Marfa dropped to 20F so far…which is colder then what the models showed last night for there…
1 Like
Marfa is a cold pocket. About the same altitude as Alpine but regularly 5-10F colder at night, same by day. Some hardy soles still try to grow fruit there. I chose Alpine as it’s about the best around.
Goodluck with the frost. It hit 24 degree here last year when my peaches were in full bloom and the peaches still produced. Wonder if the weed gard fabric warms the soil and forces the trees into bloom a little bit earlier.
Probably does on low chill fruits by warming the air/buds. But on the higher chill fruits it can delay and/or reduce bloom by reducing chilling.
I was disappointed to find my big shelter partially open this morning. I wasn’t careful enough to secure it against the wind. Will have to see in a week or two if anything survived. If not I’ll switch my efforts to another tree that hasn’t bloomed yet.
That is a very interesting concept, one I never would have considered. Really shows the importance of local climate
Fruitnut, hope both your finger and trees are ok! Good luck!
It looks like an art installation.
fruitnut,
Might it help to place a small fan inside the structures to circulate the top warmer air?I use that and an electric portable heater in my little greenhouse and it works fairly well. Brady
Yes it would. Next time I’ll use and electric heater with fan. That’s the best I can do in a small enclosure. And make sure the wind won’t open things up!!
My property has been overrun by weeds, and I’m desperately looking for a solution. Can you please give me some details about this weed barrier:
- How long it lasts before degrading?
- Where you buy it?
- How much it costs?
- What happens to the water that accumulates on top of it during a rain?
- Any tips on installing it (cutting, fixing to the ground, etc.)?
Thanks!
My Lumite material has lasted ~7-8 yrs outside in direct sun.
I get mine from Shaw Fabric Products but it ships from Georgia so there should be other suppliers.
Just bought two rolls 6ftx300ft that’s $260 and shipping was awful, $135
Water runs through it pretty well but would be an issue on a slope absent land forming to hold water.
Cut as little as possible and use ground staples.
Amazon sells a bunch of weedguard material and shipping is pretty low -free on some with prime account. Its UV treated with a useful life of about 4-5 years, but not designed to set in direct sun. I covered mine with bark mulch which is working fine so far. This material is a lot heavier than the stuff sold in my local Lowes and it comes in many widths. They also sell the ground staples.
The Texas wind can destroy just about anything. I was thinking the fan may help too. Hope they pull through Sir.
Steve and Rick: Thank you very much for the info.
I checked and don’t think I lost anything that was protected. An apricot though looks like toast.