Warm spring brings apple-picking season ahead of schedule
Photo credit: KatelynIngle
An early spring and warm weather have apples ripening ahead of schedule, prompting farms to encourage U-Pick visitors to head to orchards earlier than usual to catch their favorite varieties at their peak.
“With the early spring we had, our apples are ahead of where they’d normally be this time of year,” said Justin Wendzel, Owner, Gull Meadow Farms. “If picking apples is on your Fall bucket list, we’d encourage folks to come out early this season rather than waiting until October.”
Gull Meadow Farms typically opens its U-Pick orchard in early September with McIntosh and Honey Gold apples, followed by additional varieties as they ripen. This year, however, some U-Pick opportunities began in August. More than 20 U-Pick apple varieties are available throughout the season depending on the ripening schedule.
The farm is also letting visitors know that a brief hailstorm earlier this year left small cosmetic marks on some early apple varieties. The approximately 30-second storm did not affect the quality or taste of the fruit.
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