North Carolina’s apple growers say they’ve had a challenging year

CHARLOTTE — It’s the middle of apple season in North Carolina, and growers say they’ve had a challenging year.

Between a late freeze, drought and triple-digit temperatures this summer, Channel 9 Climate Reporter Michelle Alfini learned that has left some orchards with less-than-perfect pickings.

Growing the perfect apple means getting the right amount of rain, avoiding a late freeze, avoiding too many hot days, basically getting the perfect weather. It’s a bit of an impossible ask, but some crops fare better than others.

Perry Lowe of Perry Lowe Orchards pointed out one of his top cider apples.

“That is probably one of the best cider apples we grow, the Pink Lady,” Lowe said.

Every year, Lowe is proud to see his Wilkes County orchard bear fruit.

“I have been doing this for 12 years now,” Lowe said.

And while he expects a good U-pick season, Lowe said, “There are more small apples this year than normal.”

There are two reasons for that. The first came in March with a late freeze.

“All these apples were once flowers, so when it’s flowering, you do not want it to go below freezing,” Lowe said.

Lowe says that typically happens when spring warming comes too early.

If freezing temperatures return after the apple blossoms bloom, it can kill some of the crop and even damage the fruit that does end up growing.

“Another apple that was affected by the freeze in March. This is just because of bad seed count. That’s all this is,” Lowe said.

Then came the spring drought, which Lowe says stunted some of the growth on his younger trees.

“It really affected the size of the apples more than anything this year,” Lowe said.

Add in a scorching summer.

“These apples are getting a little bit of something called sunburn,” Lowe said.

Fortunately, he says some of the 40 varieties he grows have weathered the year better than others.

“These Pink Ladies flowered after that freeze, and it provided plenty of apples for some of these trees. But some varieties that were more tender, such as Mutsus, we have less of this year,” Lowe said.

He says the weather has been cooperating better recently. There was enough moisture later in the summer to help his crop grow. Now, he just needs a fall cooldown to finish the job.

“Cold nights are what color the apples,” Lowe said.

Lowe says growers would prefer a drier fall. Not only do people come out to pick on weekends, but the crop is less susceptible to disease or cracking.

Perry Lowe Orchards is considered one of the top places in North Carolina to pick apples. Moretz Mountain Orchard in Boone is also on the list.

Closer to home, there’s Carrigan Farms in Mooresville, Knob Creek Orchards in Lawndale and Windy Hill Orchard in Rock Hill.

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