You are good!
Hi John, Worcester is only a little over an hour from my house (due N) and the article is brutal. There goes most of the peach crop in MA. this year. I’ll be happy if I get a few peaches myself. I checked by orchard yesterday, as it only went down to around the 20’s here in Newport, RI. I only have six peach trees, but it is the fruit I so look forward to in New England. It is rather rare to grow them here, This is an apple state. The pick your own orchards here specialize in mostly apples. The freezes did not touch my apple, pear, cherry, or prune trees. The orchards here do not even grow plums. The orchards are mostly inland except for a couple of them, and it is always 5-10 degrees cooler inland than in Newport. Too bad. Its been a really rough spring. As of tonight it supposedly turns around and warms up. Fingers crossed.
I’ve checked my apple and they look fine, but I’m sure you can’t tell the full ramifications until it warms up. My Bluberry bushes look alright too, except for the fact that I just finished the bird netting on top and the heavy snow just pushed it down on to the very tops of my bushes.
I work in Worcester and live next to Worcester. Oh well.
Been 18 years since I lived in Worcester! Has it changed much for the better? Winters could be bad there.
The article says:
For buds at the silver stage, a temperature of 15 degrees will result in a 10 percent crop loss. At 2 degrees that loss increases dramatically to 90 percent. Once the buds start showing green tips, Mr. Rose said, there will be a 10 percent loss at 18 degrees, and a 90 percent loss at 10 degrees.
But, I think that the 10% and 90% are the percent of the flowers, not the % of the crop. A 50% loss just helps the farmer thin the fruit. I remember reading on one of the charts that Apples, Peaches, and Pears need only 10-15% of the blooms for a full crop. Of course, I’ll be pretty happy if I can get 15% of my peach flowers to pull through. And very very happy if that happens (or even 5%) for the J plums, which is admittedly less likely.
are J.plums more tender than peaches? I thought it was the other way around.
J.plums flower earlier so can be more susceptible to spring frosts, but judging from this year, they are a good bit hardier against winter cold. I have a tiny scattering of peach flower buds that survived winter except for one nursery tree at the highest point of my very steep property- but J. plums mostly showed good flower set (which are now likely toast).
Good year to have peach crop insurance.
Walked into home depot about aweek ago, had some really healthy looking flats of potted roses, everything was pushing close to a dozen buds each, maybe 200 total roses, picked up a great Queen Elizabeth as a back up for one I want to move, just in case. 
Walked in there for something else this morning 95% of the roses are dead as a door nail, however a couple were still really healthy. and if they can survive being partial covered in the home depot parking lot and un-watered over the recent cold spell, they’ve earned a place in my yard. Out of the 25 or so that still had live buds, pushing, picked up a JFK and a Chicago Peace.
Or drive a mower and tractor over their nest.
The article also refers to the serious freeze in February, moreso than now. That is when the peaches got zapped.
I realized that about a week ago here when I was becoming alarmed about the upcoming freeze and while checking for the level of blossom development noticed that the peach flower buds weren’t even swollen although leaves were emerging. When I tested them they just cracked- completely desiccated. It was obviously from winter cold at that point.
@ampersand : I will keep that in mind. I didn’t even know bumblebees have stings! Good thing I never try to touch them when (I think) they are alive.
Just checked weather underground and the snow is now to the north of us in NY,MA and on its way to VT and ME. We missed this one. We’ll get rain tomorrow but the temps will finally Not be freezing and back to ‘nearly’ normal in the high forties. Whewww My buds are in tight cluster or more closed than that. The trees are so loaded with blossoms, I really hope they come out, I cannot wait for just a taste of spring!
I know this thread is about the NE but I wanna join the club! Chicago west suburbs is forecasted for a toasty 23F-21F this Friday and Saturday nights. My J. plums and pluots were already in progress of the opening act for couple of days under the rain!
From my limited experience, at least with Satsuma, they are hardier then peach flowers. Pluots also seem hardier.
Thanks for the info, sometimes it’s hard to decide what to protect.
Thanks for the article Mrs. G. Tougus Farm is only 15 mins from my house. It is a place where parents bring their children to PYO and play at their playground or feed sheep, bunnies, etc.
Red Apple Farm has a lot of interesting apples including heirloom apples. It’s quite a hike from my house.
I did not know there is a such a big peach farm in Warren. Maybe, I’d make a trip there but not this year 