Sweet cherries may have suffered most

Sweet cherries appear to have taken the brunt of the return of winter. But the extent to which all fruit crops have been impacted may not been known for weeks.

With utility knife in hand, former county extension director Jim Bardenhagen was in his East Leland orchard Monday, cutting open green-tipped buds to see which fruits and specific varieties have sustained frost damage.

“We have some damage, but not to the extent that they’ve seen in southwest Michigan,” he said.

Within the buds on cherry varieties are from three to five individual cells that represent the potential to become cherries. Depending on the variety, Bardenhagen found some buds with all their cells intact and white, while others were wiped out and darkened from cold temperatures. Apple buds have a “king bloom,” surrounded by the same cells, which represent the beginnings of a potential harvest.

Damage from cold temperatures can be seen in premature
fruit buds that were selectively sliced open this
week. Darkened cells indicate potential fruit that has
gone "bad." Above, Jim Bardenhagen checks buds in
one of his East Leland orchards.

“We’re cutting buds as we speak,” said Nikki Rothwell, director of the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Station yesterday morning. “We are seeing some damage in certain varieties and not as much in others. The tree’s location within the orchard also plays a role.”

Warm March temperatures began to lure trees from their dormancy, making buds susceptible to unseasonably cold temperatures and record snowfall recorded this month. Since the mercury peaked at 63 degrees April 1, the recorded high at the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research station over the past two weeks at the same site has been 54, Tuesday.

Likewise, the “lows” have been lower. Following above freezing lows in the 40s at the onset of April, the mercury plummeted to as low as 18 at the research station on April 7.
Samples have been taken from the north and south sides of trees to determine the extent to which stinging winds may have damaged fruit.

“We don’t see any difference yet,” Rothwell said.

But in spring, the window of opportunity for damage by cold temperatures is wide open. Cherry and apple trees produce a greater number of blossoms than fruit that will reach maturity.

“You can lose 30 percent of your crop and still have a viable crop with good pollination,” the first-year director said.

Pollination will play a crucial role in crop development, particularly in light of low temperatures and the reduction in honey bees resulting from a phenomenon identified as “colony collapse” disease. Beekeepers here and throughout the country are reporting significant losses in the number of bees in their hives. Fruit, nuts and other produce crops must be pollinated to yield fruit.

Weather conditions can also impact pollination.

“Bees don’t like it too cold,” Rothwell said. “In northern Michigan, it’s a crapshoot. We’re looking for nice, sunny, windless days for pollination.”

No measurable accumulation of snow is expected before the end of the Enterprise snowfall contest, which officially concludes at 7 a.m. Saturday. The five inches of the white stuff which blanketed the ground at the Suttons Bay office of the County Road Commission April 12 not only helped to break a 41-year record for the month (15 inches) recorded in 1966, but brought the season total to 143 inches — the identical tally for the same day last year.