At MacGregor Orchard in South Carolina, weather variability is influencing crop development and management decisions across the season.
Owner Stephens Gregory monitors orchard conditions daily during the flowering period. "We've got about four acres of peaches growing. They are in blossom right now. Some are in full, some are in partial. Then we have apple trees as well and Asian pears. Pears are in full bloom right now, too. The apples are just starting," he said.
Recent warm temperatures have accelerated bloom development in peaches and pears, while apples are entering early stages. Gregory noted that wind conditions can influence frost risk. "The wind this morning really kept the frost from settling on the buds. And thank goodness that 90% of what you're seeing on these trees is going to get thinned off anyway, so Mother Nature is doing her thing, which is actually a little helpful, not a bad thing," he said.
Weather conditions remain a factor in yield outcomes, particularly temperature and hail events. "As long as she is not 27 degrees for over 30 minutes without any wind, that is where you really lose it all. But right now, it is just Mother Nature helping us to thin a little bit," Gregory said.
Crop thinning is part of orchard management to support fruit sizing. "You want about a three-inch space minimum between the peaches just so they will get sized. If not, they are just going to stay small. You're going to take it off whether you take it or Mother Nature takes it. It is coming off anyway," he said.
Gregory indicated that weather variability requires ongoing monitoring and preparation. "When the weather is changing so much, what can you actively be doing out here?" Gregory asked. "Your job, you just prepare every day like tomorrow is going to be OK, and if you can do that, you can sleep at night. If you sit there and worry and worry, it will put knots in your stomach."
Production at the orchard is primarily sold on-site. With peaches entering bloom, the orchard expects increased visitor activity toward the end of May. Peach harvest is expected to continue until mid-September, while apple harvest is projected to begin in late August and continue through Thanksgiving.
Source: 7News
