Wary of the season getting underway too early, North Carolina apple growers are hoping relatively warm weather gives way to normal cool temperatures. Weather cooperating, they anticipate a good season.
With daily highs climbing into the mid-60's and lows reaching the 40's, the weather in apple-growing regions in North Carolina has been warm this winter. Such conditions lead to early budding, according to Kenny Barnwell of Rideview Apple Packers.
“Right now, we've had a little too much warm weather,” he says.
If warm weather persists, he says early budding might accelerate the season by as much as five to six weeks. That would, in turn, result in many problems for area growers.
“If we don't get cool weather,” he notes, “we won't have a consistent bloom and the trees will bloom erratically. We also won't be able to spray when we normally should, and that can cause pest problems. If we don't get normal cool weather to hold back the bloom and the season starts five weeks early, we might see a significantly lighter crop.”
The National Weather Service forecasts low temperatures in the Asheville area will reach the low-20's by Saturday. If those cool temperatures pan out, Barnwell predicts North Carolina growers will have a good season.
“The volume of apples in storage is a little below the five-year average,” he says, “and utilization is high. So there's a ready market for apples, and with North Carolina being one of the first states that has apples in the season, there will be a window where we can have good volumes and command a good price.”
But, he adds, the season is conditional on cool weather.
“If we have a little help from the weather,” he says, “we have the potential to have a good crop and there will be good money there.”