Virginia fruit growers navigate aftermath of sweeping spring freezes

Source: Virginia Farm Bureau

WINCHESTER, VA — With crop damage ranging from disruption to devastation, fruit growers across Virginia have felt the strain of an exceptionally frigid spring.

Statewide growers navigated a roller coaster of erratic weather throughout the late winter and early spring, with spurts of summer heat accelerating the growth of frost-sensitive crops ahead of multiple freeze events.

Vineyards across Virginia were damaged by extreme temperatures in late April. Image credit - VA Farm Bureau

An early April freeze nearly decimated Virginia’s apple and peach crops, with some orchards in the Winchester and Frederick County areas experiencing total crop loss.

“The freeze happened at the most sensitive time of flower development, which is full bloom,” explained Sherif M. Sherif, Virginia Tech associate professor of pomology. “This has been the most devastating damage I’ve seen since I started with Virginia Tech.”

While some trees were producing secondary blooms in the aftermath, another April 21 freeze dashed hopes for the harvest season. Only orchards primarily in the Central Virginia area survived with a full crop.

Mark Sutphin, an agriculture and natural resources Virginia Cooperative Extension agent serving the Northern Shenandoah Valley, recently met with area orchardists to explore paths forward from what they deemed “one of the worst freeze events this region has ever seen.”

While many orchardists attempted to generate heat using propane torches, smudge pots, wind machines and other frost mitigation measures, it was about “10 degrees too cold” to make a difference.

“The springtime is your one chance to set fruit,” Sutphin said. “Unfortunately, it’s going to be a very light crop for most of our growers.”

Wine grape growers were fighting a similar battle on April 21, with vineyards across the state reporting anywhere between 30-90% of shoot damage, according to Drew Harner, Virginia Tech assistant professor of viticulture.

“When we get below 29 degrees, that’s really when we start to see damage on primary shoots,” he explained. “A lot of fruit growers use different strategies to try to buffer the temperature in their vineyards, but those mechanisms weren’t enough.”

Harner added that it’s still too early in the season to gauge total yield loss. Many growers are working diligently to encourage the growth of secondary buds, which typically produce about 30% of the yield of primary shoots. Others who lost backup buds are facing even steeper losses.

Many grape growers lean on memories of the “catastrophic” freeze around Mother’s Day in 2020 for perspective.

“In situations like these, you realize how resilient of a community it is, and how everyone is willing to say, ‘Alright, here’s how we’re going to move forward, and how can we help each other?’” Harner reflected. “And it’s only April—there’s still a lot of time for us to see where this year is going.”

While the severity of freeze damage to the state’s blackberry and blueberry crops is yet to be determined, consumers can expect plentiful strawberries this season.

After a grueling four months of excessive row cover applications, strawberry growers still have plenty of berries left ahead of favorable weather forecasted for May—with some early-season varieties even appearing larger and sweeter, according to Jayesh Samtani, Virginia Tech small fruit Extension specialist.

He encourages consumers to support local growers.

“It’s always a very rewarding experience for growers to see customers, because their mind goes back to all the hard work that was put into growing those crops,” Samtani remarked.

“Focus on your local industry, your farm markets and pick-your-own operations—they need our support right now,” Sherif encouraged.

Sherif continues to lead research into potential mitigation methods for tree fruit frost damage at the Alson H. Smith Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center. The team is seeking letters of support from growers as they apply for research grants and additional funding. Growers should contact their local Extension office for more information.

Additionally, efforts are underway to compile information to support applications for state and federal relief funding. Any growers with crops impacted by recent spring freezes are encouraged to report potential damage to their local Extension office.