Just wondering if the more experienced people here in the east have decided if their fruit is ripening earlier this year than others? I am in Eastern PA. Alan? How is your stuff coming along?
It seems as though I have been on last year’s track for the peaches and nectarines, maybe 1-2 weeks earlier? This is going to be my 1st real apple and pear crop, some of the varieties look nice at this point. If Honeycrisp is scheduled for 9/15, which I have several (3 weeks away), that, Cortland, Mac and Jonathan are beginning to turn red at this point. My Barletts and Moonglow have nice fruit, but are pretty firm yet. I beat the whistlepigs, now I am full on battle with tree rats.
Just wondering what others might be experiencing from a ripening standpoint.
My Zestar is done. It was awesome and tasty. Reminded me of Honeycrisp. I am going to buy more of them. I have a Sansa for an early one, but it didn’t set yet. Real nice crop of large Mutsu Crispin, hoping to keep them.
Thanks Matt, whistlepig = groundhog. Sometimes, if you whistle, they’ll pop their heads up out of the hole or stand up for a clean shot.
I’ve seen footage where THEY actually whistle. Name might be Amish or PA Dutch origin…?
This year Spring sprung two weeks earlier than last year. Since then we’ve had more than the former normal amount of hot weather and lots of sunny days. My own orchard doesn’t have much summer crop because of certain disastrous weather events (probably part of the “new normal”) and the birds are horrible this season as well- pecking even summer apples before they are ripe.
But I have other orchards to watch, and as I would expect, given the conditions, things are certainly ripening relatively early this year. My blueberries were done about two weeks earlier than average, as an example.