It’s a late start to a great season! This year, Jealous Fruits reports that the farms experienced unusual delays in cherry development due to the very cool spring. The delay did not impact the quality of its crops, just the timing. Cherries require sunny, dry weather to ripen over the last three to five weeks on the tree. The weather has now settled with Okanagan sunshine in store through the forecast period.
The 2022 harvest is a good two weeks behind historical harvest timing. Cherry harvest was scheduled to begin between Friday, July 15th and Saturday, July 16th with Santina variety, closely followed by varieties Suite Note, Cristalina and Satin.
Satin (left) and Suite Note cherries.
Sylvia, Van and Burgundy Pearl will follow around July 20th – 22nd, with Kordia and early Skeena production estimated to start around July 23rd-25th.
Volume will be limited the first two weeks of production but will increase significantly with the start of Lapin harvest in late July. Jealous Fruits will harvest its earliest Lapins around July 27th, its earliest Reginas around August 4th and its earliest Sweethearts around August 8th. It expects over 80 percent of its total volume this year to be harvested in August and into September, with only 20 percent in the last two weeks of July.
This year’s crop is showing a nicely balanced fruit load with the expectation of good size.
Hothi Cristalina (left) and Duck Lake Regina eight weeks from harvest.
Santina: moderately large and firm with a highly attractive, lustrous skin, a flattened heart shape and medium-long stems. Santina is projected to peak on 9.5 row this season. Expected harvest date: July 15th – 16th.
Suite Note: has a complex flavor profile with very high sugars and moderate acid. Suite Note is projected to peak on 9 row this season. Expected harvest date: July 16th – 17th.
Cristalina: an extremely attractive, large, dark, red heart-shaped variety with sweet, firm, dark red flesh. Cristalina is expected to peak on 9.5 row this season. Expected harvest date: July 15th.
Satin: is a popular early-season variety and is a large, heart-shaped cherry with a thick green stem. The flesh is firm and the cherry has a mild, sweet flavor. Satin is expected to peak on 8.5 – 9 this season. Expected harvest date: July 18th – 21st.
The 2022 harvest is a good two weeks behind historical harvest timing.
As noted, the earliest varieties started July 15th-16th. Kordia are estimated to be July 25th onward, and the main harvest is set to begin with Lapins in late July. Once that begins, there will be continual volume through Sweethearts, Regina, Staccato, Sovereign and Sentennial. Jealous Fruits expects to complete its harvest approximately September 7th-10th with high elevation Staccato and other late ripening cherries.
For more information:
Julie McLachlan
Jealous Fruits
Tel: +1 (250) 766-0738
julie@jealousfruits.com
www.jealousfruits.com