DOOR COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A sign of the spring season is blossoming in Northeast Wisconsin.
Apple trees are starting to show their colors in Door County.
“These right here, are Ginger Golds. These are one of our earlier varieties,” said Skipp Robertson, Robertson Orchards of Door County Owner.
Robertson says the end of May typically marks the beginning of the apple season on the 10-acre site south of Sturgeon Bay. He says his trees survived the winter and late spring without major damage.
“We didn’t have too many days in a row, stretches of where it was sub-zero weather. That’s the type of stuff that can be stressful to a tree,” said Robertson.
In the coming weeks, he expects these trees to blossom, pollinate, and eventually grow into a favorite fruit for many.
In Kewaunee County, Theys Orchards has been producing apples in the Luxemburg area for years. The owners say the springtime show can be impressive.
“These are Zestar, and you can see they’re in full bloom. The trees look nice and healthy, and it looks like a good crop. It’s really pretty in the orchard now, with all the blossoms now, and we just wait for the pollination. We start to see the little apples start to form, and that will kind of give us an indication how the crop will be,” said Judy Theys, Theys Orchards Co-Owner.
Theys says she and her family grow 24 apple varieties on 8 acres. She says many of these trees are beyond the bloom, and she expects the petals to fall in a few days.
Meanwhile, Robertson says in parts of Door County, the bloom is just starting.
“This tree is probably about one-quarter open. And it’s just the beginning phases of the apple pollination,” he said.
Apple growers say it takes all summer for the fruit to form, and depending on the variety, harvest can go from late August, until the end of October.
