The last few years it’s been the first week of May for serviceberries and Am. plums. Usually mid way thru the 2nd week of May for pears, with early blooming apples/crabs overlapping by the end of that week. Most apples/crabs from mid to late May. Court Pendu Plat oftentimes into early June
It’s still winter. I have some stone fruit starting to bloom
The first flower buds are starting to swell on Hollywood plum. The stone fruits in the garage have very round flower buds. We are expecting warm weather this weekend and I would not be surprised if a few flowers opened on Hollywood. Some of my brambles are also showing signs of waking up. Contender peach and my Tlor & Sugar Pearls apricots are only showing the first signs of bud formation. I will do my pruning soon and hopefully get some good scion from the garage trees to graft outdoors.
This has been a proper 6a Winter at my location. It will give me a good idea of whether or not the varieties I chose are hardy enough.
Feb 28 - South Mtn EB Plumcot had a couple blossoms open. First to bloom.
March 2 - South Mtn EB Plumcot, AU Rosa and Spring Satin Plumcot were about 1/4 bloom. Shiro had a couple blossoms open.
Today 3/7… South Mtn EB Plumcot, AU Rosa, Spring Satin and Shiro are all at near full bloom.
Beauty, Superior and Vic Red American were all between 1/4 and 1/2 bloom.
Alderman had not bloomed any yet. Many buds still looked somewhat dormant but a few had turned light green color.
I have 2 grafts of AU Cherry plum … that were added last year.. looks like they may not bloom this year.
It looks like Alderman is going to be the Winner again this year for last to bloom… looks like it may be several more days before any blossoms open on it. It will be my most likely to survive late frosts.
I am going to graft over part of my AU Rosa… with Alderman scion this spring… also with some Waneta and Toka… in hopes that they are later bloomers too.
TNHunter
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A lot of little leaves on my autumn olive today - it’s a bit early. It doesn’t start flowering till later here ( mid april) but the leaves come out first. I don’t really know when the best time is for grafting autumn olive. Suggestions?
I was going to try grafting some this week and then do a bit a week and see what works. I have a lot of scionwood and plants…
other than that I have some things that have swollen buds but no blooms yet.
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@benthegirl .. I dont have autumn olive here… it is on the TN no grow list (invasive).
But with persimmons, and anything else I have grafted… once you get small leaves (example above) coming on good… and you have a week of warm weather ahead. Good time to graft.
I have done that with goumi and had very good luck. That is probably as close to AO that I have.
TNHunter
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Saskatoon, haskap, and sour cherries will start the first week or two in May here. Last frost isn’t until the first week of June.
There’s still 2ft+ of snow on the ground and lows into -20’s C for the next couple weeks.
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@TNHunter Also invasive here! I have approximately an acre where it is the predominant thing and another 5 acres where it is interspersed and understory and everywhere (and I only have 10 acres of land).
The only way I’ve found to get rid of autumn olive is to cut to a stump and paint glyphosate concentrate on the cut stump. Even if I got rid of all mine, they’d just be back from birds and deer brining seeds in. I actually like the taste of the autumn olive fruit - I’m just annoyed by how the plants are everywhere and take everything over.
I’ve got a HUGE pile of sweet scarlet goumi scionwood I’m going to try and graft on some of the autumn olive. At least then the fruit quality would be improved!
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It might be just as quick, but I’ve had good results by pulling out the crown of the stem, usually by a whack or two of a mattock.
I’ll suggest something completely different that might actually be the most productive, and that is to engage the assistance of a friend (or more) who are enthusiastic about helping. I’m examining my life more and recognizing that having a brother-at-arms to partner with on projects provides me a much better outcome. My motivation can initially be lacking but with the help of a friend I am able to get cracking and get done what I’ve allowed to languish.
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My neighbor’s apricot tree is usually the first tree near me to start flowering in spring. I’m 95% sure it’s a Chinese Mormon apricot. It always flowers while we’re still getting frosts, and the flowers always survive those frosts. It started flowering around March 1st this year.
My yard’s first tree to start flowering was my Saturn peach, which started flowering around March 10th. The flowers are gorgeous — much bigger than my other peach trees’ flowers, and with a much deeper pink. The other peaches started to flower a few days after it did, and my Japanese plums started to flower about a week later. They’re all in full bloom right now.
Very exciting!
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looking back on notes and gooseberry & Arctic jay nectarine both start to flower early early April. toka plum even earlier, sometimes end of March.
plums start in earnest in mid April, apples begin mid to late April, pears run from april to May. pawpaw wake up in May with the peach flowers
the earliest flowers i see are hellebore and then lilac starting. March.
South Mtn Everbearing plumcot… started blooming 3/1
AU Rosa, Spring Satin Plumcot, Shiro… started blooming 3/3.
I will be replacing AU Rosa and Shiro with JA Hybrids Alderman, Waneta, Pipestone (which bloom later) over the next two seasons.
TNHunter