York County orchard talks drought and blueberries

Karen Paulus of Mt. Airy Orchards in York County says this summer's hotter-than-normal temperatures have been a plus for her.

“The blueberries will often start late June, actually this year things shifted a little, we had a warm spring, things shifted a little bit earlier so they started about the middle of June, normally blueberries will go the whole way through July and the whole way through August,” Paulus said.

Karen runs the property with her husband. The couple are celebrating 25 years in business this month.

The orchards ‘pick your own blueberry’ season started off on a sour note from a lack of rain.

Luckily, the orchard uses drip irrigation, a system used to keep moisture levels balanced no matter the conditions outside.

“You don’t need your irrigation unless it’s really dry, but then when it’s really dry you have to balance how much can you tax your well,” Paulus said.

Dry heat can also impact how full of water a berry is, as well as its color.


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