71° F here in Middle Tennessee yesterday 
raining and a bit cooler today but I am sure many things are going to start waking up!
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In 10 or so days that heat will be back…and might hang around for a few days…
Not exactly fruit trees breaking bud, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen my asparagus start to push in early February before. At least I can just throw some mulch over these if a particularly cold patch of weather threatens.
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Plus, freeze burning them to the ground will only represent one cut of the harvest. Maybe you can pile up straw now and harvest the delicacy of white asparagus in March.
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Peaches are at “first swell.” The 10% kill temp is 18°F, and 90% kill temp is 1°F. I have a decent chance at a crop, but I’ll probably see at at least some degree of loss.
The “good” news is the forecast is chilly enough that they shouldn’t advance much in the next 10 days.
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I was just out looking at my trees in the orchard and noticed I have a slight problem. Apparently the trees haven’t received the memo yet that it’s only February. I have a plum that is already starting to flower, a red delicious apple that is budding out, and a Kieffer pear which is leafing out. I have also noticed a chokeberry sapling that I have healed in is also almost fully leafed out. I have not yet wwinter pruned. The chokeberry I’m wondering if I should just leave it healed in or if I should plant it and bring it inside.
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thats not good!
I agree with moose, not looking encouraging. Where are you? Seems super early for any Z7 but coastal far N. CA may be that and my sister who lives there has flowering blueberry plants already. However it is very unlikely her temps will drop below 24 degrees F so shell probably get fruit from them. Blueberries are very reliable.
J. plums are always more iffy here than E’s because they flower about a week earlier in a “normal” year.
I’m a little south of Raleigh NC. Our last frost date is 4/15.
We’re not that far behind you here in S.Central Kentucky. Half inch leaves on some crab apples. Crocus been in bloom a week. Couple early daffodils about to pop. Honeyberry has leaves. Sunshine Blue blueberries about to bloom. And we’ve had a foot of rain and 4 inches of snow in 2020 already.
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Here in S. NY the prediction is for single digits F. on Friday, which has me worried just for my slightly swollen buds. Last time a similar event happened I lost much of my nect harvest and earliest peaches.
This doesn’t really count much towards unusual weather because Mahonia bloom during the winter. I had to take a pause to appreciate this sign of life so early in the season by Pennsylvania standards.
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Beautiful flowers anyway. Your apricots aren’t budding out yet?
I don’t grow any apricots right now but buds on a Satsuma plum, Hosui pear, and Intrepid peach are all swelling. I’m happy for the colder nights and hope that will delay things long enough.
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My Ozark Premier Plum is just one step behind yours. If a tree is small enough to cover and can be hand pollinated, is there any point in doing so? All my peaches are ready to pop AND my bees did not make it. What the heck? It is breaking my heart.
What variety are the Peaches?They usually can be wind pollinated.bb
Sounds like I was worried about pollination, but really I was just upset about potentially losing two things–peaches blooming too early and bees.
I have reliance, belle of georgia, blushing star, redhaven, elberta, loring, redskin. In late march I am getting sauzee swirl and white lady (I love whites)
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Very few peaches are not compatible with their own pollen and I think you are right that breezes may help the pollen to reach the pistil, the first phase of seed production. It seems like even just tapping branches would accomplish this.
To my other question, is it worth trying to cover the fruit tree to prevent freeze if it is small enough to be covered (or if you have a cover that big). I have used king sized sheets and other material previously, but I’m not sure that I didnt knock off as many blooms as I saved.