Thursday, February 23, 2017

Early Spring Endangers Peach Crop

   The beautiful weather we've enjoyed for the last week has been nice for pruning our raspberry planting each day, but this early spring is endangering the peach crop.  Our two plumcot trees have started blooming already, on Feb. 23, and peach flower buds have swollen already.  Thankfully, colder weather is predicted for the next few days, which should slow down peach flower bud development.  We still have over 6 weeks to go before the average date of the last spring frost.
Our two plumcot trees have started blooming already, and the open blossoms will likely be killed by a frost early Sat. morning.  Peach flower buds, on trees in background, have swollen.
   A 26 F frost is predicted for early Sat. morning, Feb. 25, which will kill all open blossoms on our two plumcot trees.  More  plumcot flower buds will open over the next couple weeks, but since bloom started this early, it's likely that we'll lose the plumcot crop again this year.  This is why we only have two plumcot trees, since they bloom so early that, in this area where spring frosts are common, we can only expect to have a plumcot crop about 5 years out of every 10 years.
   Thankfully, pear flower buds have not yet swollen.  We are praying that we will have a peach crop and a pear crop this year. 
   We still have many apples and pecans for sale.  Scroll down 3 posts for prices.  Just phone 620-597-2450 a day in advance, and leave a message on the answering machine saying your name and the day and approximate time you're coming to get them.
Ornamental flowering quince bushes are blooming already also, with the peach orchard in the background.  This is the view from the house, where the phone rings.
   The phone rings in the house, and I check for messages when I come in from working in the orchards or sorting apples in the sales building.  If you wait to call until on your way here, I probably won't get your message before you come.  When the weather's nice it's especially important to call a day ahead, as I can't always see the driveway from some parts of the fruit plantings, and when I'm working on a tractor I can't hear vehicles come in if you just drop by.

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Apples & Pecans Still for Sale

   Beautiful weather is predicted for the next week.  I'll be out pruning raspberries each day, and on Sat. our workers will be here pruning blackberries. We still have many apples and pecans for sale. Just phone 620-597-2450 a day in advance, and leave a message on the answering machine saying your name and the day and approximate time you're coming to get them.
My husband Bill and our son Michael squeezed through this rock crevice on the Elk River Trail.
   Today we took advantage of the beautiful weather, and our son Michael being home on leave from the Navy after 5 months at sea in a submarine, to go hiking.  We hiked part of the Elk River Trail northwest of Independence, KS.  It's a rugged and rewarding trail up rock bluffs and through rock tunnels, with gorgeous views of Elk City Lake.
The Elk River Trail offers gorgeous views of Elk City Lake.
  Tomorrow I'm back to work, pruning raspberries and sorting apples.  'Enterprise' apples keep well in our cooler or a fridge for 6 to 7 months.  We have less of an  'Enterprise' apple crop than last year, so we'll probably sell out of #1  'Enterprise' apples in early March, and have #2  'Enterprise' apples for sale until late March to early April.  'GoldRush' apples keep well in our cooler or a fridge for 8 to 10 months, and we have a good supply, so we'll probably have 'GoldRush' apples for sale until late May or early June.
   We still have cracked 'Kanza' pecans for sale, now until about June.  My husband Bill cracks more pecans in small batches as the bags of cracked pecans sell, since they store best in-shell.  Once cracked, pecans should be kept in the freezer for long-term storage of up to 3 years, or in the fridge if they'll be used within the next 2 to 3 months.
   Scroll down two posts for apple and pecan prices.