CAPITAL REGION — The calendar may say Sept. 22 is the beginning of autumn, but meteorologists say summer ended on Sunday.

Kevin Lipton of the National Weather Service in Albany said meteorological summer is measured from June 1 through Aug. 31, and this year’s was warmer and wetter than average. Astronomical summer bases the changes of season on the solstices and equinoxes and marks the end of summer on Sept. 22 when the sun crosses the celestial equator.

The changes in rainfall and temperatures has affected the crops of the region, according to gardeners and farmers.

The fall retail season at the Kovarovic Farm Orchard in Ballston Lake begins Friday and the crop is a mixed bag this year because of this summer’s weather.

Sue Kovarovic-Hartman said the farm produces apples, pumpkins, squash and gourds as well as Indian corn and ornamental dried flowers and corn stalks for fall decorating.

But some of this year’s crops that grew on vines along the ground suffered from too much rain in August.

“Some of the plants in the low-lying areas sat in water and they either didn’t produce or they produced small crops,” she said. “All the rain kept us from tending to the weeds and grass in some spots, which means we’re not getting as much from those areas.”

Lipton said records at the National Weather show June had four days that were 90 degrees or higher and July had two but August’s warmest day was only 85 degrees.

“June temperatures averaged 4.1 degrees above normal and precipitation was 1.71 inches above normal,” Lipton said. “In July the temperatures were 2.4 degrees higher than normal and precipitation was 3.44 inches above the norm.”

August saw precipitation drop to .67 inches below normal and the temperatures were a half degree under the average for the month, he said.

Kovarovic-Hartman said the apple crop is good this year and a little early.

“I’d say we’re five to six days ahead of schedule for the apples. The trees blossomed on time, but the heat in July pushed the apples along,” she said. “I would have liked to have had more sunny days later in the season.”

Jim Hoffman of Sand Flats Orchard on Martin Road in Fonda said his apple crop is on schedule and Gala and MacIntosh apples will be ready for picking this weekend.

“Our pumpkins aren’t so great this year,” he said. “It could be because we had so much rain during the pollination season.”

He said the high amount of rain has made for nice looking apples, but he was concerned for a while that too much moisture could have caused problems.

“You need good drying in between the rains or the fruit gets scabs,” he said.

Chris Logue, the acting executive director of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Schenectady County, said the corn crop is bountiful this year.

“High rainfall has actually been good for the corn crop, exceptionally good,” he said. “We just need to keep the rain away now so the farmers can get into the fields to harvest.”

He said heavy rain hurt the hay crop for many farmers, but the last couple of weeks may make up for the earlier losses.

“I’ve noticed this week there are farmers in the fields getting in a last minute hay and often a second or third cutting will be higher quality than the earlier harvests,” Logue said.

Hot, dry days in early September can also make up losses of peppers and tomatos that suffered from too much rain earlier in the season.

“The peppers and tomatoes haven’t really ripened well to date, but if the temperatures stay up for a week or two, they may come out all right in the end,” he said.