Last year, the plentiful rains of March and April soaked the ground and delayed planting of berries at Webb Ranch, which delayed the harvest and the opening of the popular fruit and vegetable stand near the intersection of Interstate 280 and Alpine Road.
This year, the weather is again determining when the fruit stand opens, but for a different reason. The strawberries, loganberries, blackberries and raspberries are blossoming in the fields, thanks to an unusually pleasant March, but the colder weather in April may delay picking until Mother’s Day weekend, said Webb Ranch spokesman Tom Hubbard.
“We were thinking maybe we’ll open (April 21 and 22), but it’s going to be raining and cold,” he told the Almanac. “We were a little ahead of time in March, but now we’ve got winter in April. … Everything’s just kind of sitting there” in the fields.
Because the berry plants don’t yet have budding fruit, a heavy rain over the weekend could knock off the blossoms, delay pollination and push out the harvest while the plants make more blossoms, Mr. Hubbard said.
That particular danger zone has passed for the plum, peach and nectarine trees, where fruit is evident and growing, he added.
Drought ahead?
Webb Ranch irrigates its crops using a parsimonious drip-irrigation system that draws water from on-site wells and from local water services, Mr. Hubbard said. Crops are watered about once a week.
Just in case this dry winter foreshadows a trend, the ranch is fixing leaks and conserving water generally. “It’s kind of a wait-and-see game,” he said. If next winter is as dry as this one, “it’s going to be a real concern for everybody, for drinking water and agriculture.”
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