North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Martha Davis <martha_davis@earthlink.net>]

My main issue for delaying bloom is apricots.  It is much easier to plan ahead for that, than to accomplish it after the trees are planted.  The traditional location for apricots in this area is to plant them on the north or northeast side of a building or evergreen tree, due to some delay of bloom.  In addition plant something with high chill requirements ( here if possible 1000 hours)  high heat requirement after the chill is satisfied before blooming and general late blooming.  I think the mulch over frozen ground would make some difference, but air temps seem to be a major factor here.  We often get a week of 70ties in Feb ad go back to the teens and twenties for a month.  Lots of fluctuating temperatures.  I have a lot of different kinds of apricots top worked on my trees to try and identify varieties that will work here.  So far many grafts are just starting to be big enough to give me some data. In a few years I'll know something.  This last year the bloom season was late enough that a partially leafed out willow provided some protection from radiative frost and I had good fruit on half of my earliest tree.

Martha