Beginning of the 2020 Growing Season

Originally posted April 25, 2020

This year it appears that the buds will all bloom, set, and develop at the same time period. Whew! That is a very good beginning as we don’t want to see half the orchard bloom first —again. Last year, 2019, our orchard experienced untimely blooming, which means a severe drop in temperature happened as blooming began, causing some blooms to come out, but the disruption in weather resulted in about a week or two to pass before further blooming occurred. When this happens, the pears do not reach readiness for harvest all together, and a second picking, a few weeks later, means a lower price for later pears as well as a second picking needed at harvest.