You can expect to find great cherries now and apples later after an interesting six months of weather for Door County orchard owners. Many cherry orchards opened to the public for the first time this week, with sweet cherries arriving first, followed by tart cherries. Last month, Toni Sorenson from Soren’s Valhalla Orchard in Sturgeon Bay expected a smaller crop than last year’s thanks to previously dry summers stressing the trees and some frost earlier this year.

Steve Wood of Wood Orchard in Sturgeon Bay is noticing the fruit of his labor hanging on trees right now, though they are the size of ping-pong balls. Like Sorenson, some of his trees were impacted by the early-year frost. Wood says they are scouting the trees to ensure the wet weather only positively impacts this year’s apple crop.

Like cherries, Wood expects apples to be available a few days earlier than usual, thanks to the mild winter and otherwise optimal growing conditions.