By Clint Thompson
Adequate chilling and warm temperatures in early spring helped Florida’s peach crop to develop as they should. As a result, growers enjoy a productive season with this year’s crop.
“We had a normal year in terms of chilling, with the accumulative chilling in November and December. They bloomed in the middle of January, and they had enough warm spell to get the heat units. They bloomed early and had enough warmth for the fruit to develop,” said Jose Chaparro, associate professor in the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).
Chaparro discussed this year’s crop during the Stone Fruit Field Day on May 7 in Citra, Florida.
Like other crops in Florida, peaches have been impacted by climate change. Warmer winters and growing seasons have decreased the number of chill hours available for peach farmers to produce a consistent crop. It has forced growers to expand the growing region beyond its normal area.
“Some growers are moving north; those that are able to,” Chaparro said. “We’re still keen on developing an industry and expanding it. As climate change rears its ugly head, it’s going to move. Things will change in Georgia, too. You will probably see varieties that were grown in the Coastal Plain move into central Georgia.”
Though the regional parameters may have changed where Florida growers can produce a crop, a peach industry in the state is still enticing considering how earlier it can reach the market compared to other peach-producing states like Georgia.
Some growers started harvests this year as early as April 1 with most picking by April 15. Chaparro said if growers experience a cool November, harvests could begin as early as the last week in March.