Georgia’s early variety of peaches are nearly two weeks ahead of schedule this year giving local growers a head start on what looks to be a booming season.

Peaches are piling up as pickers unload their baskets.

They are firing on all cylinders at Lane Southern Orchards as the first round of peaches are plucked from the trees.

Peach trees are near capacity this year with a very healthy crop.

“With these early varieties we get two or three packs and we'll get about 300 peaches to the tree,” says Duke Lane Jr., President of Lane Southern Orchards in Fort Valley.

Lane says that Mother Nature’s has had a big hand in shaping this year’s crop.

“It’s just been a perfect scenario,” says Lane.

The record cold winter provided plenty of chill hours for the trees which allow them to produce healthy blooms and leaves that lead to a hearty peach.

Pruning of the branches during the winter followed by blossom thinning in the spring has resulted in peaches that are the ideal size and shape, ready to be picked.

When picking a peach you want to find one that comes off pretty easy. If it takes a little effort, the peach isn’t ready. Once it comes off the tree the ripening process stops.

Once the peaches reach their maximum ripeness they are proving to be sweeter than usual.

Although not all farmers are enjoying the very dry conditions this spring, it’s resulted in more flavorful peach.

“The sugar content of a peach, strawberry, or whatever it may be is diluted as it ripens with excess moisture so peaches taste good.

We’re getting off to an earlier start with good taste, good quality, and good flavor so it’s just really working out,” says Lane.

Lane sells the majority of their peaches at grocery stores around the state but with an early start and a healthy crop supplies could be shipped up and down the east coast.

“You get early on the market and we get a little jump on our competition out west,” says Lane.

Lane says the later varieties will eventually produce nearly 800 peaches per tree making for a grand total of nearly one million packs of fruit for the season but just as the weather provided a bumper crop, it can take it away.

“One dark cloud could put a damper on the whole thing so we keep our fingers crossed and take it one day at a time you know move along,” says Lane.