Cherry production in the Midlands is expected to show a strong recovery on last season, according to marketing desk Berry Gardens.
The soft and stone fruit specialist says that one of its grower-suppliers Lower Hope Fruit Ltd in Hereford is enjoying an abundance of cherry blossom. The long cold spell followed by a late warm spring has caused a bumper bloom that indicates a probable high-volume harvest later in the season.
Simon Wells, managing director at Lower Hope Fruit explained: “The speed of change in the conditions is a good sign. We now need settled weather, with warm days and cooler nights to set us on course for an excellent crop of late season wonderful English cherries.'
The sudden change in the weather and rise in sunshine has allowed Lower Hope to make good use of bees to drive the pollination of the orchard across the lengthening daylight hours. The estate has used a combination of different types of bees to pollinate the crop since establishing the orchard in 2000.
Wells expects the Lower Hope estate to produce a growth in yield of over 100 tonnes above the 2012 crop. This is due to a combination of new plantings reaching maturity, excellent blossom and better weather conditions.
The late spring is likely to mean the cherry season at Lower Hope will extend into late August at least, forecasts Wells.
