in late March, buds on were still tight. But those on other varieties, like Ashley and Vina, were starting to push....More

Stanislaus County, Calif. almonds came through pollination season in good shape, says Roger Duncan, University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisor....More

Pecan growers in New Mexico’s Pecos Valley are starting the 2012 crop year in much the same way they ended last season — short on water. But, with signs that the current La Niña is beginning to fade, the situation could improve within a few months....More

New Mexico pecan growers are glad they’ve harvested the last of their 2011 crop, hampered by snow and rain in December and January — but they are not so happy over the drop in prices that has occurred since late last summer....More

The navel orangeworm caused relatively little damage to the Kern County pistachio crop in 2011, says Brad Higbee, research entomologist with Paramount Farming Company in Bakersfield, Calif. — but low damage levels last year don’t necessarily mean NOW numbers were down....More

San Joaquin County walnut trees received plenty of chilling hours this winter, and as a result this month trees were advancing faster than normal, sayss Joe Grant, University of California Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor for the county....More

Almonds in Merced County began blooming mid-February, with Nonpareil and pollinators such as Aldrich, Carmel and Monterey starting things off. By the end of the month Butte and Padre were also flowering....More

Last fall, California’s walnut growers expected to harvest an estimated 485,000 tons of inshell product, which would have been about three percent smaller than the 502,000-ton crop in 2010 — the largest ever and the third straight year of record production....More

About six weeks later than usual, Jay Glover, Tularosa, N.M., finally began harvesting his 2011 pecan crop, predominately Western Schley, on Jan. 7....More

Pistachio trees in the southern San Joaquin Valley have had a good rest this winter, and should the recent warm weather continue, growers could begin seeing bud push 7 days to 10 days earlier than usual, says Bob Beede, University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisor for Kings County....More

Beekeepers began trucking their hives into Fresno County the latter part of January, placing them in almond orchards or nearby staging areas. But, the scarcity of rain this winter has limited growth of vegetation and flowers for the bees to feed on until they can begin getting nourishment from the almond blooms....More