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nafex - [NAFEX] late bloomers for frost protection

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  • From: Alan Haigh <alandhaigh@gmail.com>
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [NAFEX] late bloomers for frost protection
  • Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:01:02 -0500

Of course the later bloomers are less likely to be damaged by late frost as long as the frost isn't so late blossoms are open.  This year I found out that peaches and nectarines are no more frost hardy  a week after petal fall then when in bloom as a mere 29 degrees destroyed much of my crop- especially the nects.  Apples were not damaged at all.  It was actually more than a week for peaches and several days after latest apples had lost petals.

The point is that there are no guarantees and a later flowering apple just gives you a slight advantage- one year it will assure you a crop maybe the next it will make no difference.  The only year we lost peaches here to winter freeze Reliance was as barren as Lady Nancy (known for fragile blossoms).   Another year a spring frost froze out later flowering peaches but we got crop on earlier ones- go figure.  Never had a year where peaches known to be fragile didn't  crop when the hardy ones did until this one.  That's in over 20 years of growing fruit in southeastern NY.

  • [NAFEX] late bloomers for frost protection, Alan Haigh, 07/30/2010

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