Warm days, cool nights makes sweeter fruit?

If your like many of us you might have had a really hot summer. The fall here is typically sprinkled with crisp cool nights. That type of weather many experts say makes fruits sweeter. We talk about weather all the time making better or worse fruit but whats your opinion? The challenges of Kansas are many but the fruit is sweet and good. Like the Kansas pears the best myself because of how well they grow and how good they taste. Some places grow better fruit and weather, Soil , moisture and other things are all factors. Central Midwest - KS, MO, OK

Many experts say they see a difference in their orchard https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/cold-temperatures-could-make-citrus-fruit-sweeter/

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I just learned that with Lemons cooler nights, with lots of heat during the day makes the best lemons, if the trees do not get too much water, and if you block the wind, like with a net. Those are tricks that citrus farmers in southern Italy know.

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We have had no rain now in 4 weeks or so… and warm days… 80-85 and cool nights 45-55…

Figs and raspberries have the best flavor of the year by far.

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Around here, warm days + cooler nights = fog at night, which in turn means mildew etc.

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I think this is really true for pomegranates. During the one week of chillier nights that we have had this past week, as temps dipped into the 50’s at night - my pomegranates have ripened so much quicker - and there is a definite big bump in the sweetness.
We had a lot of rain (as did many) from the effects of Ian - so I got a lot of cracking. But I don’t mind that, as it allows me a peek into the fruit to see how colorful the arils are becoming.

I do agree with @Richard - the cooler nights produce a lot of moisture. And moisture does equal FUNGUS for me. At this point it won’t make a huge dent in the fruit quality, though, so I won’t be spraying so close to harvest. This year I had so much less loss due to fungus. I saw sunburn and what is perhaps chemical burn - but this did not seem to do any real harm other than cosmetic.

It was my first good year in quite awhile. :grin:

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Warm/cool probably does sweeten up some fruits. I’ve heard that about apples. But it’s not just a week or two in October. It would take a month or two to make a real difference. There are places like that mostly dry climates like eastern WA state or places like Reno NV.

Other fruits are sweeter with warm nights. The best grapefruit come from Rio Grande valley due to the warm nights.

Figs get really sweet in places like Phoenix and Palm Springs where nights in summer often don’t drop below 90.

Cool nights are unlikely to make sweeter peaches or nectarines.

So I think it’s all over the map.

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@fruitnut

It has been dry here lately and that doesn’t hurt. This is a path the dogs and i take but it surprises me the dirt is bare this time of year. The dogs have over an acre fenced orchard around the house they roam in so this is the first path ive seen. We likely made the path bringing in fruits and vegetables.

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