Fruit growers all over Michigan are on alert as cold weather has returned, after a few weeks of mild temperatures. Nick Schweitzer, of Schweitzer Orchards, says he has 200 acres to grow apples and about four acres of pears. For him, it’s difficult to predict how much, if any, freeze damage crops like sweet and tart cherries and peaches could sustain at this point in time. Fox17online.com reports that experts at the Michigan Farm Bureau are watching the situation closely and are ready to help growers as needed.
Across the state, apples, blueberries and grapes are least likely to experience devastating damage from the forecasted freezing temperatures because of their current bud or flower stage, according to the Michigan Farm Bureau. If there are sustained temperatures in the mid-20s, it will take two to seven days to fully assess freeze damage.
Michigan’s 2021 growing season is currently two weeks ahead of schedule on average, according to data reported from Michigan State University. As result, much of Michigan’s fruit-producing regions have seen advanced development.
Cold threatens northeast Arkansas farmers during early planting
Bitter, unseasonably cold weather was projected to spread across Arkansas into Wednesday and farmers in the midst of early planting are keeping a wary eye. Fruit farmers, especially in northeast Arkansas, have cause for concern, as a cold front will cause freezing temperatures, according to the National Weather Service. Most of the state is either under a freeze warning or watch.
Amanda McWhirt, extension horticulture crop specialist for the Division of Agriculture, said growers should be on guard for potential damage to fruit crops, particularly in the northern tier of Arkansas counties. “Blackberries and blueberries are blooming and setting fruit,” McWhirt told talkbusiness.net. “Strawberries have a few blooms, but are mostly setting fruit and are starting to be harvested.”
Many Arkansas peach blooms were killed during the notable freeze event in mid-February, when temperatures plunged to record lows throughout Arkansas. Those that survived, McWhirt said, now have small fruit and are just past “shuck split,” when the fruit’s dead flower shuck falls off.
As of April 18, Arkansas growers had planted about 12% of their total planned acreage, according to a USDA report.
Illinois orchard takes precautions to protect crops
Jeff Flamm, owner of Flamm Orchards in Cobden, Illinois, said they don’t typically worry about losing crops to the cold this late in April, but they know what to do when it happens. Their biggest concern, however, revolves around their 10 acres of strawberries. Flamm said without protection there is a very good chance that they will lose a great deal of the strawberries.
So to protect their crop, they blanket the plants with cloth covers, but that’s not all. “We have covers on all the plants and we’re going to try to pump water and build a layer of ice over the top of that for some insulation,” Flamm told kfvs12.com. Flamm said that double layer of protection will help, but they also need the weather to cooperate.
“We’ll be spending the night out here with them tonight and when that temperature gets down to 33-34 degrees, we’ll probably turn the water on,” Flamm said.
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