BY LARRY SOBCZAK
EDITOR
This year’s strawberry harvest is already in full swing despite several weather challenges over the winter and spring.
“Our fields are kicking out nice berries. They’re a nice normal size, just not as many larger ones as usual,” said Katrina Roy, co-owner of Westview Orchards and Winery in Washington Township.
Westview was able to fight off a sudden cold snap on Dec. 19, a windstorm in March and an unusually late freeze May 8-11.
Roy said that her brother-in-law Bill Jacobson was able to get straw on the fields in December just as the cold snap hit and was able to take measures against the late freeze in May.
“Bill was able to stay up all night making sure the irrigation hit both fields on each side of Van Dyke,” she said.
Roy explained that irrigating during a freeze helps prevent the strawberry blossoms from freezing.
The March windstorm made things difficult for the orchard because it blew away much of the straw before it was time, leaving the crops potentially exposed to early spring cold snaps.
She said that the wild winter and spring weather may have kept some berry sizes down but it has a definite upside.
“The smaller berries are more concentrated with sugar. They’re sweeter,” Roy said.
Kelly Herder of Rochester made her annual trip to Westview with her daughter, son and mother last week and she said she was pleased with the strawberries.
“They’re looking great,” she said.
Bob Tritten of the Michigan State University Extension said that other growers in the region were not as fortunate as Westview.
“Strawberry harvest started in the last week for most farms, with farms in the south (portion of the region) being at the peak of harvest for the last few days,” Tritten said. “The first picking was lighter than normal at most farms, with smaller berry size than normal. I am seeing many strawberry fields that have many small berries that are starting to ripen. I am concerned that these berries will not ripen to normal size this season.”
Tritten in his weekly small fruits report said that some farms are limiting public access to some fields because the berries are misshapen, have an odd bronze color or have seeds gathered in one spot.
“Some farms have decided not to open for pick your own harvest this season due to small misshapen berries. Their plants have not looked good for the entire season,” he said.
Tritten attributes poor plant growth and resulting poor berry quality to cold temperatures and poor weather over the winter.
He said that southeast Lower Michigan had three cold events including a sudden cold snap on Dec. 19 with temperatures well below zero before many growers had placed mulch on their fields.
The second cold event hit the areas in mid-March with low temperatures in the lower teens.
Crops were also hit hard by a late season frost and freezes on May 8 and 9 throughout most of the region.
“We also had a good amount of wind over the winter that blew most of the straw over to Ontario, Canada, leaving berries unprotected,” he said.
Tritten said that cold and windy weather during the extended bloom period made it difficult for pollinators, causing some misshapen berries from poor pollination.
Overall Tritten said that warm summer-like temperatures over the last week continued to push rapid growth in all of the fruit crops, especially in tree fruits.
“Our season remains ahead of normal, now five to seven days in terms of degree day totals and growth stages,” he said.
Abby Jacobson, who also co-owns Westview said that all of their crops are ahead of schedule.
“Expect cherries and raspberries real soon. They’re at least a week ahead of schedule,” Jacobson said.
