Southeast Michigan fruit update – June 9, 2026
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EmailStone fruit pits are hardening and coloring.
Welcome to the 11th 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 hot and generally dry, but those conditions are changing quickly with incoming rain and humidity coupled with a cool down. 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 apple and grape powdery mildew and grape black rot, which thrive in warm, humid conditions.
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 two weekly integrated pest management (IPM) updates. 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 abscise.
Blueberries: Fruit are sizing up warm parts of the region and going through fruit set in cooler areas. The last flowers should be off the bushes in our coolest production area near Saginaw.
Brambles: We are seeing fruit development in summer raspberries with some bees still pollinating remaining flowers. The first floral buds are starting to show on fall raspberries and blackberries.
Cherries: Pits are hardening in both sweet and tart cherries. Sweet cherries in the region have turned fully red while tart cherries are just starting to blush. The cool, extended bloom period along with frosts contributed to low crop set at some farms.
Grapes: Concord grapes in Hartland are roughly at 25% bloom while hybrid wine grapes in the region are about a week away from bloom. Prepare for black rot sprays for immediate pre-bloom and bloom time.
Peaches and nectarines: Peaches are sizing up in the first growth phase and are approaching the pit hardening stage in warmer areas. 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 observed in Hartland were sizing up with Bartlett at 25 mm. Local scouts have reported sightings of pear psylla nymphs and adults in orchards. There seems to be a wide variation in bloom patterns depending on cultivar and the specific locations of farms.
Plums: Japanese style plums are in the pit hardening phase but are still relatively easy to slice through. European style plums are in their initial growth phase.
Strawberries: We are seeing first picks of strawberries in the region with continued fruit growth. Some areas have 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: Aphid populations in apple (rosy apple aphid, woolly apple aphid) are climbing, but woollies have not yet moved to terminals.
Borers: The first catch of greater peachtree borer was reported in Fennville while counts of lesser peachtree borer have stayed stable.
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 time frame 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.
Mullein plant bug: Damage has been reported in southeast Michigan in some orchards.
Oriental fruit moth: Biofix was set for April 22 in Romeo and 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 and nymph activity has been observed in orchards.
Plum curculio: Counts have been dropping, indicating the end of adult migration.
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 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 10-11 at sites with primary scab infections.
Cherry leaf spot: There is some cherry leaf spot risk on June 10-11. 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: There is low risk in apples and pears since we have moved out of bloom. However, 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 10-11 and grape bloom has either started or will start in the next couple weeks depending on the cultivar. 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 not expecting risk this week from June 10-11.
Grape powdery mildew: We are expecting risk this week from June 9-11 and 14-16.
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 expecting moderate to high risk from June 10-11 and 13-16.
Seasonal weather update
In the last week, southeast Michigan has seen an average of 7.3 hours of rain accumulating to 0.5 inches of precipitation.
| Liquid Precipitation Accumulation Mar. 1- June 9, 2026, issued June 9, 2026 | ||||
| Station (County) | Rainfall Total (in.) Current | Hours with Rainfall Current | Rainfall Total Average (5 Yr.) | Hours with Rainfall Average (5 Yr.) |
| Commerce (Oakland) | 12.0 | 166 | 8.0 | 168 |
| Deerfield (Monroe) | 12.0 | 171 | 8.9 | 170 |
| East Lansing MSU Hort (Ingham) | 12.4 | 170 | 8.6 | 171 |
| Emmett (St. Clair) | 11.4 | 179 | 7.8 | 164 |
| Flint (Genesee) | 12.7 | 175 | 8.8 | 177 |
| Freeland (Saginaw) | 10.8 | 151 | . | . |
| Hudson (Lenawee) | 11.2 | 177 | 8.9 | 171 |
| Ithaca (Gratiot) | 13.5 | 170 | 7.7 | 160 |
| Lapeer (Lapeer) | 12.1 | 180 | 7.6 | 176 |
| Linwood (Bay) | 12.0 | 175 | 7.1 | 154 |
| Pigeon (Huron) | 10.1 | 179 | 6.6 | 164 |
| Richville/Frankenmuth (Tuscola) | 11.9 | 165 | 8.0 | 158 |
| Romeo (Macomb) | 11.2 | 155 | 8.2 | 160 |
| Sandusky (Sanilac) | 10.3 | 156 | 7.1 | 172 |
| Average of stations in this region: | 11.7 | 169.2 | 7.9 | 166.5 |
| Difference in Liquid Precipitation Accumulation from Mar. 1 observed June 2 and June 9, 2026; issued June 9, 2026 | ||||||
| Rainfall Total (in.) | Rainfall Total (in.) | Hours with Rainfall | Hours with Rainfall | |||
| Station (County) | 2-Jun | 9-Jun | Difference | 2-Jun | 9-Jun | Difference |
| Commerce (Oakland) | 11.5 | 12.0 | 0.5 | 160 | 166 | 6.0 |
| Deerfield (Monroe) | 12.0 | 12.0 | 0.0 | 171 | 171 | 0.0 |
| East Lansing MSU Hort (Ingham) | 11.8 | 12.4 | 0.7 | 159 | 170 | 11.0 |
| Emmett (St. Clair) | 10.5 | 11.4 | 0.9 | 169 | 179 | 10.0 |
| Flint (Genesee) | 11.7 | 12.7 | 1.0 | 164 | 175 | 11.0 |
| Freeland (Saginaw) | 10.7 | 10.8 | 0.1 | 147 | 151 | 4.0 |
| Hudson (Lenawee) | 11.1 | 11.2 | 0.1 | 172 | 177 | 5.0 |
| Ithaca (Gratiot) | 13.1 | 13.5 | 0.4 | 159 | 170 | 11.0 |
| Lapeer (Lapeer) | 11.4 | 12.1 | 0.7 | 170 | 180 | 10.0 |
| Linwood (Bay) | 11.7 | 12.0 | 0.3 | 172 | 175 | 3.0 |
| Pigeon (Huron) | 9.8 | 10.1 | 0.4 | 171 | 179 | 8.0 |
| Richville/Frankenmuth (Tuscola) | 11.5 | 11.9 | 0.4 | 158 | 165 | 7.0 |
| Romeo (Macomb) | 10.6 | 11.2 | 0.6 | 147 | 155 | 8.0 |
| Sandusky (Sanilac) | 9.8 | 10.3 | 0.5 | 148 | 156 | 8.0 |
| Average of stations in this region: | 11.2 | 11.7 | 0.5 | 161.9 | 169.2 | 7.3 |
In the short term, we are expecting hot and humid conditions followed by storms, which will usher in a cooler weekend. Scattered showers are possible through early next week. Highs will start in the 80s to low 90s and drop to the low 80s by the weekend, while lows will mostly bounce between the 60s and 70s and drop into the 50s next week.
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 (GDD) accumulation for the season are about seven to 10 days ahead of the long term normals and about two days ahead of the five-year average. In the last week, we accumulated on average 182 GDD at 42 F, 159 GDD at 45 F and 127 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 9, 2026 Forecast from June 10- June 16, 2026; issued June 9, 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) | 1100 | 1020 | 1314 | 908 | 837 | 1100 | 633 | 580 | 790 |
| Deerfield (Monroe) | 1303 | 1177 | 1525 | 1087 | 976 | 1288 | 771 | 691 | 937 |
| East Lansing MSU Hort (Ingham) | 1188 | 971 | 1401 | 988 | 792 | 1180 | 698 | 544 | 855 |
| Emmett (St. Clair) | 974 | 971 | 1183 | 796 | 792 | 985 | 546 | 544 | 700 |
| Flint (Genesee) | 1163 | 1105 | 1383 | 968 | 915 | 1167 | 687 | 646 | 851 |
| Freeland (Saginaw) | 1027 | 1032 | 1235 | 846 | 851 | 1033 | 585 | 598 | 738 |
| Hudson (Lenawee) | 1222 | 1098 | 1443 | 1020 | 910 | 1219 | 727 | 644 | 892 |
| Ithaca (Gratiot) | 1130 | 1095 | 1339 | 939 | 907 | 1127 | 663 | 642 | 817 |
| Lapeer (Lapeer) | 1092 | 1034 | 1304 | 908 | 853 | 1099 | 644 | 597 | 800 |
| Linwood (Bay) | 892 | 925 | 1093 | 721 | 755 | 901 | 484 | 521 | 629 |
| Pigeon (Huron) | 907 | 925 | 1128 | 737 | 754 | 937 | 499 | 520 | 664 |
| Richville/Frankenmuth (Tuscola) | 1090 | 1070 | 1306 | 905 | 885 | 1100 | 640 | 621 | 800 |
| Romeo (Macomb) | 1090 | 1027 | 1307 | 898 | 842 | 1094 | 625 | 581 | 786 |
| Sandusky (Sanilac) | 969 | 967 | 1128 | 737 | 792 | 937 | 499 | 549 | 664 |
| Average of stations in this region: | 1082 | 1030 | 1292 | 890 | 847 | 1083 | 622 | 591 | 780 |
| Difference in Degree Day Accumulation from Mar. 1, 2026 observed June 2 and June 9, 2026; issued June 9, 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 |
| 2-Jun | 9-Jun | Difference | 2-Jun | 9-Jun | Difference | 2-Jun | 9-Jun | Difference | |
| Commerce (Oakland) | 923 | 1100 | 177.0 | 751 | 908 | 157.0 | 510 | 633 | 123.0 |
| Deerfield (Monroe) | 1113 | 1303 | 190.0 | 918 | 1087 | 169.0 | 635 | 771 | 136.0 |
| East Lansing MSU Hort (Ingham) | 1007 | 1188 | 181.0 | 827 | 988 | 161.0 | 571 | 698 | 127.0 |
| Emmett (St. Clair) | 807 | 974 | 167.0 | 650 | 796 | 146.0 | 432 | 546 | 114.0 |
| Flint (Genesee) | 980 | 1163 | 183.0 | 806 | 968 | 162.0 | 558 | 687 | 129.0 |
| Freeland (Saginaw) | 839 | 1027 | 188.0 | 679 | 846 | 167.0 | 453 | 585 | 132.0 |
| Hudson (Lenawee) | 1035 | 1222 | 187.0 | 853 | 1020 | 167.0 | 592 | 727 | 135.0 |
| Ithaca (Gratiot) | 934 | 1130 | 196.0 | 764 | 939 | 175.0 | 523 | 663 | 140.0 |
| Lapeer (Lapeer) | 922 | 1092 | 170.0 | 758 | 908 | 150.0 | 526 | 644 | 118.0 |
| Linwood (Bay) | 717 | 892 | 175.0 | 567 | 721 | 154.0 | 363 | 484 | 121.0 |
| Pigeon (Huron) | 727 | 907 | 180.0 | 579 | 737 | 158.0 | 374 | 499 | 125.0 |
| Richville/Frankenmuth (Tuscola) | 900 | 1090 | 190.0 | 764 | 905 | 141.0 | 523 | 640 | 117.0 |
| Romeo (Macomb) | 908 | 1090 | 182.0 | 737 | 898 | 161.0 | 498 | 625 | 127.0 |
| Sandusky (Sanilac) | 788 | 969 | 181.0 | 633 | 737 | 104.0 | 418 | 499 | 81.0 |
| Average of stations in this region: | 900 | 1082 | 182 | 735 | 890 | 155 | 498 | 622 | 123 |
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.
