The Importance of Weather

Weather is always a concern for orchardists. Late spring frosts, cold rainy summers, strong winds, and freezing winters can all affect the quality of the fruit. Fortunately, the bank of clouds that generally hangs over the Okanagan Valley in the winter prevents the killing of fruit trees. The clouds tend to keep the valley warmer. However, even with the cloud cover, on average there is a killing frost every seven years in the Okanagan Valley. Sometimes, an extreme winter can bankrupt an orchardist. For example, many North Okanagan orchardists went out of business after the severe winter of 1949-50 killed the majority of their fruit trees. In fact, the Salmon Arm apple industry really never recovered after that winter.

Codling Moths

If lack of water and extreme weather conditions were not enough, orchardists have also had to deal with insects. One of the main pests that apple farmers have to deal with today is the codling moth. The damage caused by this moth is twofold. The larva, or moth worm, burrows its way into the apple, leaving a trail of chewed material in its wake. This chewed material is called frass. The frass ends up on the outside of the apple making it unsightly and undesirable to eat. Secondly, the burrowing damage done by the larvae frequently causes the fruit to drop to the ground prematurely. These damages have cost orchardists millions of dollars over the years.