Apple scab infection March 27-28; powdery mildew infection Mar 29-30

At Winchester we are seeing mostly pink stage, with a few early blossoms open on Idared and Pink Lady apples. At the AREC we received our first definite apple scab infection period Mar 27-28 with 15 hr wet at 53° with 0.57 in. rain. More than half of the scab ascospores are now mature in the Winchester area. Only a few cedar-apple rust spores were discharged during the recent wetting, but spore horns are now fully mature. Apple powdery mildew spores are available, and infection could have occurred on Mar 29 and 30.

As shown below, a few early apple and crabapple blossoms were open Mar 30. However, with cool temperatures predicted most of the next two weeks, the current fire blight threat is minimal in the Winchester area.

Early bloom on Idared apple, March 30, 2020. Winchester, VA.