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The frost that reduced southern Virginia’s apple crop in April, will influence the 1986 harvest too, said Virginia Tech Extension specialist Robert Marini.
In addition to the frost, the 1985 harvest was reduced by the dry weather early in the spring, and by hail storms.
“Then, because the growers knew it would be a small crop, they did not spray to reduce pests as much as in a normal year,” said Mr. Marini.
All these factors will influence the 1986 harvest, possibly making it a very heavy crop. Apple trees will have heavy crops in alternate years because of the natural cycles. In alternate years, the nutrients go to forming the buds, and then the next year to fruit.
Apple growers usually thin the buds to have annual crops of moderate sizes.
“When the frost came, it thinned the crop for the growers,” said Mr. Marini.
“This year it will be important for growers to work on the trees themselves to have a good crop in 1987.”
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