Mountain Orchards near Kemptville, Ont. having difficult start to apple-picking season

It's been a difficult start to the apple-picking season for Mountain Orchards, near Kemptville, Ont.

According to co-owner Shelley Lyall, the orchard struggled preparing for this, their 50th season, compared to years past.

"It's probably one of our most challenging years," she told CTV Ottawa on Monday. "It's been frustrating, to say the least."

Lyall blames mild temperatures in the winter and spring for the struggles, as some of their trees started blooming too early.

Then this summer, heavy rainfall and humid weather provided a poor environment for their apples to thrive as they grew.

The orchard has 12 different types of apple, and they each need to be cared for differently. Their McIntosh apples are the best seller, and Lyall says those were the most affected by the unfavourable conditions.

"They seem to have suffered worse than all the other varieties," she explained. "We still have some, but the numbers are down."

The orchard has now been open for three weeks, and the hits keep coming.

"We've been open three weekends, it's rained every weekend," Lyall continued. "I mean, we live and die by those weekends."

Now that their Honeycrisp apples, another popular choice, are ready to be picked this weekend, the orchard is hoping for sunny skies. 

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