I probably should wear something that fully covers my skin, but I try to be really careful to spray with the wind and not get anything on me. And then I shower right after.
Ha! I’m sure they’re glad you waited a week!
3 Likes
Talking about a backyard orchard and orchardist, I visited Galina @anon89542713 at her new home yesterday. She has a lovely home with a large side and backyard.
Galina is such an organized gardener (and very hard working). I hope she will post her orchard progress here soon.
8 Likes
When there is something to show 
4 Likes
How are your stone fruits looking? My flower buds seem to have slowed down, but I’m still worried they had woken up just enough to get hammered by that -10 night.
1 Like
Jay,
Sorry it took a while for me to check those buds.
Here is the pic of Lavina fruit buds. Can you see the black ovules in the middle? Dead by frost.
These are Orangered apricots. As soon as I touched the buds, they fell off. I did not even need to cut the buds open but here they are.
Sorry for the poor quality pics. Those buds were small. Taking close up pics was challenging.
3 Likes
Oof, that’s rough. I suspect mine are about the same, but I haven’t cut any open yet.
1 Like
Tippy, I didn’t realize your winter/spring was so cold this year. We had mild winter/spring so far. It is a easy year for the trees. Hope there are many buds still alive to make a reasonable crop.
1 Like
@jcguarneri
Let me know how your stone fruit does.
I’d like to hear from fellow members in MA or nearby states about their situation.
@SMC_zone6 , @Colleen7 , @JinMA , etc. I think apples and pears may survive better than stone fruit.
3 Likes
@IL847 Annie,
I don’t think our winter is any colder than your. This winter, we had mild winter from Dec -Feb, too mild, in fact. Then, there were a few cold nights including one -7F night in the middle of the mild winter.
As you know, that is a recipe of disaster. I am not surprised to see buds killed this way. Happened too often, unfortunately.
@thecityman - I am joining your no-stone fruit club, I think.
3 Likes
I just checked a few buds on my peaches, apricots, and U. Saskatchewan cherries. Peaches and apricots were toast, cherries were just fine.
Yeah, that long mild winter was trouble. Enough chill hours to give the buds the “been through winter” signal, but not cold enough to keep them dormant.
1 Like
I think our apples and pears are still dormant enough to be ok bud-wise. Haven’t taken a close look at the peach tree, but things seem to be starting to wake up with the days getting warmer, so I guess I’ll find out soon.
3 Likes
When I did my winter pruning (just last week) the three problem apples I saw were the same three that have had issues the past couple of years: Roxbury Russet, Russet King and Pumpkin Russet. Being New England and New York apples, I hadn’t expected winter kill issues with these varieties. Our low for the winter was -26.7F. I’m ready to graft these 3 over to something else, the M.111 root stock that each is on is still in great shape. I’m curious if anyone else has experienced winter kill with these varieties (I’m in Z4a). I’m talking about dead wood, not just buds.
1 Like
Look good @Colleen7 .
I just went out to check my favorite nectarine. Dead ovules 
@JinMA and @AndySmith My apples and pears look good.
There was one year when we had mild Feb and very cold March. All stone fruit bit the dust some apples did, too. I recall learning that William’s Pride fruit buds were not as cold hardy as other varieties i.e. Honey Crisp.
It could be that WP’s bud development progressed faster during the warm Feb and suffered worst in cold March.
@jcguarneri My Black Gold and Juliet look good for now. Cherry is one stone fruit that have buds hardier than plums, peaches, pluots, etc.
5 Likes
Tippy, so true. Temperature fluctuates in the winter , especially a cold temp after a warm one, is a big issue that interferes the tree’s dormancy and make the buds more vulnerable to the cold
2 Likes
@IL847 Annie, yes, yo-yo temp is the worst.
@jcguarneri It was 25 F this morning. Was it about the same where you are. This was cold considering we just had high temp of almost 60F a few days ago.
@SMC_zone6 this is not even April yet!! Less spray this year for sure.
2 Likes
I think we were a bit warmer than that, but definitely frosty. The forecast is calling for 23 F tonight.
2 Likes
That stinks. I haven’t been able to take much of a look yet. But it would be a real bummer to not get stone fruits this year after the drought last year caused the squirrels to steal all the immature fruits. Grocery store peaches/nectarines just don’t cut it!
3 Likes
Sorry Tippy. Next year!
1 Like
@jcguarneri
23 F is low!! We won’t see anything below 25F for the next 10 days but April can be freaky.
@SMC_zone6 100% agree about low quality supermarkets peaches and nectarines.
@mrsg47 I still hold out hope for apples and pears.
2 Likes