Stone fruit expected to have 'normal' season in 2007
Stone fruit expected to have 'normal' season in 2007
If there is such a thing as normal any more in the California stone fruit industry, this may be the year the industry sees it, according to Gary Van Sickle, research director for the California Tree Fruit Agreement in Reedley, CA.
Last year was marked by weather extremes, ranging from unseasonably warm winter weather to prolonged wet, cool spring weather, followed by extreme heat from mid to late summer. The effect was a delay in the timing of the crops and a reduction in volume, particularly in later varieties.
So far this year, the weather in California's central San Joaquin Valley has been congenial to a good but not overly heavy, fruit set and an expectation of normal timing, and should also result in high-quality, good-tasting fruit, Mr. Van Sickle said.
The extreme cold in January that was so devastating to citrus crops in the valley gave deciduous tree fruit much-needed chill hours. "Chilling, we have found, tends to affect the quality" in a positive way, Mr. Van Sickle said. "We are expecting very good tasting fruit this year after the chilling."
The cold January weather did delay the bloom somewhat, Mr. Van Sickle said. But warmer-than-normal March weather has "pushed the timing probably back to normal timing. So if we could ever come up with something called 'normal,' this would probably be the year," he said April 4. At least that seems to be the case "at this point," he added.
He noted that the 10-day forecast called for continued above-average temperatures, "so this timing could even pick up another two or three days." The bloom this year, particularly for peaches and nectarines, was "a very fast bloom," what is sometimes called a "flash bloom," he said.
Ordinarily, the timing of the bloom is more spread out from one variety to another and one part of the valley to another. But the quick transition from winter to warm spring brought on the bloom from one variety to another in rapid succession.
The week of March 5, the valley seemed carpeted with blooming orchards -- cherries, apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums and even almonds. The valley's famed "blossom trail" (called California's Blossom Trail by the East Coast press and America's Blossom Trail by the world press) received global acclaim for its spectacular beauty this year.
But an abundance of blossoms does not always translate into a heavy set, and "I think we are seeing that now," said Mr. Van Sickle. "While we've got a good set, it is not super-heavy." The thinning "is moving right along," he said.
"Peaches and nectarines have an ability to set a little bit heavier than plums, so with peaches and nectarines you expect to have to thin off more," he said. The plum set shows some variation, heavier in some orchards, lighter in others, "but in general I think ... it is going to be quick thinning in plums, which is really an ideal situation."
Overall, "we're looking for a good crop," Mr. Van Sickle said. "Not a big crop," but more than last year when the crop was reduced and there was "a lot of shortage in our late-season varieties."
The state's first stone fruit of the season had already begun to be packed out of the Coachella Valley.
In the San Joaquin Valley, Mr. Van Sickle expected picking of the first peaches from Arvin to begin around April 20-23 -- a week earlier than last year and two or three days behind 2005, which was an early season. Nectarines were expected to start about three to five days after peaches.
In the Kettleman Hills area, start dates were expected to be about a day later than in Arvin, he said.
The cherry harvest was expected to start about the same time for early varieties in the San Joaquin Valley.
According to Maurice (Mo) Cameron of Trinity Fruit Sales in Fresno, "there is the potential for a big crop" of high-quality cherries this year, in contrast to last year when the crop was significantly reduced by heavy rainfall. This year, "most orchards have full or close to full crops," he said.
Last year was marked by weather extremes, ranging from unseasonably warm winter weather to prolonged wet, cool spring weather, followed by extreme heat from mid to late summer. The effect was a delay in the timing of the crops and a reduction in volume, particularly in later varieties.
So far this year, the weather in California's central San Joaquin Valley has been congenial to a good but not overly heavy, fruit set and an expectation of normal timing, and should also result in high-quality, good-tasting fruit, Mr. Van Sickle said.
The extreme cold in January that was so devastating to citrus crops in the valley gave deciduous tree fruit much-needed chill hours. "Chilling, we have found, tends to affect the quality" in a positive way, Mr. Van Sickle said. "We are expecting very good tasting fruit this year after the chilling."
The cold January weather did delay the bloom somewhat, Mr. Van Sickle said. But warmer-than-normal March weather has "pushed the timing probably back to normal timing. So if we could ever come up with something called 'normal,' this would probably be the year," he said April 4. At least that seems to be the case "at this point," he added.
He noted that the 10-day forecast called for continued above-average temperatures, "so this timing could even pick up another two or three days." The bloom this year, particularly for peaches and nectarines, was "a very fast bloom," what is sometimes called a "flash bloom," he said.
Ordinarily, the timing of the bloom is more spread out from one variety to another and one part of the valley to another. But the quick transition from winter to warm spring brought on the bloom from one variety to another in rapid succession.
The week of March 5, the valley seemed carpeted with blooming orchards -- cherries, apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums and even almonds. The valley's famed "blossom trail" (called California's Blossom Trail by the East Coast press and America's Blossom Trail by the world press) received global acclaim for its spectacular beauty this year.
But an abundance of blossoms does not always translate into a heavy set, and "I think we are seeing that now," said Mr. Van Sickle. "While we've got a good set, it is not super-heavy." The thinning "is moving right along," he said.
"Peaches and nectarines have an ability to set a little bit heavier than plums, so with peaches and nectarines you expect to have to thin off more," he said. The plum set shows some variation, heavier in some orchards, lighter in others, "but in general I think ... it is going to be quick thinning in plums, which is really an ideal situation."
Overall, "we're looking for a good crop," Mr. Van Sickle said. "Not a big crop," but more than last year when the crop was reduced and there was "a lot of shortage in our late-season varieties."
The state's first stone fruit of the season had already begun to be packed out of the Coachella Valley.
In the San Joaquin Valley, Mr. Van Sickle expected picking of the first peaches from Arvin to begin around April 20-23 -- a week earlier than last year and two or three days behind 2005, which was an early season. Nectarines were expected to start about three to five days after peaches.
In the Kettleman Hills area, start dates were expected to be about a day later than in Arvin, he said.
The cherry harvest was expected to start about the same time for early varieties in the San Joaquin Valley.
According to Maurice (Mo) Cameron of Trinity Fruit Sales in Fresno, "there is the potential for a big crop" of high-quality cherries this year, in contrast to last year when the crop was significantly reduced by heavy rainfall. This year, "most orchards have full or close to full crops," he said.
