Wisconsin’s Apple Orchards Face Challenges Amid Changing Weather Patterns
As autumn approaches, many apple orchards in Wisconsin are getting ready to welcome visitors for apple picking. However, recent weather conditions, including late frosts, drought, and hail, have impacted the harvest, leading to expectations of a smaller yield this season.
Mark Christopher, who owns Maple Leaf Orchard in Spring Valley, explained how warmer temperatures in early spring led to premature blooming of the apple trees in his western Wisconsin orchard. This early bloom was subsequently hit hard by frost when temperatures dropped again.
“We’re definitely in a reduced-crop situation, and the biggest reason for that is because of spring frost,” Christopher noted. “The (trees) that were in full bloom when the frost events hit, they got hit the worst, and so we don’t have the crop that we normally would have.”
Spring frosts, which occur when temperatures fall below freezing after plants have exited winter dormancy, can significantly damage apple crops. Western Wisconsin’s apple trees often bloom early due to warmer conditions, making them vulnerable to such frosts. More on spring frosts can be found here.
“I am definitely seeing a pattern where we’re having warmer early springs, and that can set us up for this kind of a problem a little bit more,” Christopher mentioned.
In contrast, apple growers in eastern Wisconsin, like those guided by horticulturist Paul Schwabe at Johnson’s Nursery in Menomonee Falls, experience cooler springs. This cooler climate, influenced by proximity to Lake Michigan, offers some protection against frost.
“Usually we bloom a little later in southeast Wisconsin because we’re by Lake Michigan,” Schwabe explained. “It’s like a big, cold ice block, and it does offer us some protection in the spring from frost.”
Another weather pattern affecting the apple harvest is the expected warmer fall and winter, attributed to a strong El Niño. Amaya Atucha, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences, highlighted the challenges growers face.
“The trees are active for a longer period of time after harvest,” Atucha stated. “How do we keep those trees healthy and not stressed so that they can go into winter well prepared to withstand the freezing conditions?”
Warmer falls can also lead to faster fruit ripening, prompting orchard owners like Christopher to pick apples quickly before they fall. “When varieties are really starting to come in that ripen all at once — boy, yeah, that causes that panic-picking,” he said. “You really have to just go at it full bore to get them off the trees before they hit the ground.”
While irrigation and hail nets can help reduce tree stress, Atucha pointed out that these solutions can be costly. “There are things that we can do to reduce stress, but all of that, at the end of the day, adds up in the cost,” she said.
Despite these challenges, Atucha remains optimistic about the resilience of Wisconsin farmers. She encourages people to support local orchards this season. “Even though we have had a lot of challenges this growing season, the growers are amazing and incredibly resilient and they always manage to have a relatively good crop,” she noted.
