FINLEY POINT — It’s that special time of year on the east shore of Flathead Lake when the cherry trees reach full bloom.
“It’s a nice reminder of what these trees are supposed to look like,” said Campbell Orchards Owner Brian Campbell.
The cherry orchards along Flathead Lake will be in full bloom for the next five to 10 days.
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It’s a welcoming sight for cherry growers after a deep freeze destroyed last year’s bloom.
“So hopefully it remains a 30-year event like that,” Campbell said.
Campbell said the Cherry Growers Cooperative on Finley Point, which takes in fruit from roughly 500 acres of the orchards, did not open last summer.
Before last year, Campbell said the last freeze out of cherry tree blooms was in 1991.
“When trees get really stressed out like these cherry trees got really stressed-out last winter and had some winter damage then they tend to make up for it by blossoming very heavy, it’s kind of a survival instinct for them and so that’s what we’re seeing, the effects of that," Campbell explained.
Campbell said this year’s full bloom means a full cherry crop is expected this coming summer.
“We’re looking at our full potential of a crop which should be about 3 million pounds for the coop," he said.
Campbell said cherry trees bloomed a week earlier than normal this year, which is a good sign for an early harvest.
“So, this year I’m anticipating the first cherries coming in about mid-July," Campbell said.
