Where Have All the Apples Gone?

Few things are more satisfying than biting into a juicy peach or crisp apple plucked right from the tree—but before you head out to local farms this fall, don’t be surprised if you’re not finding the same bountiful branches as years past.

The culprit: a warm spring leading into a late-April hard freeze that turned blossoms brown and killed just-formed fruits, decimating parts of Maryland’s fruit industry and dramatically decreasing yields for others. 

When University of Maryland Extension educator Dave Myers walked the rows at the Anne Arundel Urban Farm Research Clinic the morning after temperatures plummeted to the low to mid-20s, he found that almost 100% of his grapes were gone, along with half of his apples and one-third of his peaches.

“It’s probably as bad as it’s been any time in 50 years,” he said. “Our fruit trees think we’re more south than we are, because Maryland’s in a transition zone, so we tend to flower early.”

The damage reverberated across the state. A Maryland Farm Bureau survey showed a 67% crop loss from the freeze, and in June, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved a disaster declaration for 12 Maryland counties, giving growers easier access to emergency loans.

But farmers are resilient, Myers said, and the tough season shouldn’t prevent Marylanders from having a relaxing afternoon at a vineyard or fruitful day at the local pick-your-own farm. He and plant science and landscape architecture Professor Emeritus Chris Walsh give a heads up on what to expect:

Delicate shoots had already emerged from gnarled grape vines by late April, covering trellises in vibrant green leaves. But overnight, the frost shriveled those early buds, causing more than $2 million in losses for wineries across the state, according to the Maryland Wineries Association. That means vintners may have to rely on buying grapes to supplement, or simply make less of the 2026 vintage.

Next year, Myers plans to experiment at the urban research farm, which he started in 2023, with decreasing light intensity on vines, using perhaps white paint on the cordon (the woody part of the plant) or plastic under the vines to delay bud and shoot development. “Just a few days can make a difference,” he said.

Some farmers saved their strawberries, planted in rows low to the ground, by using floating row covers or irrigation to create an ice water barrier that keeps the berries from freezing. Others like blueberries and blackberries tend to flower a little later and more than once in the season, so they were harmed less than the larger fruits that take longer to develop.

“It’s very uneven, and everyone’s been hurt,” said Walsh, an apple expert who has worked in fruit tree production for nearly five decades. “Most of the growers I know are buying local wholesale fruit to keep their farmstands open.”

Apple survival depended on variety, while peaches were more hit or miss depending on their stage of development. With more notice and an accurate weather forecast, farmers can employ wind machines and even helicopters to keep air circulating and ground-level temperatures higher—tactics they may employ in the future even if there’s a chance of a freeze.

From baking more pies to sell on site to planting more broccoli and brussels sprouts, farmers are turning to creative ways to keep their businesses going. You-pick farms are popular destinations throughout the summer and fall, and many have already added farm animals, corn mazes and live entertainment to attract customers

“Don’t give up that fall farm visit,” said Walsh. “Check their website, see what they have and enjoy that hay ride. A lot of stuff that’s perfectly edible but doesn’t look good winds up in jams and jellies.”

And if you’re already on the hunt for pumpkins? You’re in luck: They don’t get planted until the end of June, so they weren’t affected.