Central Okanagan

Photo: Contributed - Shelia Chutskoff

A wet June isn't putting a damper on the Okanagan cherry season.

Cherries on the trees in the Central Okanagan were not ripe during last month's record rainfall, meaning the fruit wasn't in a position to be damaged.

President of the BC Fruit Growers' Association, Kirpal Boparai, says since the rain fell early in the season there was no stress on the cherry trees.

"What tomorrow brings we don't know, but as of today it looks good and we are going to have a good harvest season if weather permits."

Boparai expects the fruit will be a decent size and full of sugar.

The cherry season in the Okanagan usually gets underway in mid July, this year it will be pushed back to the 20th says Boparai, due to the past couple of rainy weeks.

"It's good. The cherries weren't ripening in the rain, but now the forecast is supposed to be kind of nice. So we will have a good season."

According to Boparai, orchardists expect rainfall into late June, and have started to plant cherry varieties that don't ripen until later in the year.

"Lapins, Staccatos and Sweethearts, are the later varieties that we are planting now."

In the South Okanagan, early cherry varieties, such as Bing Cherries, have experienced some splitting as they came into ripening, but Boparai says not much of the harvest was affected.

"If the weather stays nice and warm like the forecast says we should be fine."

Boparai says orchardists are excited for both the cherry and apple crops this year, as the fruit is looking very promising.