Tree Fruit
We are a collective team of Extension specialists and agents who deliver year-round programming for the Commonwealth’s tree fruit producers. We provide our stakeholders with the latest research-based information for making sustainable management decisions on their farms. We also develop resources for beginning farmers and home fruit enthusiasts. Our information is disseminated through this website, Extension publications, workshops, on-farm meetings, and one-on-one conversations.
Seasonal updates from Virginia Tech's tree fruit extension specialists and agents. Click on a title to read the full post. Or, visit the blog homepage for Horticulture (Sherif Sherif), Disease Updates (Srdjan Acimovic), or Pest Management (Chris Bergh) to read previous postings.
Commercial tree fruit production updates
- Apple Thinning Guidance for Blocks That Still Have a Crop Apr 27, 2026
- Thinning Update: Timing Looks Good This Week Apr 22, 2026
- Freeze Damage – What to Do Next Apr 13, 2026
- Devastating Freeze Damage in Winchester and Parts of Virginia Apr 09, 2026
- Key Early-Season Spray Programs in Apples Mar 30, 2026
- Frost Watch for Tuesday Night into Wednesday Morning Mar 16, 2026
- Thinning Update: Week of May 6 – Winchester and Central Virginia May 06, 2025
- Ideal Conditions for Apple Fruit Thinning This Week: Model Results for Winchester and Central Virginia Apr 28, 2025
- Apple Carbohydrate Thinning Model Outputs – Central Virginia – Roseland, VA Apr 24, 2025
- Rescuing Apple Crops After a Frost or Hailstorm: Can 6-BA + GA Treatments Help? Apr 15, 2025
AĆIMOVIĆ LAB
- (I) Major Apple Scab and Cedar-Apple Rust Infections 25-28 April; (II) If Any Trees Are Still in Blooom, Add Streptomycin Apr 24, 2026
- 1. Apple Scab and Juniper Rust Infections Predicted 19 – 20 April and 26 – 27 April; 2. Fire Blight Infections Extended into 15-19 April After The 12 – 14 April Initial Infection Predictions Apr 18, 2026
- Fire Blight Infections 12-14 April in All Virginia as Announced Last Week Apr 13, 2026
- 1. No Risk From Scab Infections; 2. Keep An Eye on Cedar-Apple Rust Galls; 3. Potential Risk From Fire Blight 12-14 April Apr 09, 2026
- (I) First Fire Blight Infections Predicted from 31 March – 3 April, Antibiotic Application Necessary on Open Flowers; (II) Add Fungicides as First Major Scab Infection is Predicted 31 March – 3 April Mar 29, 2026
- Fire Blight Spray Considerations with Recent and Oncoming Warm Weather Mar 26, 2026
- (I) Risk for Apple Scab Extremely Low Due to Fast Drying After Rain, (II) Main Peach Diseases and Spray Materials Recommended for Them Mar 24, 2026
- How Delayed Dormant Copper Impacts Apple Scab and Fire Blight? Mar 10, 2026
- Delayed Dormant Copper and Adding Oil or Not and How Much? Mar 06, 2026
- Subscribe to RIMpro Apple Scab, Fire Blight, Powdery Mildew and Peach Brown Rot Models: It Can Help Your Farm! Mar 03, 2026
Virginia Tech offers a number of publications with information about growing fruit for personal consumption. These publications are written by our extension specialists and contain research-based information.
- Pest Management Guide: Home Grounds and Animals. The Pest Management Guide contains information on how to control pests and diseases of many crops, including fruit trees.
- A home fruit spray guide organizes the printed information into table and can be used as a quick reference guide.
- The Mid-Atlantic Orchard Monitoring Guide is the go-to resource for information about insect and disease identification and monitoring, including many color photographs.
- Additional information about gardening can be found under the Home and Garden Section of the Virginia Cooperative Extension Publications Website.
Virginia’s varied topography and large geographical area allows for the production of tree fruits in many parts of the Commonwealth, with the majority of orchards located in the Northern Shenandoah Valley and along the slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The 2007 U.S. Census of Agriculture reported 13,774 acres of apple, 1,538 acres of peach and nectarine, 171 acres of pear, and 99 acres of sweet and tart cherry orchard in the Commonwealth (USDA-NASS, 2007). Nationally, Virginia is the sixth largest producer of apples.
Between 2009 and 2011, the average annual value of Virginia’s apple crop was $35 million, while the peach crop was valued at $5 million over that same period (USDA-NASS, 2012).
About 70% of the apples grown in Virginia are used for processed products, but fresh market apples account for 57% of the farmgate value. These figures do not include value added through processing into products such as fruit slices, applesauce, juice and cider, vinegar, and alcoholic beverages, which are all important for the overall profitability of orchards.
Additional economic and social benefits of Virginia’s orchards add significant value to fruit production in the state. Current production trends indicate increased tree-fruit production for direct marketing and agritourism enterprises.
Visit Virginia Apples to learn more about commercial fruit production in Virginia. Find additional statistics about Virginia orchards in the 2005 Virginia Orchard Survey and through the USDA-NASS Virginia Field Office.
Relevant Extension publications by topic:
Subscribe to commercial tree fruit updates
Events
Partners
