Owners of several Gilmer apple orchards and farm markets are hoping their trees continue to bear good crops of fruit following a wet winter and numerous cold snaps this spring.
“We got down below freezing a couple of mornings and had a bit of frost damage, but we’ve got live fruit on the trees,” said R&A Orchards owner Andy Futch.
John Reece, owner of B.J. Reece Orchards, also said his trees are looking good despite some bite from the spring chill.
“We’ve got a good crop of apples right now, but we got hit pretty hard during that last cold spell,” he added.
Red Apple Barn owner Barry Pritchett described how last year’s plentiful apple crop could have contributed to a lighter bloom this year.
“We’ve actually had a lot better blooms than we thought we were going to have, so I’m pleasantly surprised with that,” he added. “It looks like the cold did kill some, but, on the trees that bloom, you get clusters of apples. A light frost or a light cold snap can work good, in a way, to thin those apples out, but a heavy frost or 25 degrees and the wind blowing is not what you want.”
Bill Aaron, owner of Mack Aaron’s Apple House, noted that early May’s blackberry winter is typically one of the last spring season cold snaps before warmer weather settles in.
“We had dogwood (winter) awhile back, which was cold enough. But the fruit looks good right now,” he said.
“The water kept us out of the field and it took us a lot longer to get done pruning. There were a lot of weeks where it was just a washout,” said Aaron about the rainy winter.
Come summer, extended dry spells and hot temperatures can also be concerns for growers.
“The rain really hasn’t hurt anything (for us). If it turns off dry this summer, it’s going to hurt everybody because everybody’s gotten used to having plenty of water,” said Futch.
Although rainy weather was constant last winter -— even leading to flash flooding in Gilmer County — the University of Georgia Environmental Monitoring Network shows nearly 6 inches more total rainfall was measured in Ellijay from the beginning of December 2018 to the end of February 2019 than in the same time period of 2019-20.
Still, the 24.7 inches measured during those months for 2019-20 was more than in the same time for both 2017-18 and 2016-17.
“The rain hasn’t hurt us yet. Usually, it will affect your crop later on when you get big fruit on the trees. Right now it’s probably helped us. I’d rather have the rain as not to have it,” said Reece.
Year-round work
Whether it’s planting, pruning or dealing with the changing weather, maintaining an orchard is year-round work, noted Pritchett.
“I used to wonder why my dad was in the orchard so much. Now I know. There’s always something to do. You’re looking for diseases, pests, what the fruit looks like, getting your soil tests done,” he said.
“The real work starts after the harvest when you have to start pruning your trees. The only time you get a little break, depending on what kind of crop you have, is if you get your apples picked or U-picked by the first of November. You might get a little break for about a month there. Last year, everybody had about the heaviest crop so we really didn’t have that break.”
Reece said, right now, his orchard is getting ready for the new season and that new apple trees were just planted, including several new varieties.
“We have about 30 different kinds, a lot of the new varieties and a lot of the older varieties. We usually add new trees to the orchard each year and push up (older) trees and replant. We do some of both,” he said. “We’re also preparing the ground for our vegetables, which we plant later to come in in September and October because that’s our busiest time.”
Along with strong crops, the apple community is also hoping for conditions that will allow a strong turnout of customers this summer and fall as Georgia and the rest of America continues to adapt to the ongoing public health crisis.
Aaron’s and Futch’s markets are open year-round, while Pritchett’s usually opens in August and Reece’s projected opening date is just around the corner in July.
“We just hope people are ready to get outside and enjoy the fresh air by the time we open up,” said John’s wife, Rachel Reece. “I’m sure things are going to be a little different with the crowds, especially inside, and we’ve talked about a few things to do with that. Outside, we have (about 60) acres people can roam around on, so there’s plenty of room for everybody to be six feet apart.”
Futch noted how farm markets have been outlets for fresh produce during grocery store shortages the past few months.
“The last 20 years has built up that market where people like to buy local and buy directly from the farmer,” he said. “All the commercials they’ve been running (for) buy local instead of a chain, I don’t know if it’s been helping. But I hope people have been listening to what it’s telling them.”