‘It has been brutal’: Why it’s so hard to grow apples across the Front Range

DENVER ( KDVR ) — Apple picking this year, like almost every year across Colorado’s Front Range, has been tough for local orchards.

According to Sharon Perdue from YA YA Farm & Orchard , the Front Range weather in the spring and summer causes low crop yield almost every year.

“It is extremely difficult to successfully raise fruit on the Front Range,” said Perdue.

Fruit trees bloom once in the spring between April and May, said Perdue. However, there is usually a freeze or snowstorm during that time in Colorado, which destroys the spring blossoms, leaving no fruit for the fall.

It’s not just the spring that causes issues for apple trees in the Front Range.

Summer conditions often kill the crops as well. Perdue said summer weather, like hail, destroys the crops. While the orchard hasn’t been affected by hail this year, the heat has taken a toll on the apples.

“Hot and extremely dry conditions this year were super hard on our trees and crop. We have been running our irrigation 24/7 but it has been brutal,” said Perdue.

The Front Range weather is a challenge every year.

Perdue said when she has half of her crops in the fall, she considers it a successful season.

The difficult weather and low crop yield are why apple reservations fill up so quickly, according to Perdue. There’s not enough to pick.

In Perdue’s almost 20 years on the orchard, there have only been two seasons where she had 100% of her crops and there were zero issues with reservations selling out.

As for this season, Perdue said the crop yield is about 50%, although she said she’s noticing early loss right now from the heat and the trees dropping crops earlier.

The U-Pick reservations are already sold out at the orchard.

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