Apples are a fall staple, but drought this summer is ripening some varieties early.
The heat and drought wreaking havoc on many farms across Maine also are affecting this year’s apple crop with an earlier start to the season.
“The drought and the heat have impacted the fruit for sure,” Orchard Ridge Farm owner Kristen Walker said. “Our apples are definitely smaller than we would normally anticipate.”
If you have backyard apple trees, you’ll want to be countering the drought with constant watering.
“Whether that’s like drip irrigation or if you want to do sprinklers, having some sort of water source is key,” Walker said.
Having access to good moisture is essential for healthy apple trees, especially when first planted.
“You also want to make sure when you’re planting your trees it’s in an ideal location,” Walker said. “You want to plan the best spot that has good drainage and good water retention in general.”
Many varieties will be ripening across Maine over the next few weeks.
“Enterprise, gold rush, frostbite, crimson topaz, golden russett, novaspies, sweet 16s, so sweets, we have a lot of apples,” Walker said.
If you’re looking forward to apple picking, but it’s still a little too summery for you, there’s still plenty of apple season to go.
“It goes through October, sometimes into early November,” Walker said.
Ripening apples shows us that autumn and harvest season is just around the corner. Even with the drought, we’ll still be able to enjoy this delicious fall treat.
