Three nights of frost or freezing temperatures have affected Michigan’s fruit crops. Experts say as a whole, Michigan’s fruit crop may have fared okay in the cold snap.
Temperatures Saturday morning, May 9, dropped to the low-to-mid 20s in the southwest quarter of Lower Michigan, a prolific fruit growing area. At the same time, northwest Lower’s fruit areas weren’t quite as cold with morning low temperatures in the upper 20s.
Many fruit crops were damaged by last weekend’s freeze. Tree fruits such as apples and peaches were among the most severely impacted. Photo by Mike Reinke, MSU Extension.
Two conditions have led to various amounts of damage to Michigan’s fruit crop. But with combinations of temperatures and amounts of damage varying across the state, fruit experts think Michigan will still have a acceptable crop of most fruits.
Mark Longstroth, small fruit educator at MSU Extension in southwest Lower Michigan, says the damage to fruit trees varies a lot from region to region. Northwest Lower Michigan fared a little better than southwest Lower Michigan because the trees weren’t as advanced in the north, and less vulnerable to the cold. Also the temperatures in northwest Lower Michigan were a few degrees warmer than southwest Lower.
Longstroth gives us a rundown of various Michigan fruit crops.
He says don’t worry about juice or wine grapes. While the vines sustained 30 percent to 50 percent damage to the main branches, grapes will send out a secondary branch and produce grapes. Longstroth also states grape growers in Michigan have learned to leave extra buds when pruning for just this freezing reason.
Michigan’s apple crop had a wide range of damage. Some sites on higher hills were warmer and had more wind, sparing the blossoms from freezing hard. Longstroth says southwest Michigan usually produces 30 million bushels of apples. The freeze damage may reduce the total crop by around six million bushels. Longstroth says a crowd favorite, honeycrisp apples, are sensitive to the cold.
Winesap apple with May 9 freeze injury to pistil. Photo by Amy Irish-Brown, MSU Extension.
Blueberry bushes across western Michigan had very little damage. Longstroth attributes that to a dry week prior to the cold. When temperatures plummeted it was not a frosty cold. The wind stayed blowing. While temperatures were below freezing, ice didn’t form on the blueberry blossoms.
The coldest temperature reading on a Michigan State weather station was 20 degrees at Teapot Dome, halfway between Paw Paw and Lawrence.
Strawberries survived with low amounts of damage. Strawberry growers turn on irrigation as the temperature goes below freezing. The ice coating on the plant keeps the buds from getting too cold. Growers ran the irrigation until after sunrise and temperatures warmed above freezing.
Now to the two fruits that where hurt more significantly by the cold - peaches and cherries.
Longstroth says peaches were hit hard if there weren’t located at a great site for peaches. A great site is tucked in hills very close to Lake Michigan. The lake keeps it warmer and the hills tend to have a little more breeze.
Bill Shane, senior MSU Extension tree fruit specialist says there was a low amount of peach blossoms last year, so the blooms are heavy this year. The high number of blossoms may mean some Michigan peaches will still be enjoyed late this summer.
Michigan’s cherry crop came through with two different damage amounts. Longstroth feels southwest Michigan’s cherries were damaged badly because of the advanced stage of blossoms. However, northwest Lower Michigan’s cherry trees weren’t as advanced and probably fared okay. The buds in northwest Lower were just starting to swell and not as exposed to the cold.
Bill Shane also mentions that fruit trees often have so much fruit, a grower has to go through and thin the crop. Mother Nature did that for many growers over the last five days.
The outcome is some damage to fruit trees, but still a fruit crop is expected this summer and fall.
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Hard freeze may have spared some of Michigan’s fruit crops, fruit growing areas - MLive.com
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