After June Rain, Hot Spell Has Farmers Reaching for Hoses

Last month, Mother Nature rained on Long Island. This month – so far, at least – she has dried it up.

After record-setting rainfall in the first half of June, temps have soared well into the 90s in July, with little rain falling so far: actually, 0.21 inches to be exact, according to officials at the National Weather Service.

While rainfall drenched a lot of strawberries and made it particularly hard to re-plant some others, produce farmers say excessive heat can at least be tolerated. While hard rains can't be stopped, at least irrigation valves – while coming at a cost – can always be turned on. 

"If you can provide enough water, a hot, dry summer actually improves the quality of fruit," said Tom Wickham, owner of Wickham's Fruit Farm in Cutchogue. "I think vineyard people would tell you the same thing."

According to the NWS, the average high temperature so far this month has hovered around 85 degrees, with the average high typically coming in under 82 degrees. The overall average temperature, at 78.4 degrees, is four degrees higher than the norm, dating back to 1984.

Last month, rain fell hard in the first two weeks, drenching over three times the average – and up to 8 inches in some spots on the North Fork – on local crops.

"We went from one extreme to the other," said Joe Gergela, executive director of the Long Island Farm Bureau. The hot and dry extreme, however, is much preferred, as controlling irrigation can limit mold and fungi that can form under wet conditions.

While Gergela characterized corn as a hot-weather crop, he said "nothing likes excessive heat. In the high 80s, low 90s, that's one thing. Once you get into the mid 90s, that's another matter."

Wickham said greenhouse tomatoes have been a sore spot for him with the heat so far, as the mercury can rise up into the triple digits, making it hard not only on the crops – but the people working them as well.

Deb Schmitt of Schmitt Farms said that last month's rains, coupled with the recent heat wave, will leave a gap in her harvests this year. Typically, she said, she does three plantings, and leafy greens and cut flowers will suffer as a result.

Eve Kaplan, of Northville's Garden of Eve, said she's likewise expecting to lose some early summer crops such as broccoli and lettuces. However the heat will likely speed up the growth of some things like cucumbers and, maybe, tomatoes.

"We're just doing a lot of watering. A lot of irrigation."