We’ve survived the ups and downs of the thermometer, the invasion of Brood X cicadas and last week’s flash flooding. As onward we go, hopefully we’ll make it to harvest without too many more challenges.
We’ve experienced seasonal temperatures these past few weeks. It’s good to be passed the point where every dip in the thermometer causes heart palpitations. Warm temperatures increase fruit size by providing conditions that increase cell size. Up to this point the dominant form of fruit growth in the apples is cell division. The fruit has now reached the stage of cell expansion. An apple’s size is determined by the cells that make up the apple. The number of cells, the size of each cell and air space between the cells all play a role in the size of the apple. Some apples achieve a larger size by having a large number of cells, and some by having larger-sized cells. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? More to it all than what you may think. We’re still learning every day.
Just as it seemed the Brood X cicadas appeared one day, they disappeared in the same manner. Their constant cadence for about five weeks was annoying but when it was gone it was somewhat missed. Cicadas do not harm the fruit on the trees but the trees themselves have damage. Cicadas burrow into the tender branches of trees, lay their eggs and after the eggs hatch, the new breed bore into the earth to live on the tree roots for seventeen years. The tender branches of the trees are damaged to the point where they fall off. The orchard aisle ways have branches scattered throughout where the cicadas nested and did their burrowing. One positive aspect of the cicada invasion is the fact that nature is still in balance. If environmental conditions didn’t support their development, the cicadas would not have appeared and continued their life cycles.
Our area experienced flash flooding last week due to six inches and more of rain that fell in less than ten hours. Water was rushing through the lower parts of the orchard. Rushing water is awfully powerful. We lost about four mature trees that were uprooted as the trees had too much weight in too wet of ground. We had some straight line winds as well, but no significant limb or tree damage from it.
The produce crop looks good and we expect to start harvest the first week of August. Until it’s in the baskets, though, an orchardist isn’t really sure of anything.