PEACHES ARE READY: GROWERS SEE SUPRISINGLY GOOD CROP

Peach growers say that despite an unusually cool spring and hot and humid July, it's going to be a "peach of a crop" this year in the Cape Girardeau area.

And that means it's time for lots of fresh peaches for peach cobbler, peaches and homemade ice cream, or peaches just for peeling and eating.

For many families, peach picking time means gathering together on the porch or in the backyard with other family members and peeling and slicing bushels of peaches while shooing away the bugs. After they've been peeled, sliced and coated with sugar, the peaches are cooked until they're ready to be canned in jars and placed on the pantry shelf to wait to be opened for desert on a cold winter's day.

Local growers say that despite abnormal and prolonged cool weather this spring, the peach crop is in excellent condition this year. That's also due in part to the absence of any severe cold weather last winter or a killing freeze last spring.

"Everything has been just perfect this year for the peaches. We'll have just about a full crop," said Bill Beggs Sr. of Pioneer Peach Orchard on South Silver Springs Road south of Bloomfield Road.

Beggs said they started picking the early-season variety, red haven peaches, about 10 days ago. The red haven is a multipurpose, yellow, free-stone peach suitable for eating, canning or freezing.

"The quality and quantity of this year's peach crop is outstanding," he said. "Everything is a little late this year because of the cool weather last spring, but it hasn't affected the quality or the quantity of the peaches."

Beggs said the cool, wet weather in March and April delayed the budding and blooming of the peach trees until late April and early May.

"I thought with the warmer weather the trees would catch up, but they never did. But it's no problem for us; we're just happy that the ripening times of the different peach varieties are spaced out enough," he said.

Beggs said the red haven crop should last through the end of this week. "After that, the white cling peaches, and crest haven, loring, and other yellow, free-stone varieties will be ready to harvest. We should have some white cling peaches ready around Aug. 15," he added.

Dave Diebold of Diebold's Orchards of Benton and Kelso says the cool weather last spring delayed the budding and blooming process of his peach trees. Then, the hot, humid weather of July slowed the ripening process. As a result, the season is running about two weeks later than normal.

Diebold said the heat affected the size of some peaches slightly, such as the red havens, but the others were not affected by the heat.

"We should have peaches right up through the first of September this year," he said. :After the red havens are finished, we'll start picking the glow havens and other freestone varieties," he said. "The lorings should be ready to pick in large volume by next weekend or around the 9th or 10th of August."

Beggs said prices for peaches will start at $6 per bushel. Peaches can also be purchased in peck and half-peck containers.

In addition, both growers said nectarines will be ready to pick this coming week and next week. "We should have nectarines for at least three weeks," said Beggs.

Diebold said he has a good supply of sweet corn at the orchard's retail outlet along I-55 at the Benton interchange.

"Because of the wet, cold weather last spring, I couldn't get our sweet corn planted so that it will ripen on a regular cycle. I've got plenty of sweet corn now, but we'll be out for about a week or so until the next batch is ready to pick," he advised.

Diebold also noted locally-grown watermelons and cantaloupes are also being picked now. "We've got a good supply right now at our store," he said.