Massachusetts apple picking season is here. How healthy is this year's crop?
TYNGSBORO – Some New Englanders may say fall starts with the pumpkin spice hits the coffee shops. But the season really arrives when the apples and pumpkins are ripe for picking.
In roughly 10 days, that could be the case, and it's a reality some farmers weren't sure would happen.
WBZ-TV last spoke in the early spring with Mark Parlee, owner of Parlee Farms. At the time, a heavy cold was about to set in.
"You get down 24 to 25 degrees, and you wipe out the whole crop," Parlee told WBZ during our first interview.
Parlee doused his fields with water hoping the frost would actually keep the apples warmer. The cold lasted a week and kept him and his crew up into the early hours of the night operating their sprinkler system across acres of crops. Luckily, it worked.
"You are up doing everything to protect them, and then you get to this point and it worked, and you get that sense of gratification from it," Parlee said.
Apple picking at Parlee Farms
Right now, the apples are just starting to turn orange and red. Parlee says the cold, nightly September air in New England is perfect for the ripening process.
"This has been a pretty good year for apples. We have had about the right amount of moisture, which in farming is unusual," Parlee said. "These Honeycrisp are probably being picked this weekend coming up."
When are pumpkins ready to pick?
Elsewhere, the pumpkins are already coming in and in various colors.
Parlee Farms has pumpkins ranging from orange to pink to blue. They are also expected to be large this year.
"We had hot weather in early July, they grew like crazy, and then they came out with the female flowers. It cooled off and they all set. When that happens, you end up with the bigger pumpkins," Parlee said.
The goal is to have the pumpkins ready for the first weekend after Labor Day. It's a goal that is right on track.