Warm spring triggers early blossom in New England, and killer frost fears among apple growers

Early blossom surprises, worries apple growers

BOSTON — Some New England apple growers say it’s the earliest bloom they’ve ever seen. And that’s what has them worried.

The unusually warm weather in early April had fruit trees blossoming two to three weeks ahead of schedule on average. That has left plenty of time on the calendar for the region’s notoriously unpredictable weather to strike back with a killer freeze.

Executive director Russell Powell of the New England Apple Growers Association says he expects there will be a lot of nervous growers over the next few weeks.

Experts say a drop in temperature to 28 degrees could damage 10 percent of the crop and a few degrees lower could damage up to 90 percent.

Farmers around the country fear that other fruits, including cherries, blueberries and plums, could also fall victim to frost.