Apple trees have bloomed early because of the March heat spell, and that's made this year's crop more vulnerable to frost damage
Apple growers are coming off three straight nights of protecting their trees against frost damage, but they're blaming the heat spell last month, not the cold, for damages to this year's crop.
Mark Fleckenstein, production manager for Beak and Skiff in LaFayette, says that if this had been a normal year, the trees would not have been in bloom so early. Instead, some have already finished flowering already, and are more vulnerable to the frost.
In the valley area along Route 20, it looks like 40 to 50 percent of the flowers have made it, thanks to intensive efforts that have included smudge pots, wind machines, and even sprinkling to keep humidity high, to keep temperatures up around the trees.
Fleckenstein says they'll get a crop with 10% of the flowers. He also points out that there's still a month to go, before the danger of frost is gone, here in Central New York.
What does this mean for apple picking? Right now, it's expected there will still be good amount of crop, here in Central New York. But, as Fleckenstein points out, it's a long growing season, with dry weather and hail also issues to confront before harvest time.
And, if you want to look at the blossoms, don't expect to take the traditional Mother's Day drive to LaFayette. All the blossoms will be done by then. But, this coming week, the ones on the upper part of Lord's Hill (near the Beak and Skiff store) should be out to enjoy.
