Spring is officially here, but the winter weather is sticking around which can affect early crops.
Flamm Orchards in Cobden has spent the last week protecting their strawberry blooms from freezing.
They’re planted around mid-September to take root before becoming dormant.
During the winter they’re covered with cloth for protection, but in early spring as they’re starting to bloom freezing temperatures can kill the plants.
Flamm Orchards Manager Austin Flamm says they continuously spray water on the cloth to form a thin layer of ice.
“It doesn't sound on the surface like it should work, but it does and we do it almost every year. And as long as you keep putting fresh water onto that ice, the ice doesn't get down so cold that it hurts you, it actually provides a layer of insulation which helps trap some of that heat underneath.”
Crews stay in the field overnight to keep an eye on the crops while also having ice form on them.
