Southeast Michigan fruit update – June 16, 2026
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EmailStrawberry harvest continues as first raspberries are being picked.
Welcome to the 12th in-season fruit article update for southeast Michigan for the 2026 season. Throughout the season these updates will include information about the weather in the past week and the upcoming week, a fruit-by-fruit guide to current conditions with appropriate pest and disease updates, and other relevant observations.
General observations
The last week has been wetter than usual with some fluctuations in temperature, but we will be seeing a cooler, more stable week with some potential for rain and humidity. These conditions can be conducive to disease development while also being a hindrance to spray application. The main diseases we’re concerned about this week are grape powdery mildew and grape black rot. Conditions may be tricky to get on cover sprays because of the potential for wind and rain over the next few days.
Many of you will have already done spring weed control, but if not, this 2020 MSU Extension article on spring herbicide applications lists some available options.
We are down to the final weekly integrated pest management (IPM) update. These Tuesday evening virtual meetings cover both small fruit and tree fruit in southeast and southwest Michigan. You can register online at 2026 South Michigan Fruit IPM Updates. It is a good opportunity to hear from experts, ask questions and receive restricted use pesticide (RUP) credits. See the latest weekly fruit meetings for southern Michigan on MSU’s Kaltura Media Space (these may take a few days to upload after the meetings are held).
Fruit-by-fruit conditions
Apples: Apples in the region are sizing up, with considerable variation in diameter depending on region and cultivar. We have yet to see June drop in the area, but you can tell which fruitlets are likely to drop.
Blueberries: Fruit are sizing up and starting to take on some color in warm parts of the region and fruit development in cooler areas.
Brambles: We are seeing first harvest in early summer raspberries The first floral buds are starting to show up on fall raspberries and blackberries have started to bloom in the warmest parts of the region.
Cherries: We are seeing first picks of early sweet cherry cultivars and the start of coloring in tart cherries. The cool, extended bloom period along with frosts contributed to low crop set at some farms and some farms may not be harvesting the small amounts of cherries they have. This is site dependent.
Grapes: Most grape cultivars are at fruit set, including juice grapes, table grapes and hybrid wine grapes. Later cultivars and vines in cooler parts of the region are still in bloom. Make sure to control for black rot.
Peaches and nectarines: Peaches at the pit hardening stage with pit formation are mostly complete but the pits are not completely hard. Peaches from secondary flowers are not as far along in development as those from primary flowers.
See a new bulletin from MSU Extension, “Best Practices for Peach Orchards with Reduced Crop Load.”
Pears: Pears are sizing up in the region. Local scouts have reported sightings of pear psylla adults in orchards.
Plums: Japanese and European style are in the pit hardening phase and are no longer easy to slice through.
Strawberries: We are seeing continued picks of strawberries with fruit growth. Heat has caused the season in southwest Michigan to wrap up, but our cooler temperatures next week may extend the season. Some areas have seen frost damage, resulting in lower crops at some farms.
Insect conditions
More in-depth information can be found by watching the latest weekly fruit meetings on MSU’s Kaltura Media Space (these may take a few days to upload after the meetings).
See the new MSU Extension article, “Don't trust the calendar: Why trapping matters during unusual weather.”
Download MSU Extension’s updated fact sheet, “Managing Ambrosia Beetles in Apple.”
Aphids: Woolly apple aphid populations in apple are climbing, but woollies have not yet moved to terminals. Rosy apple aphid populations are down after successful control by growers.
Blueberry maggot: No catches have been reported yet this year.
Borers: Similar catch to last week of greater peach tree borer was reported in Fennville while counts of lesser peachtree borer have declined.
Cherry fruit fly: The first catch of cherry fruit fly was reported in Fennville this week.
Cranberry fruit worm: Counts are down from last week at Fennville.
Codling moth: Adult catches are down regionally. Sustained catch was observed on May 8 in Romeo, putting us at around 20% egg hatch and in the timeframe for delayed larvicidal sprays.
European apple sawfly: Catches have declined in southeast Michigan but damage has been observed. This is a pest that wasn’t an issue for many years but growers have been reporting damage the last few seasons.
Grape berry moth: Growers in the region observed wild grape bloom the first week of June, which is the biofix for grape berry moth. Counts at Fennville are down from last week.
Japanese beetle: These have yet to be observed but usually emerge in early summer.
Mullein plant bug: Damage has been reported in southeast Michigan in some orchards.
Oriental fruit moth: Biofix was set in Romeo for April 22 (April 13 in Fennville) for the first generation. Numbers are still down, but emergence of the next generation will be coming soon (see the Enviroweather model with biofix).
Pear psylla: Increased adult activity has been observed in orchards again.
Plum curculio: While counts have been dropping, several growers have seen extended stays of plum curculio past the normal migration time as estimated by degree-day modeling.
San Jose scale: Crawlers have been observed in the region, with the peak expected about a week after first observation. This is the best time to control this pest.
Disease conditions
Apple scab: The RimPro model for Romeo indicates that primary scab season is over. From this point on growers with existing scab infections should focus on controlling secondary scab. There is some risk for secondary scab June 17-19 at sites with primary scab infections.
Cherry leaf spot: There is some cherry leaf spot risk on June 17-19. See this 2024 article on cherry leaf spot management.
European brown rot: Stone fruits are susceptible to infection around three weeks after shuck split and again three weeks before harvest through the harvest period.
Fire blight: Since we have moved out of bloom, there is low risk in apples and pears. If there is hail damage, growers should spray for fire blight.
Grape black rot: Control for grape black is most important immediately pre-bloom and during bloom. There is risk for black rot June 17-19. Grape bloom is getting towards the end in our warmer areas and at its peak in cooler areas. See this 2014 article for grape black rot management options and consult E-154. Risk is expected to be low this week.
Grape downy mildew: We are expecting light risk this week, June 18, particularly in prone areas.
Grape powdery mildew: We are expecting risk this week from June 21-23.
Phomopsis: In blueberries, the Phomopsis fungus is active from bud swell until after harvest.
Powdery mildew of apple and pear: You can start to include products labeled for powdery mildew in sprays starting at tight cluster. We are not expecting there to be much risk this week.
Seasonal weather update
In the last week, southeast Michigan saw an average of 14.8 hours of rain accumulating to 1.5 inches of precipitation.
| Liquid Precipitation Accumulation Mar. 1- June 16, 2026, issued June 16, 2026 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Station (County) | Rainfall Total (in.) Current | Hours with Rainfall Current | Rainfall Total Average (5 Yr.) | Hours with Rainfall Average (5 Yr.) |
| Commerce (Oakland) | 13.4 | 178 | 8.4 | 177 |
| Deerfield (Monroe) | 12.7 | 176 | 9.4 | 177 |
| East Lansing MSU Hort (Ingham) | 14.0 | 186 | 8.8 | 176 |
| Emmett (St. Clair) | 12.5 | 193 | 8.3 | 173 |
| Flint (Genesee) | 14.0 | 192 | 9.1 | 184 |
| Freeland (Saginaw) | 12.0 | 169 | . | . |
| Hudson (Lenawee) | 11.7 | 186 | 9.5 | 181 |
| Ithaca (Gratiot) | 15.9 | 190 | 8.3 | 167 |
| Lapeer (Lapeer) | 13.7 | 197 | 7.9 | 183 |
| Linwood (Bay) | 13.2 | 190 | 7.6 | 165 |
| Pigeon (Huron) | 12.2 | 195 | 7.0 | 174 |
| Richville/Frankenmuth (Tuscola) | 14.2 | 182 | 8.5 | 167 |
| Romeo (Macomb) | 12.8 | 167 | 8.5 | 169 |
| Sandusky (Sanilac) | 12.7 | 175 | 7.6 | 184 |
| Average of stations in this region: | 13.2 | 184.0 | 8.4 | 175.2 |
| Difference in Liquid Precipitation Accumulation from Mar. 1 observed June 9 and June 16, 2026; issued June 169, 2026 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall Total (in.) | Rainfall Total (in.) | Hours with Rainfall | Hours with Rainfall | |||
| Station (County) | 9-Jun | 16-Jun | Difference | 9-Jun | 16-Jun | Difference |
| Commerce (Oakland) | 12.0 | 13.4 | 1.3 | 166 | 178 | 12.0 |
| Deerfield (Monroe) | 12.0 | 12.7 | 0.8 | 171 | 176 | 5.0 |
| East Lansing MSU Hort (Ingham) | 12.4 | 14.0 | 1.6 | 170 | 186 | 16.0 |
| Emmett (St. Clair) | 11.4 | 12.5 | 1.1 | 179 | 193 | 14.0 |
| Flint (Genesee) | 12.7 | 14.0 | 1.3 | 175 | 192 | 17.0 |
| Freeland (Saginaw) | 10.8 | 12.0 | 1.2 | 151 | 169 | 18.0 |
| Hudson (Lenawee) | 11.2 | 11.7 | 0.5 | 177 | 186 | 9.0 |
| Ithaca (Gratiot) | 13.5 | 15.9 | 2.5 | 170 | 190 | 20.0 |
| Lapeer (Lapeer) | 12.1 | 13.7 | 1.6 | 180 | 197 | 17.0 |
| Linwood (Bay) | 12.0 | 13.2 | 1.2 | 175 | 190 | 15.0 |
| Pigeon (Huron) | 10.1 | 12.2 | 2.1 | 179 | 195 | 16.0 |
| Richville/Frankenmuth (Tuscola) | 11.9 | 14.2 | 2.3 | 165 | 182 | 17.0 |
| Romeo (Macomb) | 11.2 | 12.8 | 1.6 | 155 | 167 | 12.0 |
| Sandusky (Sanilac) | 10.3 | 12.7 | 2.4 | 156 | 175 | 19.0 |
| Average of stations in this region: | 11.7 | 13.2 | 1.5 | 169.2 | 184.0 | 14.8 |
In the short term, we are expecting cooler than normal temperatures. Highs will stay in the 70s while lows will be in the 50s. Scattered showers and storms are possible over the next few days, particularly on Saturday, June 20. In the medium term, we are expecting cooler than normal temperatures and higher than normal precipitation for mid-June.
Our regional average growing degree day accumulation for the season are about seven to 10 days ahead of the long term normals and about a two days ahead of the five-year average. In the last week, we accumulated on average 202 growing degree days (GDD) at 42 F, 180 GDD at 45 F and 146 GDD at 50 F (see table below). Read this Michigan State University Extension article to learn more about degree days: Understanding growing degree-days.
| Degree Day Accumulation Mar. 1-June 16, 2026 Forecast from June 17- June 23, 2026; issued June 16, 2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Station (County) | Degree Days Base 42°F Current | Degree Days Base 42°F Average (5 Yr.) | Degree Days Base 42°F Forecast | Degree Days Base 45°F Current | Degree Days Base 45°F Average (5 Yr.) | Degree Days Base 45°F Forecast | Degree Days Base 50°F Current | Degree Days Base 50°F Average (5 Yr.) | Degree Days Base 50°F Forecast |
| Commerce (Oakland) | 1294 | 1186 | 1452 | 1080 | 982 | 1217 | 771 | 691 | 873 |
| Deerfield (Monroe) | 1522 | 1356 | 1688 | 1285 | 1134 | 1430 | 934 | 815 | 1044 |
| East Lansing MSU Hort (Ingham) | 1389 | 1240 | 1543 | 1167 | 1031 | 1301 | 843 | 732 | 942 |
| Emmett (St. Clair) | 1169 | 1127 | 1322 | 970 | 928 | 1102 | 686 | 646 | 783 |
| Flint (Genesee) | 1368 | 1279 | 1528 | 1152 | 1067 | 1291 | 836 | 764 | 940 |
| Freeland (Saginaw) | 1224 | 1201 | 1375 | 1022 | 1000 | 1152 | 728 | 712 | 822 |
| Hudson (Lenawee) | 1436 | 1276 | 1601 | 1213 | 1067 | 1357 | 886 | 768 | 995 |
| Ithaca (Gratiot) | 1331 | 1272 | 1485 | 1120 | 1063 | 1252 | 809 | 763 | 907 |
| Lapeer (Lapeer) | 1286 | 1194 | 1439 | 1081 | 992 | 1214 | 784 | 704 | 881 |
| Linwood (Bay) | 1085 | 1082 | 1232 | 892 | 891 | 1018 | 621 | 623 | 712 |
| Pigeon (Huron) | 1110 | 1082 | 1279 | 919 | 891 | 1068 | 646 | 623 | 759 |
| Richville/Frankenmuth (Tuscola) | 1293 | 1242 | 1449 | 1086 | 1036 | 1221 | 787 | 737 | 887 |
| Romeo (Macomb) | 1293 | 1194 | 1453 | 1081 | 987 | 1219 | 773 | 692 | 877 |
| Sandusky (Sanilac) | 1169 | 1129 | 1321 | 972 | 933 | 1103 | 688 | 656 | 785 |
| Average of stations in this region: | 1284 | 1204 | 1441 | 1074 | 1000 | 1210 | 771 | 709 | 872 |
| Difference in Degree Day Accumulation from Mar. 1, 2026 observed June 9 and June 16, 2026; issued June 16, 2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Station (County) | Degree Days Base 42°F | Degree Days Base 42°F | Degree Days Base 42°F | Degree Days Base 45°F | Degree Days Base 45°F | Degree Days Base 45°F | Degree Days Base 50°F | Degree Days Base 50°F | Degree Days Base 50°F |
| 9-Jun | 16-Jun | Difference | 9-Jun | 16-Jun | Difference | 9-Jun | 16-Jun | Difference | |
| Commerce (Oakland) | 1100 | 1294 | 194.0 | 908 | 1080 | 172.0 | 633 | 771 | 138.0 |
| Deerfield (Monroe) | 1303 | 1522 | 219.0 | 1087 | 1285 | 198.0 | 771 | 934 | 163.0 |
| East Lansing MSU Hort (Ingham) | 1188 | 1389 | 201.0 | 988 | 1167 | 179.0 | 698 | 843 | 145.0 |
| Emmett (St. Clair) | 974 | 1169 | 195.0 | 796 | 970 | 174.0 | 546 | 686 | 140.0 |
| Flint (Genesee) | 1163 | 1368 | 205.0 | 968 | 1152 | 184.0 | 687 | 836 | 149.0 |
| Freeland (Saginaw) | 1027 | 1224 | 197.0 | 846 | 1022 | 176.0 | 585 | 728 | 143.0 |
| Hudson (Lenawee) | 1222 | 1436 | 214.0 | 1020 | 1213 | 193.0 | 727 | 886 | 159.0 |
| Ithaca (Gratiot) | 1130 | 1331 | 201.0 | 939 | 1120 | 181.0 | 663 | 809 | 146.0 |
| Lapeer (Lapeer) | 1092 | 1286 | 194.0 | 908 | 1081 | 173.0 | 644 | 784 | 140.0 |
| Linwood (Bay) | 892 | 1085 | 193.0 | 721 | 892 | 171.0 | 484 | 621 | 137.0 |
| Pigeon (Huron) | 907 | 1110 | 203.0 | 737 | 919 | 182.0 | 499 | 646 | 147.0 |
| Richville/Frankenmuth (Tuscola) | 1090 | 1293 | 203.0 | 905 | 1086 | 181.0 | 640 | 787 | 147.0 |
| Romeo (Macomb) | 1090 | 1293 | 203.0 | 898 | 1081 | 183.0 | 625 | 773 | 148.0 |
| Sandusky (Sanilac) | 969 | 1169 | 200.0 | 794 | 972 | 178.0 | 545 | 688 | 143.0 |
| Average of stations in this region: | 1082 | 1284 | 202 | 894 | 1074 | 180 | 625 | 771 | 146 |
Watch Jeff Andresen's weekly agricultural weather forecast reports
More information and reports on normal weather conditions and departures from normal can be found on the NOAA Climate Prediction Center website, NOAA U.S. Climate Normals website, NOAA Climate Normals Quick Access Page (which may be searched by region), and Midwest Regional Climate Center website.
This work is supported by the Crop Protection and Pest Management Program (grant no 2024-70006-43569) from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
