Apple orchard taking advantage of warmer weather coming

EDGAR, Wis. (WSAW) - With the warmer weather coming up this week, apple orchards have started up some of their spring season work. That includes Cherrybrook Orchard in Edgar.

“It’s typical for what we see every winter. We have our highs and our lows and our cold weeks and our mild weeks,” Brooke Behling, owner of Cherrybrook Orchard, said.

Even though it might feel a little warmer this week compared to previous weeks, Cherrybrook Apple Orchard is still right on schedule with their pruning process.

“As long as we have that snow cover on the ground, it keeps the trees sleeping. It’s just business as usual,” Behling said.

If it gets warmer, that could affect the pruning process a little.

“If we get those 70-80 degree weeks, and then it drops back down into freezing, then it can get trouble for the trees if they come out of dormancy early,” Behling said.

Behling said they have been planning for the next year. Within the next month, they will be pruning all 2,800 of their trees. That is when they will take branches off to maintain the health of the tree.

“A lot of times, our apples trees will produce way too many apples, and they’ll all end up being small, unless you prune off some of those and give the tree and put the energy to make bigger apples,” Behling said.

Cherrybrook Orchard is still on schedule, and they are hoping to have yet another successful season of apple picking in the fall.

“People can just come out, bring the family, enjoy the outdoors and kind pick apples the old fashioned way,” Behling said.