Fruit crops in Southwest Michigan remain healthy despite the hot weather the region has been experiencing lately.
Michigan State University Extension grape specialist Mike Reinke tells us he’s been out in the fields and talking with growers, and everything is looking pretty good.
“Thank goodness it’s also been rather humid,” Reinke said. “So the heat wave has actually been, if anything, it’s kind of sped up the crops a little bit. The ones that have enough water have been able to move along pretty quickly. We’ve updated some of our harvest dates for some of the fruit that are getting ready to come off now or have been for the last week or two.”
Reinke says grapes are doing “great,” and wineries can expect to receive plenty this year. Peaches are also in great shape.
Reinke says only a couple of fruits could be harmed by the hot weather.
“We’re through strawberry season, but strawberries are susceptible to heat. Cherries, they can be susceptible to heat because they don’t hold the moisture very well. They’ll get soft.”
So, cherries could become a concern. Also, Reinke says although they’ll taste great, we could wind up with apples and pears that are on the smaller side.
A bigger concern than the temperatures are extreme storms that could damage trees. Reinke says he is hoping for a bit more rain, but not the kind that comes with heavy storms.
For now, Reinke says the region’s crops are in “really great shape.”
