May 6, 2015
Spring is here, New York state apple trees announce

New Yorkers, it’s now official: winter is over and spring has arrived, announced by the arrival of apple blossoms across the state.

Ushered in by recent warm temperatures, apple trees will be full bloom across the Hudson Valley early this week, reports New York Apple Association (NYAA). Trees will be in full bloom shortly thereafter across central and western New York. The Lake Champlain area, the state’s northernmost growing region, will soon follow.

“Grab your cameras and take a drive this weekend, we’ve got more than 11 million trees across the state and they are putting on a gorgeous show right now,” said NYAA President Jim Allen. “With the recent great weather, this will be a vintage bloom.”

The state’s apple trees generally didn’t mind last winter’s cold temperatures and snow.

“We’re about as far north as any grower in the state, so we can vouch for the winter hardiness of apple trees,” said NYAA Chairman Will Gunnison, vice president of Gunnison Lakeshore Orchards in Crown Point, N.Y. “On the other hand, I have to say I was pretty happy to see the mercury come up.”

This year’s bloom is actually slightly ahead of the 2014 bloom, which was two weeks behind the perennial schedule. A late spring means less chance of crop-damaging frost such as New York saw statewide in 2012. Apple buds progress from dormant brown tips to green tips, to bright pink clusters as the buds start to open, to full white flowers.


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