Strange weather - Will it get our blooms and fruit?

[mrsg47]

Bart, thank you so much! This is an excellent article and taught me a lot. I now know for certain that I have some peach buds that survived and others that unfortunately did not make it. Thanks again!

[clarkinks]

More wild weather swings in Kansas. Early this week it was weather Florida and California would be jealous of and now We are back to being a Northern state again. No wonder we had tornado warnings here and touchdowns in parts of the state. Kansas is right in the middle of everything so one day your warm and the next your cold which is why we get so many tornadoes.

[TurkeyCreekTrees]

It looked the same outside here a couple of hours ago. The snow is gone already and the sun is trying to peak through. The ground already has a good amount of heat stored in it.

[Derby42]

Still coming down here,

[warmwxrules]

Wow…

time to put on some Christmas music, make some eggnog…that snow may protect those blooms.

[thecityman]

I’m certainly not the first one to post this, but we have a lot of new members and I think this is one of the most helpful tools a person can have during these spring freezes.

This is a chart that tells you what temperatures your tree’s buds, blooms, and fruitlets will be killed. It even includes photos to help you figure out what stage your trees are in and how much cold they can take. I find it to be an extremely helpful document and hope those of you who haven’t seen it before will as well.

https://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/pub__5191779.pdf

[mamuang]

Kevin,
Check post # 697 that Bart posted above. You can evaluate any damage you fruit buds may suffer. They have good pictures to show, too.

It is amazing to see that flowers from the same cluster did not suffer the same fate. There is hope.

[thecityman]

That is another one that has been posted here before and which I like. Hopefully between the one I re-posted that shows people what they can expect to happen at various temperatures and the one Bart posted showing what to look for AFTER the cold temperatures, people will be better prepared- including me!

Hope you don’t loose as much as you did last year, but it definitely looks like its my turn to not have any stone fruit for a year.

[Mickster]

If a plum is done flowering and small fruits are forming (they are the size of a pea) will a 25 degree temperature spell destroy the crop? I suspect so but wanted to check with the experts before cracking a beer to drown my no plums this year sorrow. Supposed to hit 25 this week.

[Olpea]

Best crack a beer. I’ve found those charts fairly accurate, perhaps even a tiny bit optimistic. They are based on 1/2 hr. low temps. Many times the low temps last longer than 1/2 hr. If it really gets down to 25F, any fruitlets formed will be gone.

Weather is terrible here too. We lost a lot of fruit buds from the winter cold, and will loose just about everything if the temps get as low as I see some predictions. Predicted lows to be anywhere from 18F to 21F.

[thecityman]

Sam- I’m not sure how many people will understand what you just described, but I absolutely do. When a thick, large flock takes off it does sort of look like the whole ground is moving. And if you’ve not seen them until they take off, it will scare the #$%^ out of you! Around here we sometimes have flocks of almost 100 turkeys! Just 15 years ago you were lucky to see 2-3 wild Turkeys. TWRA says its their management, I’m not so sure but I will say their population growth has been amazing.

[ztom]

Mickster -> I don’t know about plums, but I have had tart cherries form fruitlets then get hit by freezing temperatures. They looked a little brown the next day and a little shriveled, but they kept growing. As they matured, they looked less and less damaged and eventually produced normal tasting fruit with maybe some cosmetic damage. I don’t know if that is the norm or they just barely escaped the edge of what they could take. Also, tart cherries are pretty hardy, not sure what type of plums you have.

[clarkinks]

It’s a great day to plant fruit trees so I’m getting that done. It might be snowing but I’m still sweating! I’m going to get my new apple orchard finished today if I can. If I get a year off from harvesting fruit these trees are going to be looking wonderful.

[thecityman]

You’ve probably said and I’ve missed it, but how many apple trees are you putting in your new orchard? What varieties?

[clarkinks]

These are my new two dozen apples Could use some help picking out 2 dozen apple trees from this list.

[tonyOmahaz5]

Clark,

Once of these day I may stop by your Upick Orchard. I will picking some sweet little yellow pears and Drippin Honey pears. You better speed up. With these apple trees. BTW, how far are you from Worlds of fun.

Tony

[clarkinks]

I’m on your way or I could meet you there one day. Let me know when your in the area next time. It takes me a little over an hour to get there.

[hoosierquilt]

Well. It was 85 here today. Float in the pool weather.

Just sayin’ Welcome to come out to San Diego if you’re tired of the March snow!

[Olpea]

Well. It was 85 here today. Float in the pool weather.

Well, if I was there, I’d probably tip you over for that comment. Btw, there’s no hiding your a red head. No one but, would have all those freckles Pretty nail polish too.

[hoosierquilt]

Hah! Yup, all those freckles give my ginger-ness away, alas. And, that’s what about a gazillion inches of rain does to a S. California yard. I have some SERIOUS pruning ahead of me, there. And that’s sadly just one section of a large yard I have to hack away at. Ugh. All on me, too, as hubby has injured his back. Drat. Oh did I mention we’re smoking two whole chickens on the Traeger? Hashtag everybodyswelcome