Peach, pecan, and berry growers in Georgia and other South east states were concerned by the unseasonably warm temperatures experienced for much of November and December. The unseasonable weather meant that the peach trees and blueberries were not getting the necessary chill hours.
Cold weather has been forecast, which is expected to provide some relief to growers.
“We’re predicted to have a real cold snap. It’s going to be below freezing tonight and we’re down in the 30s,” say Al Pearson, owner of Pearson Farm in Fort Valley, GA, which sells peaches and pecans.
“We’re behind with the amount of chilling hours we need,” he says. “We’ve got enough time to catch up, I think.”
According to the Albany Herald (GA), December was the second-rainiest on record with warm days and nights.
However, Pearson says there are some positives to having a wet fall.
“I like a sloppy wet winter because it charges up the ground and as we go into the season,” he says. “We always have some dry periods so having that reservoir is a good thing.”
Source: growingproduce.com
