MILLSBORO, Del. - This winter season, we have experienced the second warmest winter on record so far. Though many people may enjoy the spring-like weather in winter, some local farmers are struggling to keep their crops from blooming too early.
Sixth-generation farmer, Hail Bennett, says warmer, shorter winters are bad for his peach and blueberry business.
“We need these cold wintertime temperatures to maintain the dormancy so that once they do warm up in the spring the trees will bloom hopefully at a normal time," Bennett told WRDE.
The ideal temperature range to support this dormancy is between 32 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit but in recent years, we have seen a decreasing trend in winter chill. This, in turn, leaves early-blooming trees vulnerable to sudden cold snaps.
Bennett adds, “Any freezing temperatures below 28 degrees, once these flowers do open, those temperatures will kill those flowers and the tree won’t put out another flush of fruiting buds until next year.”
No buds mean no summer peaches. But don't worry just yet.
Bennett says farmers like him enlist the help of helicopters to protect crops ahead of expected freezes like this weekend.
“The helicopter flies very low and very slow over the orchard and the rotor wash comes down and it mixes in the cold air that settles down low to the ground with warmer air that may be a few hundred feet in the air.”
Despite the challenges, Bennett says it's all worth it.
“It’s a very rewarding feeling to put all this time and effort and work into growing a crop and then to see the consumer in the summertime enjoying the literal fruits of our labor.”