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  • From: Jay Cutts <orders@cuttsreviews.com>
  • To: mailing list at ibiblio - Northamerican Allied Fruit Experimenters <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [nafex] Protecting trees from late frost
  • Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2016 20:54:34 -0600

Folks, I wanted to share a current experiment I'm working on to try to protect fruit trees from late spring frosts. I'm in NM at 7000. We almost never get any standard fruit because of the late frosts.

I've been trying to design and build tents that would go over the trees on those nights when there could be a frost after the trees have flowered. I've been using PVC piping and connectors to create a lightweight framework over the trees (they are all small trees). I'm working on a running power out to the fields where the trees are and setting up a system of 30 watt outdoor halogen spotlights so that I can put one in each tree tent. The tents will be covered by 6 mil plastic on cold nights.

We have ferocious winds here in the spring. I'm experimenting with a system of staking down the frames and using bungee cord to hold the plastic in place.

It struck me recently that there are often only one or two nights of frost that ruin the season's crops. On other nights the plastic would not be put up on the frames and so wind would not be an issue.

To make this system work I need to stick with true dwarf trees. Semi-dwarves would become too big to cover.

Another advantage of the frames is that it would allow me to cover plants with bird netting when fruits are ripe and also to shade certain plants that are not very tolerant of our high UV.

Anybody had any experience with what I'm trying to achieve?

Regards,

Jay

Jay Cutts
Director, Cutts Graduate Reviews
Lead Author, Barron's MCAT Prep Book
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Lead Author, Barron's LSAT Prep Book
(505)-281-0684
10 am to 10 pm Mt Time, 7 days

On 10/11/2016 8:41 PM, Jim Fruth wrote:
Apparently I should have mentioned...................The isolated pear tree out in the countryside produces viable seed. My own pear tree that has suddenly started to bear fruit produces seeded fruits. No seedless fruits here.


-----Original Message----- From: Alan Haigh
Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2016 6:31 AM
To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [nafex] pear pollination

Pears are quite capable of parthenocarpy under the right spring
conditions. If days in early spring are warm and sunny, many varieties
will bear a full crop of seedless fruit. When S. CA had a commercial
Bartlett industry some growers didn't even plant other varieties in their
orchard according to Childers in his classic "Fruit Science".

I suspect that this is the reason for confusion over what varieties are
self-fruitful- it all depends.
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