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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Preventing early bloom - Donna's comment

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  • From: Jwlehman@aol.com
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Preventing early bloom - Donna's comment
  • Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2006 14:27:11 EDT

In a message dated 4/5/2006 10:33:20 PM Eastern Standard Time, tanisgrif@yahoo.com writes:


When trying to dig too early in the spring, I've found frozen soil under thick mulch
well after the soil had thawed under mowed sod

.

What Tanis writes is true. I've noted the same and I believe thick (somewhat) dry mulch could delay bloom.

Now for the reverse. The American persimmon are one of the last trees in this area to break bud. I've always wanted to see if regular watering of (solar) heated water beginning maybe 4 weeks before normal budbreak will bring on earlier bud break. 

Doug Campbell, Ont. Canada, some years back reported he did such with two transplanted persimmon trees by coiling up several lengths of garden hose around the tree and at intervals emptied the heated water around the base. He reported they broke bud earlier than non transplanted trees within a few feet. In my experience it is unusual for recently transplanted persimmon trees to break bud before those established. One advantage these two trees must have had was lose soil from the transplanting and am suggesting the warmed water was better able to penetrate into the roots thus enabling warming.

I'd like to see some member of this net with more time than I and with a surplus of garden hose duplicate his findings except using established small trees not recently transplanted. Someone on sandy soil would likely be best. If you are in zone 5, now is the time to start the experiment.

Jerry
Chair, NAFEX American Persimmon Interest Group.



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