(Benton Harbor, MI) - Michigan will not have a full crop of fruit this year due to frost but the extent of the damage won’t be fully known until early June.

 

Dan Dick, a tree fruit specialist with the Michigan State University extension office in Benton Harbor, said his level of concern about the crop damage is moderate. 

 

The damage, so far, appears to be sporadic in all of the primary fruit growing regions of the state close to the entire Lake Michigan shoreline where the water warmer than chilly night air in early spring helps prevent frost.

 

“Nobody has a total crop loss.  Evaluations over the next few weeks are going to tell us more as the fruit are setting past bloom,” he said.

 

Nikki Rothwell, a tree fruit specialist at the MSU extension office in Traverse City, said she has spotted frost damage in tart cherries ranging from 20 percent to over 50 percent of the crop in orchards close to her in the northwest part of the state. However, she believes some of the less damaged tart and sweet cherries will survive.

 

Rothwell said crop losses related to frost could also be reduced if there’s a good pollination season to help cherry trees with their production.  She said there hasn’t been much pollinating in the Traverse City area recently because of a stretch of 40 degree temperatures keeping the bees from becoming active.

 

“I’m still remaining optimistic that we’ll have a cherry crop up here,” she said.

 

The Traverse City area is where most of the cherries are produced in the state that provides nearly 75-percent of the nation’s tart cherries, according to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.  Michigan ranks fourth in sweet cherry production.

 

Dick said the frost damage to plums, peaches and apricots is similar to the degree spotted, so far, in cherries.  The apple crop was also damaged but not as much since apple trees can better withstand frost.  The state ranks second in apple production.