North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Jim Fruth <jfruth@uslink.net>]

    A problem that I have with growing peaches here in zone 3 is that the
trees don't always harden off when they should.  I think there may be a way
to get them to do that:  Years ago, I worked at a nursery in Central
California, in the City of Merced.  Summer rain was rare and many/most
plants survived by irrigation.  Common Lilac was one of those plants and it
wouldn't bloom.  By experiment, we learned that if we cut off the water to
lilacs in September, that they went into dormancy early and would bloom the
following Spring.
    Some of my peach trees are planted on a slope so I plan to cover the
ground around them 12' to 20' with polyethylene to get any rain water to
flow away rather than soak in.  I'm hoping one of you would try a similar
thing and we can compare notes.
-- 

Jim Fruth
Brambleberry Farm
Pequot Lakes, MN
www.bberryfarm.com
Jams, Jellies and Syrups