Here you see the state of some of our “wild” (abandoned) apples on an ancient tree. This wild fruit usually has been a rough predictor of the annual cultivated apple crop from Maine’s well-tended orchards. And, the prediction from what we see is not good, nor are predictions from University of Maine specialists.
A late-August report from one of those specialists indicates states that extreme cold in February and late frosts in May have done serious harm to this year’s apple crop (and even more damage to the peach crop). One specialist estimated that the May frosts precluded more than half of the state’s expected apple crop from maturing, even though there were some orchards that suffered little or no damage.
(Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on September 9 and 11, 2023.)