CALIFORNIA - A cold snap has certainly hit California, but California Citrus Mutual announced that this is a good thing for citrus fruits, helping growers keep grove temperatures in a manageable range.
“While temperatures were predicted to be below freezing throughout the Valley [on December 15th], a decent cloud cover created a strong inversion layer in most citrus producing areas,” the association stated in a press release.
Growers report that, despite a major drop earlier this week, protection from the wind machines helped temperatures hover in the upper 20s to low 30s - ideal for fruit quality at this point in the season.
“Low temperatures help to bring out the bright orange color in the rind of the fruit,” Keith Watkins, Farm and Field Representative for Bee Sweet Citrus, tells me. “In addition, it helps to balance the sugar and acid content, which can give us that great citrus flavor.”
Growers will typically use micro-sprinklers to moisten and warm the ground to prepare for cold nights, as well as, in some cases, using wind machines early in the morning to keep fruit dry, preventing delays in harvest.
In addition to manageable temperatures, the rain that fell last weekend helped keep grove conditions moist despite the cold, dry weather that occurred a couple of nights ago.
As a result, the industry reports typical conditions during this cold week for California, with sweet yields and no damages expected to the Valley's citrus crop from the weather patterns sweeping from the Pacific and Alaska.
