1 Sep 2016

Warm Spring could mean bumper stone fruit season

From Afternoons, 1:25 pm on 1 September 2016

It’s the first day of spring and meteorologists say it’s going to be a particularly warm one with temperatures more akin to summer.

Apricots

Apricots Photo: Webbs Fruit

Normally unseasonable temperatures play havoc with those in the agriculture industries, but in this case central Otago fruit growers are very happy at the prospect of a warm spring.

Simon Webb from Webb's Fruit in Cromwell grows apricots, nectarines, peaches, plums, apples and pears on the family orchard and he says we’re in for a bumper harvest.

“Our apricots are about 10 percent bloom at the moment, so we’ve just brought the bees in on Monday to start our pollination process.

“The warm weather that we’re getting really helps with pollination – keeps the bees really humming.”

And with a hot summer forecast too, the news is also good for flavour.

“It should just mean a bumper harvest of stone fruit, and the hotter the spring and summer is the sweeter and juicer the fruit is. It should mean lots of good-flavoured stone fruit that store well.”