Early Cherries?

Early Cherries?

Early Cherries? I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report.

Not sure if you've noticed but spring seems to be getting here a bit early this year. One of my neighbors trees has actual leaves on it and the cherry tree in my front yard is budding out. But it's only the 25th of February.

THURLBY: It is starting to look like spring and it's coming probably 2 to 3 weeks earlier than the growers would like to see it but we play the hand we are dealt.

That's NW Cherries BJ Thurlby who says the big concern at this early date is frost.

THURLBY: I think the growers are more in a defensive mode. I don't think they are necessarily out rushing the orchard forward trying to make sure we have a a bloom or a crop but they're more worried about the early onset of a frost season which is what we're got here. It's kind of an interesting deal right now the degree days in Yakima are actually ahead of the Tri-Cities. We've seen that before so it's not unheard of but at the same time it's one of those things where you are like, hmmm.

Cherry producers are always aiming at getting that crop on and off the trees before the Fourth of July holiday which is typically the biggest cherry selling time of the year but an early crop is always a gamble.

THURLBY: The State of Oregon had a freeze in November and they're looking at probably 25 to 30% reduction in their crop so that's a sad way to start and we've had some cold nights here so it's one of those things where you start to see this crop thinning out and you wonder if the old adage, "Short crops get shorter" is in play this year.

That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.

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