HMC News – February 2026
Blossoms have begun to bloom in our earliest tree fruit varieties. Once bloom begins, we need warm days, to encourage bee flight for pollination. The more developed the blossom, the more susceptible it is to a freeze. In the semi-closed state (pictured below), the temperatures can reach below freezing and the flower will still be protected. Once the flower blooms fully, and juvenile fruit begins to form, the fruit is at its’ most susceptible stage. If the temperature drops below freezing when the fruit is in that stage of development, we will run water and use fans when available to circulate the air and try to keep it above 32°F.
As blossoms continue to become more prevalent in our orchards, we begin to fully analyze our chill hours, rainfall, and snowpack for the season. Our snowpack is currently behind our anticipated April 1 average, but there is another set of storms in the forecast that can carry a possible 5-10 feet of snow. Ten feet of snow will bring us close to what is considered “normal”. Our total chill hours (shown below) are the second lowest we’ve had in the past five years. This is still enough hours to produce a successful stone fruit crop, but we always prefer to have as many hours as we can before bloom to ensure the trees have had an adequate amount of time to rest.
As trees break dormancy and bloom in late winter to early spring, bees are typically brought into orchards to transfer pollen between flowers, ensuring successful fertilization and fruit set. Many plum varieties require cross-pollination from compatible cultivars planted nearby, while most peaches and nectarines are self-fertile, they still benefit from strong bee activity. Bloom timing, weather conditions, and adequate winter chill hours all influence how effectively pollination occurs— while we’re welcoming the current storm system that is pushing through the valley; cool, wet, or windy conditions can limit bee flight and reduce fruit set, making this brief flowering window one of the most important and closely watched periods of the growing season. At this point the set looks to be a little light, but only time will tell.
Seven years ago, a seed of an idea was planted with Dr. Buckley at Reedley College. Production agriculture needed a central location to develop innovation and technology. For years, our research has been done independently without a collective effort. A hands-on, focal point that could further vet and explore domestic and international technologies would dramatically increase the adoption and incorporation of new strategies designed to keep the food we grow competitive with other commodities.
Hopefully this new 10-million-dollar center will enable a collaboration of our community of growers to share new ideas and concepts and continue to improve the quality of our products. Below is pictured: Jerry Buckley (President of Reedley College) Jim Costa (Representative for California’s 21st Congressional District) & Harold McClarty (Owner of HMC Farms.)
