00:00It's a busy time at orchards as families head out to mark the start of apple picking season.
00:05And this year, farmers say the harvest carries extra meaning,
00:08especially after the rough season they faced last year in New Jersey.
00:12The season wasn't as great, the crop wasn't as great as we wanted,
00:16but you know, after having a not-so-good year with fruit trees, typically the year following,
00:21those trees have all that pent-up energy in them and they're ready to produce a great crop.
00:25That turnaround is thanks in part to a long, cold winter,
00:28exactly what fruit trees need to stay dormant until just the right time.
00:32You really want them to stay dormant as long as possible.
00:35So, you know, in years past, when you get those couple random warm days in March,
00:39it wakes everything up a little bit too early.
00:41So the longer they stay dormant, it pushes the bloom back a little bit.
00:46We miss those cold nights in the early spring and this year it lined up pretty good.
00:50And variety is what keeps apple season going strong.
00:53With different types of apples ripening at different times,
00:56orchards are able to stretch the season for weeks.
00:58You know, these Golden Delicious are ready to go.
01:01They're perfect right now.
01:02If we were to, you know, go over to the Pink Ladies, they're bright green.
01:05They're not ready.
01:06They're super tart.
01:07They don't have much flavor.
01:08So they'll be ready in about two or three weeks.
01:10Growers across the Northeast are seeing similar success,
01:14setting up a strong season for apple lovers across the region.
01:17Everyone had pretty much the same winter we had.
01:21So everyone's sitting in the same spot.
01:23Some people, as far as specific varieties,
01:25are a little bit further behind than other ones.
01:27But everyone, you know, has a great crop.
01:29For AccuWeather, I'm Allie Reed.
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