North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["MARIE ASHTON" <bwoodtx@verizon.net>]

Putting down a thick mulch covering the area of the roots (out to the ends 
of the limbs) will help delay bloom somewhat as it keeps the ground cooler. 
Just do not put the mulch right against the trunk of the tree as that could 
invite rabbit or mouse damage to the bark.

Dormancy is broken when the Air AND the Soil temperature meet the tree's 
requirements (it varies with different fruit).As an example we usually have 
a warm spell in January (70+degrees) that lasts about a week but not long 
enough to warm the soil so the trees do not break dormancy.

Planting trees on a slope will also reduce the chance of late frost damage.

And of course there is the basic method - plant varieties that have a late 
bloom.

Regards,
Richard Ashton
Oak Creek Orchard
www.oakcreekorchard.com
bwoodtx@verizon.net

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "William C. Garthright" <billg@inebraska.com>
To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 9:11 AM
Subject: [NAFEX] Delaying blooming/breaking dormancy


> > Use an latex interior paint diluted 50-50 with water and paint the
> > trunks up to the first limbs. ... One offshot of this is that your
> > trees will bloom a little later as the white color reflects the
> > sunlight and cools the trunks.
>
> Are there other tricks to delay blooming a bit? Or to keep a plant from
> breaking dormancy too early? I've tried using micro-climates where
> possible (planting in locations that get some shade when the winter sun
> is low, but full sun in the summer), but that's much easier said than
> done. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever done it successfully. It would be
> a lot easier if trees leafed out for the winter and then dropped their
> leaves in the spring! :-D   Perhaps I could rig up some kind of
> temporary sun-shade (that wouldn't just blow away in the wind)...
>
> Also, would a thick mulch over the roots delay a tree or vine from
> breaking dormancy or blooming too early by keeping the roots cooler?
> What really affects this, the air temperature, the ground temperature,
> or direct sunlight? Or all three?
>
> I've planted a few things that are unlikely to crop for me every year,
> and it's no problem if that's the way it's going to be (I assumed it was
> when I planted them). But there are also some interesting plants - such
> as hardy kiwi or edible honeysuckle - that are supposed to break winter
> dormancy easily in our fluctuating climate. So I'm curious if there are
> ways around this.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Bill
> Lincoln, NE (zone 5a)
>
> --
> The freethinking of one age is the common sense of the next. - Matthew
> Arnold
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