Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Apples in the Valley

Originally farms in the Beaver Valley were traditional mixed farms, and in the upper valley, raising beef cattle is still the main way of farming.  But in the lower valley close to Georgian Bay, apple orchards have spread in response to the unique soil and climate conditions of the area, making this the top apple production area in Ontario.

The main apple orchards are clustered around the area south of Thornbury, quite close to Georgian Bay.  The bay itself is a big reason why the orchards are here, and the soil conditions there are the other.

The large body of water in Georgian Bay (and other Great Lakes) changes temperature quite slowly, staying cool in the spring while the land warms up, and staying warmer in the fall when the land cools down.  This 'buffering' helps prevent apple trees blooming too early in the spring when there's still a risk of frost, and extends the growing season a little in the fall.

This is enhanced by the slopes of the Niagara Escarpment further south in the valley, as these slopes tend to hold the moderated air temperatures in place, creating a confined micro-climate that is good for the apples.

The other factor is soil, because apples trees don't like to have wet feet.  In a huge semi-circle south of Thornbury are ancient glacial beaches, from the post-Ice Age Lake Algonquin, when water levels were higher.  These well drained gravels provide ideal soil for apple trees.

So it's the combination of soil and micro-climate that make this crop so important to the valley.  This is how the orchards look as of a few weeks ago!  Pruning is obviously a big part of managing the orchards.

And though I can still hardly believe it, one major vineyard has been established, using cold-hardy grape varieties, taking advantage of the same micro-climatic patterns that favour apples.  Here they're covered with plastic mesh left over from protecting last fall's harvest.


11 comments:

  1. Such a wealth of apples. I'm surprised that a vineyard can work in that part of the province.

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  2. Lovely photos ! We have quite a few apple orchards down this way as well near our lake Erie , there is one just up the road from us and they grow four different types of apples and when Miggs and I are on our walks in the summer it smells so delirious lol ! They can grow anything these days in our climate it seems ! Thanks for sharing , Have a good day !

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  3. I had no idea apples were such a large crop in your area. Thanks for educating me.

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  4. Vineyards too grow well on stony ground, similar to those in Europe, Beautiful rich reds, and then the covered grapes, Hope they do well.

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  5. Oh, my, such beautiful apples...I'll be they are wonderful fresh off the tree!

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  6. that's a lot of good looking apples, nature is extraordinary!!!!!!

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  7. Those apples trees sure were loaded.

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  8. Your posts are such a wonderful ad for visiting this area of the world.

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  9. Wow that's a lot of apples!!
    Trying to get caught up reading blogs.
    Thanks so much for the comments for my mom.

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  10. Some vineyards are going in here too. And earlier this week I discovered a field being prepped for hops. Interesting.

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