This year's apple crop has been damaged by April's frosty nights, but we won't know by how much for a month
Apple growers expect to spend another long night watching their trees on Sunday night, with predictions of one more night of frosts.
For gardeners, there will be one more night of covering tender plants. For commercial growers, its another night of smudge pots, wetting the ground to keep humidity high, and using wind machines to move warm air around---all to keep tender buds from freezing.
There have been 13 frosty nights this spring already, and growers know that damage has been done, but Jamie McLusky, who has over a hundred acres of apple trees in the LaFayette Valley, says they won't know how bad the damage is, until June. A perfect apple sells for high end retail, while damaged ones go to less-profitable cider and juices, so the season's earnings are on the line. Click here to read a previous story on weather and this year's apple crop.
