ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – At Thies Farm and Greenhouses in north St. Louis County, everything is great as we get ready to transition to the fall season. In fact, starting Friday, guests can pick their own honey crisp apples. The timing is a little ahead of schedule due to all the early spring blooms.
“This year, the apple crop as compared to last year is extremely good. We had to thin numerous amounts of apples off the trees so the trees didn’t break apart this year. So we’re thrilled with a great apple crop,” owner Dave Thies said.
While a nice rain here and there is beneficial, Thies said he prefers the more recent drier weather compared to the heavy rains in July since it’s something he can control.
“At this farm here, we use drip irrigation, which is just a matter of turning on a valve and getting the water right to the roots. So like I said, we prefer it dry than too wet,” he said.
The pumpkin crop also doesn’t mind the dry weather. They’re right on track and will be ready for pick-your-own around Oct. 10.
“They have little, I’d say, softball size, maybe a little bigger pumpkins out there right now. But they grow like crazy, especially with this heat we’re having now. They’ll take off,” Thies added.
Now is a good time to consider your fall crops like broccoli, cauliflower, lettuces, and kale, the farmer noted.
“Our gardens this time of year start looking a little rough so it’s a good time to just clean up and make it look good and put in a fall crop. It makes you feel good,” Thies said.
At the farm, they also have about three to four hundred mums for sale, which are already starting to show some color ahead of schedule.
