An early spring in Michigan, characterized by an extremely warm February and a warmer-than-normal March, initiated premature development of fruit buds, rendering the state's fruit crops susceptible to frost damage. This year's early bud and fruit blossom development surpassed the precedent set by the warm spring of 2012. Nick Schweitzer, of Schweitzer Orchards, highlighted the preference for a colder spring among fruit growers to delay bud and blossom emergence, thereby reducing the risk of frost damage to crops such as apples. Despite fears of a detrimental frost due to early blooming in April, the continuation of warm weather with only minor frost incidents spared Michigan's fruit crops from significant damage.
The consequence of the early bloom is an acceleration in the maturation of fruit crops, leading to an anticipated yield of 26 million to 28 million bushels of apples, as estimated by Amy Irish-Brown, Valent USA Sustainability Specialist. This production level is considered above average, although not surpassing the 30 million bushels recorded in the previous two years. Both Brown and Schweitzer note the unusual timing of this year's harvest, with Michigan's apples expected to be picked 10 to 15 days earlier than typical.
Source: mlive.com