Brown Rot

During bloom, look for wilted, blighted flowers that turn brown and mummify on the branch; this blossom blight phase is your first sign of brown rot on stone fruits and ornamental relatives in the region. The disease spreads to young twigs and fruit later in the season, especially during warm, wet weather when temperatures sit between 68 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Mummified fruit left on trees or fallen to the ground overwinters and serves as a disease reservoir for the next season.

Brown rot spreads fast in our spring weather, so focus on preventing conditions that favor it: good air circulation is your primary weapon. Space trees wide enough to dry quickly after rain, prune to remove dense growth, and avoid overhead watering that keeps foliage wet. Remove mummified fruit from trees and rake up fallen fruit promptly. Prune out infected twigs in late spring or summer while you can still see the canker; waiting until dormancy makes infected tissue harder to spot.