Crop Progress Report – March 2, 2026
This report covers the conditions and activities observed from February 23 to March 1, 2026. Written updates will be posted regularly on Mondays throughout bloom and will have a more regionalized focus. Additional updates will be posted as needed.
The 2026 Almond bloom is winding down almost as quickly as it started this season. The weather for this period was significantly drier and warmer than that of the previous week. Temperatures reached as high as 80 degrees in the San Joaquin Valley, and the Sacramento Valley saw temperatures swing from lows in the 20’s last week to highs in the 70’s this week. Despite warmer and drier conditions, wind and clouds suppressed bee activity for much of the week in the Sacramento Valley. Bee activity in the San Joaquin Valley was fair to good for most of the period.
Bloom in the Sacramento Valley has consistently stayed slightly ahead of the rest of the growing regions this season and continued its progress through petal fall and into jacket and early nutlet stages.
Bloom continued its decline for Nonpareil, Monterey, Independence, and California varieties for this period in the San Joaquin Valley as well. Most of the remaining bloom is in Butte Padre plantings, though even these have passed their peak by the end of this period. Bees were more active in the milder weather there and worked whatever viable bloom they could still find.
Ranvir Tung, a grower in Fresno County, summed up the week by saying, “The remaining bloom progressed rapidly after the storms, and with leaf-out now underway, the next round of fungicide applications are being applied.”
Bee hives began to be removed from the most advanced orchards at the end of this period. As orchards continue to dry out, growers will conduct maintenance activities such as mowing and removing trees that were downed in last week’s storms. They will also look to begin nutrient applications and pest management discussions.
By: Anthony Scudder, Regional Manager
Photo Credits: Mel Machado and Nicole Jansen
