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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] cold night

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  • From: "Kieran and/or Donna" <holycow@frontiernet.net>
  • To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] cold night
  • Date: Thu, 13 May 2010 08:46:30 -0500

We'll spray them with
water... and cross our fingers.

Maria,
Aaaahhh, it's too late for me to warn you! You put the water on the ground, not on the trees! They figured this out after I myself had damaged or witnessed damage to a number of trees that were sprayed during cold nights.
Take note you all, the water goes on the ground, and the heat from the water rises and warms the trees and air. Water on the trees in small amounts seems to cool the tree even further via evaporation. I did this to a peach tree once, it was badly damaged as a result though the unsprayed peaches were just fine, they didn't even lose their blossoms. In large amounts the water freezes on the branches and breaks the tree. In large enough amounts the leaves inside the ice seem to be ok, but if the branch they are on is broken, its a moot point. I don't remember where I got this info, but it makes sense, esp compared to the disastrous effects of water on the tree. I read about it not too long before the Big Easter Freeze Disaster, and told Hector Black the night before it happened. He was already set up to spray the water over the plants, and can probably tell you what happens when you spray water on blooming blueberry bushes at 18 degrees. At least I only covered mine with plastic, which did nothing really to help in the wind. Donna




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