In Germany’s largest sweet cherry growing area in Franconian Switzerland, the cherry blossom is at its peak these days. The 200,000 trees are then particularly susceptible to frost damage.
Freezing temperatures: Critical for sweet cherries
The German Weather Service predicts temperatures around freezing point for the region on Wednesday and Thursday nights. When asked by BR24, Dominik Bigge, department head for the fruit information center in Hiltpoltstein in the Forchheim district, spoke of a “critical moment” that had to be closely monitored.
At the same time, the sweet cherry trees are at different altitudes and have different varieties, so not all are equally at risk from a cold snap.
Cherry growers hope for mild temperatures
According to the expert, if the flowers are damaged by frost, the fruit can no longer develop. Dominik Bigge and the cherry farmers in Franconian Switzerland are now hoping for mild temperatures in the coming nights and for an excellent sweet cherry harvest in about 60 days.
With more than 200,000 trees spread over 25 square kilometers, the region between Bayreuth and Bamberg is Germany’s largest contiguous cultivation area for sweet cherries. Around 2,000 cherry farmers take care of the trees and the red fruits that are harvested by hand. On average, a person in Germany eats around two kilos of cherries a year. There are around 250 varieties in total.
2023-04-26 00:16:54
#Critical #moment #cherry #blossoms #Franconian #Switzerland
