For me, harvest is just the step before processing. I've been looking forward to drying the Stanleys for prunes, but it now seems that the Japanese Beetles have been gnawing at the fruit. I'm glad now that I made a lot of jam last year - there won't be enough fruit to do that this year.

I had a bad August burn-out. Too many problems and too few things working; in particular the deer eating all my new grafts I worked so hard on made me see red every time I walked out in the orchard. My Euros all rotted and I have almost no apples this year. The mosquitos and stinkbugs are also thickest in August to add to the non-fun factor. The only silver lining is the peaches have been great, even with all the rain. I'm finally starting to get over the whole deer thing and can go out in the orchard without letting it get to me.

Our ancestors must have had a rough life is all I can say.

Scott

One problem with fruit growing is that all that sugar is so attractive to so many life forms that even as you eliminate one competitor another one jumps into the fray.

Got my PC and CM, got the fungus, got my squirrels, got my coons, took care of low branches the deer could reach, set out traps for yellow jackets but the ants tricked me.

Still, when it's over I'll probably asses this as a pretty darn good season. There was some divine fruit along the way.

No burn out this year just a pause here and there and lots of new things to try. So many great new varieties of fruit that were a real treat: Van and Sandra Rose cherry. Honey May and Honey Fire nectarine. Metrolious and Obsidian blackberry. Sweet Crisp blueberry. Vista, Paradiso, Strawberry Verdete, and Black Jack figs. All great fruits harvested for the first time this year.

I've still got a couple months of pluot harvest and I already know they will be superb. A great year!

Next year my push is going to be on apricots, many potted. I think there is another level of quality not fully tapped on this fruit. Also several new varieties to try.

I wouldn't say i'm burnt out, but it all gets a little old. I'm on to the apples and pears now and I see the bees are stinging some apples, but who cares at this point. I'm going to pick them all in the next day and store them in the refrigerator. No peaches or plums left for me. In the years ahead I hope to have later season peaches and plums.

If I was back in the "old'n days", I'd be crying a lot and probably starving.

Mid summer, I went through the same frustration mentioned here, except it was birds for me. It was unbelievable how much fruit they ate/damaged. Very disappointing.

Damage slowed down as the season went on.

On a positive note: Fruit quality has been decent here. Peach grafts seem to be taking. Unwrapped a few yesterday and they look good on both T-bud and chip grafts.

I'm also ready for the season to be over. Finished last spray of the season yesterday. Glad for that.

Yeah, I'll admit I'm a little weary. When school starts, it's all I can do to keep the farm going throughout the week. There are a lot of late nights. Right now, I'm a little sick of melons. Despite the nasty conditions, we had over 3 truckloads. Soon it will be winter squashes and pumpkins. Picked the first couple hundred pounds of butternuts this weekend. The stinkbugs are unreal!!! I sure missed the peaches and have no apples,pears,or plums; but the wild paw paws and persimmons are loaded. In the current drought, the Prime Jims and Jans failed on their late crop, but we're getting enough raspberries for ourselves. Overall, most everything will end early this year, and maybe that's not a bad thing.

Yes, I'm early also. You could plant some later peaches though. I've still got Encores and even Elbertas ripening up and if they would already be done where you are there are later ripening varieties. Some years I enjoy my latest peaches the most. Sure your customers would enjoy them more than winter squash!

Hman, count your burnout as a blessing. With the spring rain and cold, my apple crop was a complete bust. Out of all my trees, all I have is a dozen Gold Rush apples with CM holes.

Believe me, I know things could be much worse. Eastern farmers have been just devastated by all this water. Complete crop failure is common on all rich bottom land. For me it really is not crucial to get a great crop every year and all and all the crops been pretty good- just the finish of stone fruit season sucks. Sorry you had such a bad season.

I haven't had a lot of complaints from clients and that's the main thing for me anyway. Glad I don't directly sell crop to make my living.