STAY UP TO DATE
DISCOVER THE LATEST NEWS
EXPLORE MORE
Every year if our trees are pushed out for new planting we convert more acreage over to our high-density planting system. One of the biggest changes involves installing new irrigation systems for the upcoming tree plantings. As we convert old plantings into high density plantings, some of them need a complete drip system installation. Prior to planting, we need to install a filter system next to the well and pump, the underground pipes, and the drip hose on the surface of the ground where the trees will be planted. This was a monumental storm that just hit California. For our…
Even with the rain, it is still a bumper year for grapes. The season has remained ahead of previous years with earlier harvest dates and full crop loads. Normally grapes can hang on the vine for an extended period of time, but this year each variety needed to be harvested once it hit full maturity. This year the grapes gained full color before they reached their full brix. In almost every year before we reached peak sugar levels before the fruit had fully colored. This may be contributing to the need to harvest grapes as soon as they hit full…
Grape harvest continues to ramp up this month. We are in the heart of Great Green green seedless and Krissy red seedless. Scarlet Royal volume is picking up this month and Allisons are right on the horizon.The grapes are some of the best we’ve seen in terms of flavor and quality, making now the perfect time to promote. We have volume available for large grape ads, so please contact your HMC sales representative to get something on the books today. Lunch Bunch®, the original portioned grape is available exclusively from HMC Farms®. In 1979, we discovered a need for portioned…
A new article appearing in the current issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry explores the concept of “superfoods” and makes a case that fresh grapes have earned what should be a prominent position in the superfood family. More than 60 peer-reviewed studies have been published in the scientific literature on grapes and health that explore the positive effects grape consumption has on heart health, brain, skin, immune health, and more from the over 1,600 bioactive compounds found in grapes, including antioxidants and polyphenols. Schools across the country have already started or are getting ready to start…
The start of the California grapes season has been unlike one we can remember in recent history. Due to the minimal amount of triple digit degree days this summer, and cooler than normal nights over the last month and a half, we are seeing color move faster than we have in past summers. This strange but welcome start means we are now waiting for the sugar levels and flavor to catch up with the color, when almost always the opposite is true. While we are still trending about 5-7 days early, the color gave us false hope about two weeks…
Plumsicle™ season is right around the corner, and we couldn’t be more excited! Our Plumsicles are the epitome of why we love growing fruit. They are oh so sweet and bursting with flavor, an instant draw to any produce department. We began harvest this month and anticipate good volume running all the way through harvest. To learn more about Plumsicles and all the ways they can be enjoyed visit www.hmcplumsicle.com . Crop Update: The “sizing” period on table grapes has officially begun. During this time period we irrigate more frequently and for longer periods of time, this allows the berries…
This month we started packing tree fruit. In terms of volume we are just getting started. In terms of flavor and quality, the peaches and white peaches are some of the best we’ve seen for the start of the season.We are close to finishing up thinning, which will leave us with harvest, color pruning, and young tree training for the remainder of the summer. In our grape vineyards we are officially done with bloom sprays and are already seeing some early blocks start to “shatter” out. Bloom sprays are specifically designed for each individual variety and block to drop off…
We are thinning in our stone fruit orchards. Thinning removes excess, under-sized, or damaged juvenile fruit from our trees. When a tree is thinned, approximately two to seven pieces of fruit are left on each fruiting limb, also known as a hanger. The amount of fruit left on a hanger is determined by the age of the tree, the variety, and the timing of harvest. Thinning ensures that nutrients are directed to fewer pieces of fruit, resulting in better size and flavor. It also protects the tree from damage due to too much weight on the limbs. Pictured is a…
The extended forecast last month showed more days of rain than sunshine. While rain is still a welcome occurrence during this stage of growth for our tree fruit, hail is not. Hail is our biggest concern from now until harvest because it can occur abruptly and cause damage to a lot of fruit in a very short amount of time. We have been searching for solutions to assuage our fears of adverse weather for years. Up until recently, our best plan of action was to use hail cannons. These large, cone shaped machines, fire sound waves into the sky. The…
Our early season varieties are in full bloom. We expect our mid and late season varieties to be in full bloom by the end of the month. The rainstorm we were expecting this month fizzled. The estimates started at over half an inch and the final total was .2inches. There is rain predicted again with some cold weather to follow. Now is when we watch the weather, prepare for what we can, and wait and hope until Spring. This year, HMC is receiving its first grapes imported from Chile under the newly approved Systems Approach Protocol. The Systems Approach replaces…
