Oh crap

Apricot ‘Tomcot’ in bloom. Peaches will be by the time this happens.

I actually still got fruit after a 25° freeze last spring, but this is a couple degrees colder. I’m wondering if it’s worth trying to string Christmas lights in the trees as extra protection, however, if it’s windy it won’t do much of any good, and secondly, I have to string together several extension cords to get out there, which I know it’s not the safest thing to do, but it’s 200 feet from the house.

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Can you set up sprinklers? Is the tree small enough to cover?

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I’m worried about the same thing. Flower buds haven’t opened yet but there will be a few more 50+ days before the freeze.

The largest tree is a bit too big to cover.

The issue with a sprinkler is that I’m on a well. After about two hours or so it will probably run dry.

I guess I could try to turn it on at a very low volume and see if that would work.

I’m also wondering if I could try dragging the fire pit down there and getting a good fire going, then hoping it smolders long enough to add a few degrees of protection (or set my alarm to wake up a couple times to walk down there and throw more wood on it). Of course I don’t want to get it too hot, either.

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I would just use garden sprayer to cover them with coat of ice as it approaches and falls below freezing, but prop up limbs first to avoid breakage from ice load. Ice will insulate best

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Yeah, looks bad. My apricots, peaches and plums should all be in bloom by then. I’ve never had a year where I lost everything, but 21 degrees seems like it should do it. Did I miss it, or was this forecast just made? I seemed to remember looking and not seeing any problems in the future. I know it can change over time, but darn, it’s frustrating.

Yesterday the same weather app showed a low of 29 Tuesday (31 Monday) which would’ve been all right.

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@DennisD water running all night or just a one shot?

I would spray enough to get about 1/4” ice coverage.

Darn. A few days ago I kept seeing a low around freezing and in the last 24-hours everytime I check the predicted lows go down further. Hoping this trend doesn’t continue. My peach is in bloom and apricot is at the end of bloom and will probably be in shuck by the cold snap. Current low predicted for me is 26, but my yard usually goes a couple below the predicted.

I’m also a little weary of my muscadines that have just started to push, but not sure what temps will damage them.

10 days ago our forecast gave everything from 3 degrees to 16 degrees.
It ended up being 19 at my bedtime, and 19 as I got up…not positive of the
minimum…but not close to 3. 17 or 18 I’d think. Zapped the Asian pears, but didn’t hurt honeyberry…and only minimally scorched the leaves of the red fleshed apples.

Looks like nights in the 20’s this coming Sat/Sun…but they can change the forecast a lot by then.

I hate to disagree, but a coating of ice is totally ineffective. There have been many discussions on this and it doesn’t work. There is no heat to hold in and ice isn’t a good insulator.

Running a sprinkler with inadequate water is also ineffective. With not enough water you are cooling the plant via evaporative cooling. That can increase damage. If you are standing out in freezing weather do you want me to spray you with water?

Sprinklers can work under the right conditions and properly done.

Here’s a very good article about the subject: Using sprinklers to protect plants from spring freezes - MSU Extension

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You might only need a couple of hours coverage right around sunrise - and @DennisD suggested a layer of ice, which would possibly form for you also.

Just leave yourself enough time to have coffee with you, since you’re going to be awake for the day anyhow!

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@fruitnut

Yeah that’s my concern, because I am on a well with only moderate yield, I can’t really effectively spray without running my well dry.

We are going down to 24F. My blueberries and Nanking cherries are in full bloom. We will se what happens.

If you do use sprinklers, make sure you keep them on till the temps are a few degrees above freezing and the sun is up.

As the article Steve posted indicates the protection comes from the water freezing and giving off heat as it freezes. But the reverse is true, as the ice melts it absorbs heat making the plants colder. Sometimes farmers, eager to save water, shut the water off too early in the morning and actually do more damage to the crop than if they wouldn’t have irrigated at all.

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My summer delight aprium is in full bloom right now. My saturn peaches and hollywood plums are just barely starting to open, and will probably be open by the weekend. At what temperature will the blossoms be killed? This is my forecast for next week:

image

Predicted lows of 25 on Sunday and Monday :cold_face: I had beautiful peaches last year, but this would have been the first year for apriums and plums, so I sure do hope some survive!!!

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What about surrounding it with tikki torches?

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Woah! This looks pretty bad here. Nights of 27, 21, and 21. The temperatures keep falling with each passing day. Hopefully, there’s an upswing. I might only have persimmons, jujubes, and figs at this rate. Thank goodness for diversification.

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Spray copper buy yourself a few degrees asap.

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