Still Harvesting Asparagus, Thinning Tree Fruits

   We still have lots of asparagus for sale.  I pick it twice each day when high temperatures are in the upper 60's or 70's F, and will harvest it 3 times a day when high temperatures are in the 80's F.  It grows just as fast when it's raining, as it is now, so I already made the first picking today, and will pick it again this evening.  I'll keep harvesting asparagus for the next 4 to 5 weeks, so we should still have it for sale until about June 8.

We have lots of harvested 'Jersey Knight' asparagus for sale now. Just call 620-597-2450 a day ahead & say when you'll come get it.

   We grow 'Jersey Knight' asparagus, an all-male variety that produces high yields of thicker spears since there are no female plants that spend energy producing berries.  I harvest the spears by snapping them where they break easily, so almost the entire harvested spear is tender and usable.  Asparagus is sold harvested, still for $2.78 per pound + tax.
   You do need to phone 620-597-2450 a day ahead and leave a message on our answering machine to order asparagus, saying about how many pounds you want to get, and the day & time you'll come get it.  Our phone rings in our house, so I'll get your message when I come in from working in the orchard.  I'll return your call in the evening to confirm.

Plumcots set far too many fruit in years when the crop isn't lost to frosts, such as this year. This photo shows an area of the tree before I thinned excess developing fruits.

   We'll have a plumcot crop this year, in late June to early July, for the first time since 2015.  Plumcots are 3/4 Japanese plum and 1/4 apricot, so the purple fruit are like Japanese plums but with a hint of apricot flavor, and are very sweet.  We only get a plumcot crop about 3 years out of 10 since they bloom so early, so I'm thankful we have a crop this year.  I just finished thinning the fruit -- removing most while they're small, so the remaining fruit will grow larger and sweeter and have less damage and disease.

This photo shows the same area of the tree after I thinned excess developing fruits, so the remaining fruit will develop and ripen well.

   Tomorrow our workers and I will start thinning peaches, a huge job that will take over 800 work hours during the whole month of May.  When we have a year of heavy fruit set on peaches, as we do this year, we have to remove 9 out of 10 of the young fruit so the remaining fruit will grow large enough to sell, not touch as they grow to minimize fruit rots, and reduce limb breakage from overly-heavy crops.
   Pick-your-own raspberries will start in early June.  The sidebar at left tells seasons for all our crops, open hours for each season, payment methods, etc.  We're looking forward to great crops of all our fruits this year.