When you can start picking Manitoba fruit

Break out your buckets.

Manitoba’s fruit picking season is beginning to bloom, thanks in large part to plenty of unseasonably warm days in the lead-up to summer.

“Some of us say that we didn't get spring. We went right into summer, so that has meant that this year's picking season will be earlier than what it has been in the past,” explained Angie Cormier, executive director of the Prairie Fruit Growers Association.

The warmer weather without cool overnight temperatures caused Manitoba berries to ripen faster than they grew, which Cormier cautions could lead to smaller berries.

As a result, many Manitoba strawberry and haskap farms could be ready to welcome pickers this weekend, if they haven’t already opened for the season.

Saskatoon berries, raspberries and sour cherries are likely not far behind.

“It's really hard to say how long this season will go. If we continue to have heat like this, then we could be looking at a shorter season,” Cormier said.

Would-be pickers are encouraged to check out the Prairie Fruit Growers Association’s website for a map of farms across the province, plus picking tips to help you pluck the perfect prize.

- With files from CTV’s Devon McKendrick