In spring an ill-timed frost can do significant damage to an apple crop. If the weather turns warm then cold the apple trees may have already begun budding and a frost then kills off the buds thus preventing any apples from growing. The most recent severe frost damage we had was in 2012 when we [...]
Apples naturally drop from the trees throughout the growing and harvesting season. This affects some varieties more than others. Due to health regulations we are not allowed to sell or use the apples on the ground. But they do not go to waste - during the winter deer and other wildlife eat the apples.
Yes. The weather in the midwest, warm and often wet, creates ideal conditions for the growth of insects and diseases that affect apple quantity and quality. Due to this it is almost impossible to grow apples on a large scale organically in Indiana. Some of the fungi and bacteria that flourish in the midwestern climate [...]