July 13, 2012

Categories: Cherries

It’s cherry season and  the nemesis of cherry growers this time of year is RAIN… Excessive rainfall  can cause splitting in our mature cherries, as the ripe cherries absorb more water than their skins can stretch. In our attempt to protect our fruit,  we hire helicopter pilots to be on standby. They can be in the air within minutes after a rain event and hover 10′ over the trees to dry off the fruit.  We also send in our army of ground sprayers to help with the drying process. Depending on the amount and duration of the rain event, we usually don’t harvest that day. Rain is usually welcomed here in Eastern Washington, but can be the “pits” for us cherry growers, if it comes at the wrong time. Again we are at the whim of Mother Nature…