Shane Patrick, owner of Pleasant Pond Orchard, Richmond Central Maine said that even before the current hot spell, this summer’s weather has pushed his tree fruits and berries to ripen about two weeks early.
Like everyone else across central Maine, Patrick is dealing with this latest spell of weather that has blanketed the region under a layer of hot, moist air.
While the summer months in Maine are warm, this period of hot weather is accompanied by a mass of humid air that amplifies the heat and spreads a measure of misery. It prompted heat advisories both Thursday and Friday, urging people to avoid strenuous work during the heat of the day and to rest frequently, drink plenty of fluids, and to check on relatives and neighbors.
Patrick said the cherry crop is done for the year, and the yield was low. Because it’s been so dry, he said, the birds attacked the fruit, leaving barely enough to share, much less sell according to www.centralmaine.com
While the drought that has affected much of the state has eased along Maine’s coast, including all of Sagadahoc County, Patrick said he expects to see the impact on his fruit trees for a while.
“Next year’s fruit is happening right now,” he said. “Trees are putting buds on. So it makes sense to me that two years of stressors, that carries over.”
The Susquehanna Valley in Lancaster County (Pa) has also been dealing with extreme heat, and it can take a toll – but peaches thrive in the hot weather.
"Dry weather, sunshine makes great sweet peaches," said Corey McCleaf, the owner of Cherry Hill Orchards in Lancaster County told www.wgal.com
"We'll pick probably three to four times over a peach tree until we get all of them picked," McCleaf said.
McCleaf said the recent weather is sweet for peaches. "Size is great on peaches this year. We just had the right amount of moisture to keep them growing," he said.
While peaches are doing well in the heat, growers did have some concerns about the crop after some spring frosts.
"We weren't sure what the peach crop was going to be like. We stopped thinning because it’s, like, how many are damaged? But we have a bumper crop," Phyllis Shenk said.
Cherry Hill grows about 35 different varieties of peaches.
Peak peach season runs into September.
