Wisconsin Apple Growers Expect Strong Fall Harvest

By Blake Jackson

After a hot, humid summer marked by heavy rains and flooding, Wisconsin apple growers are gearing up for a promising harvest as fall approaches.

In Gays Mills, Sunrise Orchards owner Allen Teach said conditions have been nearly perfect for apples this year. The absence of a late spring frost allowed the trees to thrive early, and despite the heat, he noted it hasn’t been unusual.

“We here at Gays Mills have avoided any of the big, massive rains that we’re kind of famous for here and it’s been nearly an ideal growing season,” Teach said. “We had a big push of colder air here, which has really helped the apple crop get nice and red.”

Labor Day traditionally signals the start of apple-picking season, and Teach’s orchard is ready with varieties such as Rave, Zestar, Premier Honeycrisp, Paula Red, and Dudley.

Not all growers had it as easy. Brandon Leverenz of Alpine Ridge Orchards near Madison reported increased cases of apple scab, a fungal disease linked to the season’s wet conditions. The issue was echoed across the state, according to Amaya Atucha, professor and chair of plant and agroecosystem sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“Being moist and having free water and high temperature is ideal for some diseases … that we see on fruit trees and obviously on apple trees,” Atucha explained.

Still, Atucha does not expect major losses, noting that growers are experienced in managing these challenges. Atucha also highlighted the risks of root rot in areas with prolonged standing water.

“Saturated soils are the worst for plants, and especially for fruit trees,” Atucha said. “They’re very sensitive to what people refer to as ‘wet feet.’ They don’t like to have wet feet. They want to be moist and nice, but they don’t want to be saturated.”

Later in the season, high temperatures can also cause sunburn on dark apple varieties, including Honeycrisp, Leverenz said. Shade nets and protective sprays are options growers are considering more often as summers warm.

Despite these hurdles, Leverenz remains optimistic. “We expect a lot of foot traffic and hopefully some good, good apple picking,” he said.

Photo Credit: istock-rixipix