Yes the weather has always had it’s up and downs though about the last 10 years has been more extreme. We are seeing very unusual weather patterns I’ve never seen before. Winters are much warmer and insect and disease pressure is much higher.
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Very different climate here than what you have, but if I didn’t paint fruit tree trunks here very few would survive long term. Winter sunscald really takes a toll. It may not kill the trees directly, but the damage opens the trees up for disease and insect damage. Cheap insurance. Yes, it takes some time to paint 70ish tree trunks…but re-planting them also takes time (and money)
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For the mid-atlantic it has also been unusual, colder than usual. I am hoping it will also stay cold for longer unlike the last two years which had early warm spells which did in my apricots. I was out pruning today and it was so nice to see all those apricot buds, I miss 'em!
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I’m jealous! another 3 moths before i see that!
Way too early for ID…!!
Record warmth 
got another 6in. snow last night. -0 tonight and tom.
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My early pears, Winnie, Southern Bartlett and Granny Durden are all in popcorn stage. I just looked at last years records. They are 8 days behind where they were last year at this time. I was hoping that the cooler January would have been followed by a cool early February and would slow them down some. But no, there is no freezing weather in the ten day forecast at all. Hopefully we will be blessed and we don’t get a repeat of last year. That’s the problem with super low chill fruit. God bless.
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That’s me as well. If the jump between 60 and 19 this week doesn’t get my plums, I might have blooms before Valentines day!
It’s pretty wild sitting here in W MI, 8 inches of snow in 2 days this past weekend (and i’m not even the BAD winter weather area). It always blows my mine to see you warmer client folks growing apricots, apriums etc and having them bloom now, when I look out side i know i got 2 months at the minimum before stuff is doing that here. I enjoy the reprieve here, until I look out my window. 
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I’m not at all thrilled about it. We still have freezing nights, and we could easily get snow and hard freezes for another two months. Last year I rigged up a high tunnel with tomato poles, pvc pipes, and greenhouse plastic to try and save my plums and for all my effort still got about six edible ones off three trees. My peaches got hit full on with a hard freeze mid bloom and didn’t set anything. Last year, I didn’t see a single bee until months after my peaches were done blooming.
Gorgeous blooms Jeremy!
i feel your pain while looking at my 7ft. snowbanks! at least another 3 months before i see anything green again!
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Amazing what the quick warm up has done…Dorsett apple is in full bloom…
Flordahome pear is slightly ahead of my pineapple…
Red navel…tons of buds and new growth…
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Beautiful. Can’t you just stare at them all day. My Anna is about to bloom but it is kinda early and I’m thinkin’ about frost protection.
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Funny you mention that, whenever I get home…after kissing the kids and wife the first place I head is outside to check out the trees…
I can say with 99% certainty that we won’t get another frost this year…
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