ITHACA, N.Y. – Thanks to an early glut of rain, hot days and cool evenings, New York apples this year should be bigger and brighter than usual, according to three Cornell University experts.
A rainy start to the summer will mean that the apples will be bigger this year, said Susan Brown, horticulture professor and apple breeder responsible for the creation of apple varieties like SnapDragon and RubyFrost. The recent string of cold nights to cap off the summer has been ideal for both the color and quality of the apple, Brown said.
“2019 should be an excellent year for apple quality,” Brown said.
Brown’s SnapDragon variety, which was publically introduced in 2013, doubled its production in 2018 and supplies will increase again this year.
While a deluge of rain often spells trouble for disease, fungal diseases like apple scab and marssonina leaf spot were largely kept in check this season, thanks to strategic fungicide use, professor Kerik Cox said.
Professor Arthur Agnello, who specializes in tree fruit entomology, added that this year “hasn’t been a particularly eventful year for apple insect pests” and that the late start to spring, large temperature swings and periods of heavy rain all helped keep insect activity to a minimum.
Some apple varieties are ripening up to two weeks late this season, Brown said.
Jacob Pucci finds the best in food, dining and culture across Central New York. Contact him at (315) 282-8611, or by email at jpucci@syracuse.com.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQhTk4KLCmc