Wisconsin’s apples saw a large, compressed bloom earlier in the year, and the apples have continued to thrive. Following last year’s small apple crop, this fall will see a large apple harvest.
Rami Aburomia is the Owner of Atoms to Apples Orchard in Mt. Horeb, and he helps manage Eplegaarden Orchard in Fitchburg. He shares more about how the apples are looking this year and what people should expect when they visit the orchards.
Aburomia says that apple trees typically have “on” years following a year with poor production. This year happens to be an “on” year after last year’s crop was damaged by frost and didn’t have a large yield. However, he says that growers may cut off buds during “on” years to eliminate the huge difference in production between good and bad years.
Aburomia goes on to explain that the heat waves Wisconsin has experienced this summer could have burned some exposed apples from varieties with thinner skin. However, he shares that conditions aren’t nearly as extreme as they are for producers in Washington state. There, they have to cover up the trees to prevent “sunburn” on the apples.
Overall, Aburomia says that visitors to the orchards this fall should expect a plentiful harvest. However, he shares that inflation will be reflected in apple prices.
“The cost to produce apples went up significantly this year,” says Aburami. “Consumers may expect a little bit of a bump in the prices of apples just so that we can make a living.”
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