A second deep freeze Tuesday night is expected to push temperatures into the lower 20s. Farmers in Henderson County fear the sudden cold could damage acres of fruit crops already in bloom.

At Pressley Farms in Edneyville, strawberry fields are mostly leaves with only a few early blooms, reducing the risk of damage.

"The middle of that bloom — that is the baby strawberry," said farmer Lindsay Pressley.

"We're not overly concerned with the strawberries or the blueberries," said Adam Pressley, her husband.

Blueberry buds are still closed, offering protection from the cold. The couple says they can also use tarps to cover the blueberry trees to protect them from cold, if needed, later in the season. Peach trees, however, are far more vulnerable.

"These are open, and they're very fragile," Adam Pressley said, showing flowering blooms. "When we see temperatures the next couple of nights going in the 20s, there's a good chance most of these open, we'll lose."

Pressley estimates the farm could lose several hundred bushels of peaches — a significant impact for their pick-your-own farm.

Other growers are also watching conditions closely. Apple farmer Mike Stepp said parts of his orchard dropped to about 22 degrees overnight.

"When you have temperatures that low right now, the stage these apples are in right now, there's room for concern," Stepp said.

He said some apples are in what growers call a "tight cluster" stage, offering limited protection, though not as much as earlier in the season. Apple trees without blooms are not currently at risk.

Henderson County agriculture extension agent Terry Kelley said there are few effective ways to protect crops from temperatures this low. It may take several days before growers across approximately 150 farms in the area know the full extent of any damage.

"It's a significant part of the value of our farm income here in Henderson County," Kelley said.

For the Pressley duo, the focus now is on waiting.

"We pray a lot," said Lindsay Pressley. "It's up to Mother Nature, and time will tell."

Farmers say the severity of the freeze depends not only on how low temperatures fall, but also on how long they remain there. Prolonged periods in the lower 20s can cause the most damage. Growers expect to have a clearer assessment in the coming days.

 

STORY & PHOTO COURTESY OF ABC 13 WLOS.