Rain Is Good - Rain Is Bad

Rain Is Good - Rain Is Bad. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

For those that line on the east side of the Cascades, rain is an iffy event. The old saying that timing is everything or even location, location, location can sure give plenty of meaning to a rare rain shower. Rain is always welcome after planting of crops or in the spring when flowers are giving way fruit. But. And that is a very large but...a downpour when fruit is at it’s peak, especially one like cherries, can have detrimental effects. Recent rains in prime cherry growing areas have caused a lot of anxiety for growers. They spent a good part of Tuesday checking to see if they received any damage to their crops still hanging on the trees. Cherries can split and crack after hard rains during warm weather, explained Smith. Osmosis causes the problems as the cherry-skin membrane tries to balance sugar content between the sweet juice inside and the pure rainwater clinging to the fruit's surface. The skin allows rainwater to enter the cherry, where it expands and pops the fruit. Many growers resorted to methods of blowing the excess water off the trees including hiring helicopter pilots to hover over their fields using the down draft to clear the water. In a tragic turn, a young pilot got his helicopter tangled up in a power line causing the crash. So a word to Mother Nature, please try and give us the moisture we need...but please be a bit more careful on your timing...ok?

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.