It has been a rough week for some apple orchards.

Previous warm weather in some of the areas of the state sped up the growing process, leaving blossoms exposed to the freezing temperatures earlier this week.

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It has been a rough week for some apple orchards

Previous warm weather in some of the areas of the state sped up the growing process, leaving blossoms exposed to the freezing temperatures earlier this week

Farmers are turning to methods of preservation; some include fire

The family behind Sweet Acres Orchard in Oneida County worked together earlier this week, placing a few hundred bales of hay and some wood around about seven acres, setting fire to them to help keep the trees from getting too cold.

It’s a practice that North Star Orchards also implemented.

“We were up at 3 just lighting off fires along the perimeter, which probably would be effective if it was like a two-hour situation, but when it’s a seven- or eight-hour, it’s kind of too long of a period,” North Star Orchards owner George Joseph.

Joseph said this spring was shaping up well for the apple trees, however, three days of 70-plus degree weather did speed growth up, which made the recent cold temperatures more serious.

“It was about 22 degrees here, but I think more importantly, it was the duration. How long was it cold? And it was cold from about 10 at night ’till about 8 in the morning,” Joseph said. “So that’s where you have some lasting effect.”

Joseph said there is some damage at his orchards.

As for those at Sweet Acres Orchard, they don’t think much of anything survived, but they may have enough apples to run their antique cider press for a one-day event this fall.

Joseph said orchards by water typically fair better because temperatures in those areas can stay colder, so they often take longer to blossom, hence being less susceptible to these temperature boomerangs.

“That’s why you see most of the orchards around Lake Ontario, you see the vineyards around, the Finger Lakes. It’s for that reason,” Joseph said.

North Star Orchards will be offering U-Pick Tulips this Saturday, as well as a pruning class.