A stint of extreme cold back in February and late-season frosts in May have not been kind to Maine's peaches and apples. According to Renae Moran, fruit tree specialist for the University of Maine's Cooperative Extension, that the frosts in May knocked out about half of the state's apple crop.
Cold temperatures hit apple blossoms around the Northeast at full bloom, though Moran said most Maine orchards fared better than those in New Hampshire or Vermont. Orchards at higher elevations should have a better yield compared to those in lower lying fields. Apples are relatively resilient to moisture, and Moran said the crop should tolerate this summer's abnormally wet conditions. Still, she said it's too soon to tell whether the rain will have an impact on the apples' quality or taste.
Maine peach crop this year is a total loss
Local peaches – as well as plums – should be in Maine’s farmers markets and farm stands right about now. The actual number for sale? “Virtually none,” said Miss Moran. Other New England and mid-Atlantic states suffered the same fate. Peach crops in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, New York and parts of Connecticut were devastated by the same “freakish weather event,” as Moran described it.
Source: pressherald.com
