Bees are buzzing this spring, which is helping to save the Leelanau County
cherry crop.

Generally, daytime temperatures need to hit 60 degrees or more for good
pollination. Pollination has been a problem in recent, cold springs for
county cherry growers, leaving their trees short on cherries after being
long on blossoms.

Crop forecast improves

Not so this spring, according to Nikki Rothwell, director of the Northwest
Michigan Horticultural Research Center in Bingham Township.

“We’ve had excellent pollination for sweet cherries, and tart cherries.
It’s going to be a good year with lots of cherries.”

Predictions for the size of the 2007 Michigan cherry crop have steadily
increased since an April frost nipped some buds in Leelanau, and more buds
in southwestern and western portions of the Lower Peninsula. Now
agricultural experts are saying even the tart cherry crop in Hart and
Oceana counties, where few sweet cherries are grown, is turning out better
than expected.

Another problem has failed to develop as predictions of a national
shortage of bees to pollinate fruit have not been felt in Leelanau County.

“It looks like out Michigan beekeepers have fared better than in other
states,” said Rothwell. “I’ve also heard a bunch of concerns on how costs
wee going to change.”

Actually, the price charged by beekeepers to place hives in orchards was,
in general, only bumped up marginally, Rothwell said.

In the past, growers paid beekeepers between $0 and $50 per hive during
pollination. Rothwell said one grower in Suttons Bay Township paid $51 per
hive this season, compared to $45 last season.

But the cost can add up, especially in tart cherry orchards. Here’s where
a little botany can help explain the difference.

A tart cherry tree can pollinate itself. Bees that move from one flower to
another on the same tree provide all the fertilization needed to create a
crop.

Not so for sweet cherry trees, or apple trees for that matter, where bees
must spread pollen among trees to fertilize.

Consequently, 1-2 hives are required per acre to adequately fertilize tart
cherries; 2 or more hives are needed per acre for sweets.

With cherry trees nearing or having just surpassed peak bloom, it appears
that plenty of flowers have been pollinated.

“Every year we can lose up to 70 percent of the buds and still get a very
good crop. I’ve heard growers say there are lots of cherries out there.