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Early end to Apple Days

Premature harvest due to weird weather

Katherine's daughter, Anna, still excited to pick what was left of their harvest
Katherine's daughter, Anna, still excited to pick what was left of their harvest

At the heart of Julian’s charm, many would say, lies the little historic district’s beloved apples. However, for many orchards, this season proved to be another difficult one, with early budding, low apple counts, and fruit that is smaller than usual. The drought, combined with unusually hot temperatures for the area, has been taking its toll on the trees.

“The buds blossomed earlier than usual,” said Katherine Law, owner of a five-acre orchard in the Cuyamaca area. “The warm winter and spring we had caused the apples to ripen early, preventing them from growing to their usual size. Our season came early and was cut short.”

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Typically, the apple-harvest season in the area spans anywhere from September to late October, but this year many orchard owners said their apples were ripening as early as August.

“We have never had to water our trees, but if this winter brings little rain again, we may have to start-just to keep them alive,” Law said. Her family’s orchard, which is certified organic, is not irrigated and is fed by an underground spring that runs beneath the trees’ roots. Combined with rainfall, this groundwater has always been enough to keep the trees healthy.

“The drought is beginning to lower our water table, and our trees are suffering because of it.”

As we head toward winter, many of the region’s locals are keeping their fingers crossed for a season of rain and cooler temperature, as a hope to revive Julian’s suffering orchards.

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Katherine's daughter, Anna, still excited to pick what was left of their harvest
Katherine's daughter, Anna, still excited to pick what was left of their harvest

At the heart of Julian’s charm, many would say, lies the little historic district’s beloved apples. However, for many orchards, this season proved to be another difficult one, with early budding, low apple counts, and fruit that is smaller than usual. The drought, combined with unusually hot temperatures for the area, has been taking its toll on the trees.

“The buds blossomed earlier than usual,” said Katherine Law, owner of a five-acre orchard in the Cuyamaca area. “The warm winter and spring we had caused the apples to ripen early, preventing them from growing to their usual size. Our season came early and was cut short.”

Sponsored
Sponsored

Typically, the apple-harvest season in the area spans anywhere from September to late October, but this year many orchard owners said their apples were ripening as early as August.

“We have never had to water our trees, but if this winter brings little rain again, we may have to start-just to keep them alive,” Law said. Her family’s orchard, which is certified organic, is not irrigated and is fed by an underground spring that runs beneath the trees’ roots. Combined with rainfall, this groundwater has always been enough to keep the trees healthy.

“The drought is beginning to lower our water table, and our trees are suffering because of it.”

As we head toward winter, many of the region’s locals are keeping their fingers crossed for a season of rain and cooler temperature, as a hope to revive Julian’s suffering orchards.

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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