Like most Northern Washington and all Canadian growers, Jealous Fruits was impacted by the January 2024 freeze event. Luckily, we have several of our orchards located very close to Okanagan Lake, as well as Wood and Kalamalka lakes, and these farms have moderate to good crops on all varieties. We are also diversified into the Regina and Kordia varieties, and these two varieties are cropping at all elevations. Regina may very well be our largest volume variety in 2024.
Â
Most of our partner growers also have diversified locations, and a good percentage are in production this year.
Â
We are experiencing relatively cool temperatures at present, delaying our expected start date. This season we anticipate limited availability from July 1st to 15th, followed by steady supplies from July 16th through to August 15th. Kordia, Lapin, Regina and Sweetheart are expected to run until August 5th, with the Staccato and Sovereign varieties running until August 15th.
Regina cherries in May 2024
Winter Recap
The Pacific Northwest experienced an El Nino winter, characterized by mild weather except for a sudden polar vortex in mid-January. As we know, this unexpected cold snap killed many of the fruit buds. The cherry trees themselves were largely unaffected by the cold and will be ready to burst forth with a strong rebound crop in 2025. The province-wide 2024 Canadian cherry production is anticipated to be only 20-25% of a normal crop.
Onward and Upward
The Geen family have been raising cherries in the Okanagan Valley since 1903. In that time, we have experienced crop damaging winters on average, once every 10 to 15 years. But the orchards and crops have always bounced back. We know they will do so again this time!
Spring Developments
Full bloom this year had a much more normal spread, with varieties blooming sequentially from April 15th through to May 5th. Pit hardening marks the end of the all-important cell division period. It is now underway in early sites, and is expected to conclude by June 7th to 10th in later sites. This long cell-division period bodes well for strong sizing.
Harvest Timeline
Please stay tuned for updates on expected start dates. By June 15th, we should have more accurate estimates.
Outlook and Adaptations
Jealous Fruits has an increased focus on diversifying cherry varieties to ensure resilience against future cold snaps.
Reginas are one example, but there are several new varieties on the horizon with tougher characteristics. Planting these new varieties features heavily in our future plans.
2024 Season
The 2024 cherry season is around the corner! We look forward to sharing the taste of summer with our customers.
Jealous Fruits remains dedicated to consistently exceeding your expectations by providing the finest cherries from the bountiful orchards of the Okanagan. We value our partnership and look forward to serving you during the upcoming 2024 Canadian cherry season.
We thank our dedicated customers for choosing Jealous Fruis as your trusted source for premium Canadian cherries.
Comentarios