Farmers rush to protect crops ahead of freezing temperatures
Courtesy of Mark Duda
Workers spread large agricultural fabricate coverings over corn, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower fields at Duda鈥檚 Farm near Brownsville on Wednesday.
Courtesy of Mark Duda
Workers spread large agricultural fabricate coverings over corn, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower fields at Duda鈥檚 Farm near Brownsville on Wednesday.
Mike Jones
Scott Simmons of Simmons Farm in Washington County looks at the blossoms on an apple tree that could be threatened by the freezing temperatures early Thursday.
Mike Jones
Scott Simmons looks over the plastic covering placed atop rows of sweet corn planted on Simmons Farm in Washington County that he hopes will protect the crop from freezing temperatures expected early Thursday.
Mike Jones
Scott Simmons walks through the apple orchard at Simmons Farm in Washington County on Wednesday afternoon.
Farmers across the region rushed to protect their crops Wednesday as freezing temperatures overnight threatened the viability of their young produce.
The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh issued a freeze warning that was expected to bring temperatures down to 27 or 28 degrees early Thursday morning and potentially cause damage to sensitive vegetation.
That concerned Scott Simmons as he wondered whether the potential for a hard freeze would cripple his apple crop at Simmons Farm in Washington County just as the trees were blossoming.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a little worrisome. Our apple trees are in full bloom so they鈥檙e very susceptible to cold temperatures and we don鈥檛 really have any way to protect them,鈥� Simmons said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 not much we can do. That would be a disappointment if we lost them.鈥�
He was hopeful that the location of the apple orchard on the hills atop his Peters Township farm would protect some of the trees as colder temperatures descended into the valleys around the property. However, he said the farm has already lost most of its peach crop this year after previous cold snaps.
Most farmers are accustomed to frost advisories this time of year, so Simmons was surprised by the more significant freeze warning. Lee Hendricks, a meteorologist with the weather service in Pittsburgh, said once temperatures get below 27 degrees and the hard freeze sets in, many crops can be in danger if they鈥檙e not properly protected.
鈥淲ith frost, even small farms have a pretty good handle on protecting their crops from that or the fruit trees. Freezes are much more difficult,鈥� Hendricks said. 鈥淪ome of them use sprayers to keep the ice (around them), but that鈥檚 a lot more equipment for them to buy. There鈥檚 not really a whole heck of a lot you can advise people on freeze warnings.鈥�
Simmons and his workers spent the week protecting their burgeoning sweet corn with rows of plastic covering, while they also planned to spray water onto the strawberry fields to offer an icy protective barrier from the temperatures.
鈥淭he frost is a little easier to control. With a freeze, if there鈥檚 wind we have some trouble with putting water on. That might be an issue,鈥� Simmons said.
Mark Duda, who co-owns Duda鈥檚 Farm near Brownsville, said they鈥檝e been preparing for the freezing temperatures for several days by covering their vegetable fields while also delaying the planting of other crops. Workers spread large agricultural fabricate coverings that are 50 feet wide and 1,000 feet long over their corn, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower fields.
鈥淲e use it anyway, since this isn鈥檛 unheard of with the cold temperatures right now,鈥� Duda said while admitting the freezing temperatures could still cause problems. 鈥淏ut even with that (temperature) it could be damaged being that cold. 鈥� I have everything covered and protected that needs to be protected.鈥�
Duda said the chilly weather coupled with wet conditions this spring have delayed their planting season. They decided to wait to plant their zucchinis, peppers and tomatoes knowing the temperatures would be bone-chillingly cold during the latter half of this week.
鈥淚 would want to have tomatoes in the ground, but the weather has been so bad leading up that we didn鈥檛 even have a window to get them in the ground,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e a little behind on schedule because Mother Nature has been harsh on us to this point. It鈥檚 been so cold and so wet.鈥�
But that won鈥檛 necessarily set them back when they open their farm market at 157 Creek Road in Luzerne Township for the season today. They鈥檒l still have starter plants and canned goods, with the expectation that flowers will be for sale soon in the lead-up to Mother鈥檚 Day.
鈥淲e have a huge display area where we normally put out flats and flowers. We鈥檙e not putting anything outside yet. You鈥檇 have to roll it in and out,鈥� Duda said.
Simmons and Duda both said they plan to do more planting of other crops next month when the temperatures are a little more consistent for the growing season. People planting vegetable gardens or flower patches around their homes are usually advised to begin that process in mid-May.
While a hard freeze in the Pittsburgh region in late April is unusual, it鈥檚 not unheard of this time of year, according to Hendricks. There have been eight days in the month of May since 1876 where the low temperature has been below 30 degrees. The most recent time that happened was on May 9, 2020 when the temperature bottomed out at 28 degrees.
Hendricks said how low the temperature reaches early Thursday would vary depending on location.
鈥淧eople down in the valleys are the ones who are most like to get the lower temperatures,鈥� Hendricks said about cold air settling to the lowest points. 鈥淭here might be isolated spots where they get close to a hard freeze.鈥�