The beginning of the season brings all this beauty and some gnawing and gnashing of teeth. Why would that be?
The valley (that is the Garden of Eden I tell you all about) just made it through a cold front and we have news of another one coming this week. Luckily the producers of the amazing peaches that we have been enjoying all these years have lots of practice saving these beautiful baby peaches which are in the pink bloom stage today.
They use two wind machines with water. Last Wednesday night they were busy saving all your peaches for three hours and they had to fire the wind machines up again Thursday night/Friday morning. One night of easy frost is helpful as it thins the blooms, much like when we thin our carrots or beets. It is multiple nights/mornings of frost that can cause trouble.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Marti about how the peach farm works from start to end. I wanted to share Marti’s adventures which start with the pruning of established trees to planting of new baby trees. Marking out the rows, as Marti puts it, “is VERY important because you only get one chance to rework a field about every 18-20 years for peaches.” Apple and pear trees produce for 30-60+ years if they are well cared for.
The new “baby” trees are only 1/2″ to 5/8″ diameter! That is a little tree. The new trees start to produce an actual crop around year 4.
Stay tuned for more as we follow the peaches, pears and plums all the way onto the trailer and to a town near you. Pray with us that we make it through this next cold front with minimal damage. More fruit for all of us is better.