VERGENNES TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — This year’s fruit crop is on thin ice as relatively frigid temperatures linger in West Michigan. Fruit producers are taking extra steps to protect their crops from the unseasonably cold weather.
Aaron Roth, president of Railside Orchards in Lowell, is having a tough time getting a good night’s sleep. He receives alerts on his phone tied to the temperature and with lows continuing to fall near the freezing point, it means some extra work is required in caring for his 200 acres of apple trees.
“The cold weather has been a big challenge this year. So we’ve had extreme colds over the winter and that weakens the buds for the flowers,” Roth said. “We’re already dealing with a weakened bud. And now we’re dealing with the frost situation on our full bloom,”It’s stressful, he told News 8, saying that just one night with temperatures in the mid-20s can sink an entire season.
With the spring apple blooms in a fragile state, the orchard has turned to frost fans to combat the cold. Roth said the fans can have a meaningful effect.
“Frost fans can raise the orchard temperature as much as five degrees. So when we’ve got a cold night with an inversion layer, they’ll do an amazing job of pulling the temperatures up.”…