Plum crop on P.E.I. not peachy due to unusual winter weather

There will be plenty of crunchy apples to munch on and bake with this summer on P.E.I. thanks to some "hard-working bumblebees." But anyone looking to sink their teeth into a juicy local plum or peach may be out of luck.

In fact, Barry Balsom, the owner of Arlington Orchards in Tyne Valley, says because of unusual temperatures this winter and spring, the orchard won't have any stone fruits available this year.

"First time in 25 years we will not be picking a plum on this farm," Balsom said. 

"We even have a variety of plum on the farm here that can be traced back to 1870 in Prince Edward Island — so it's seen a few rough winters — and we're not going to have a plum off that tree either."

Part of the reason: a milder than usual January. When the temperature gets between zero to minus-10 C in early winter, the trees build up sugars in the buds that serve as antifreeze in colder weather, Balsom said.

"We didn't get those temperatures in January. We had probably one of the most mild Januaries on record, and the sugars weren't built up around the buds."

So when a severe cold snap hit on Feb. 3, the sugars weren't there to protect them.

Balsom said he remembers the stress of watching temperatures plummet that day.

"Did that help cause the damage? Probably," he said.

The situation is similar with other growers of plums, peaches and cherries Balsom has spoken with across the Maritimes, he said.

It will mean most of the stone fruits — fruits with pits — available this summer will be imported from Ontario and the U.S., which will likely mean higher prices at the stores.

And let's face it, they probably won't taste as good.

"Why we grow plums and peaches is simply because of the flavour. When you pick a peach and you move it 10 feet to sell it, you can let it get a little more ripe and develop its characteristics and the flavour we all love," Balsom said.

"We will have plums that probably come from a longer distance and they pick them green. So you know, yes, you have a plum, but the quality is not as much as what you get when you taste local."