Stone Fruit Update

Stone Fruit Update. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

Now that cherries are about done being harvested and apples are just getting started the lesser known of the great Washington fruits: peaches, nectarines and apricots are coming up.

THURLBY: Well like all the ag crops here in the state this summer the stone fruit is running ahead. So we’re running between 7 and 10 days ahead so we’re getting going on some of our top early varieties. I know that I had a couple of growers stop by the shop here at the Fruit Commission and drop off some pretty amazing early fruit.

We don’t talk much about the various varieties of these fruits like we do things like Gala apples or Bing cherries.

THULRBY: There’s varieties out there like Sierra Rich. There’s Rich Ladies and we’ve also tried a few early Sweet Dreams so kind of excited about the Washington summer fruit season and the California fruit so far has really been eating well. And so the exciting this in this is my wife and I go back and forth because we get excited when the California fruit actually tastes well, you know the Washington fruit is going to be amazing.

Thurlby says the heat we’ve been having is something that soft fruit kind of likes. And while the northwest is at the top of the heap when it comes to cherry and apple production we are down the list a bit when it comes to soft fruit.

THURLBY: You know we’re thinking a million boxes of peaches. Almost the same for nectarines and then when we’re all said and done on apricots we should be close to half a million.

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