That first bite of sweet cherry, with juice dribbling down your chin – that’s summer.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
That’s the experience Lees Orchards is hoping for its customers with the family-run orchard opening for the first Pick Your Own day of the summer.
It is the orchard’s second year for Pick Your Own Cherries and farm owner Brendon Morrison urged people to get in quick before the cherries are finished.
“That’s the thing about the cherry season, it’s so short-lived,” he said.
The Tasmanian cherry season runs over the summer, but the cherries are only ready on the trees for about five weeks, six, if you’re lucky.
The season is already two weeks through but the cherries in Lees’ Pick Your Own fields are now ripe for the picking.
Mr Morrison said while the cherries were a good size this year, and reasonable yield, they weren’t as thick on the trees as they were last year.
“We had a fair few challenges thrown at us this year, with the weather, it hasn’t been ideal growing for cherries,” he said.
Frost and cloudy days have caused the fruit to ripen slower and not grow at the same pace as last year’s crop.
However, Mr Morrison said the Pick Your Own fields would be open for as long as there were cherries on the tree to harvest.
He said last year the cherries lasted for about a week before they had been picked bare, but he was excited people had the experience of picking and eating the cherries.
“That’s what it’s all about, we want people to come here, pick the cherry and taste it, right off the tree.”
Lees Orchard has cherries, apples and pears and will diversify into apricots in the coming years.
Mr Morrison runs the orchard with his son, Daniel.
Lees Orchard is open six days a week, Monday to Friday from 9am until 5pm and on Saturdays from 10am until 3.30pm.
While you're with us, did you know that you can now sign up to receive breaking news updates and daily headlines direct to your inbox. Sign up here.