North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Matt Demmon <mdemmon@gmail.com>]

I find it really interesting wandering around my yard and seeing what is
damaged by late frosts and what is not. Varies tremendously by temperature
and stage of leafing out and species! Most 'hardy' species are not damaged
at all by light frosts. However, kiwi seems to be the most sensitive once
leafed out, and blackens at any degree of frost. On the other hand,
honeyberry seems to be able to handle down to about 10 F even if leafed out.
Everything else falls in between!

Matt, where nothing has leafed out yet at all!
z5 se MI

On Fri, Apr 1, 2011 at 3:54 PM, <Hilborn.E@epamail.epa.gov> wrote:

> I am having a bad fruit week. Some background - we have had a really
> warm late winter/ early spring. We have had no frost for weeks, with a
> few sunny days even reaching the mid 80s (F). However, this week we had
> a freeze to 27 degrees F at my house on Tuesday AM.
>
>  Now, I did have a forecast to tell me it was coming. I dutifully went
> out and covered my kiwi vines which are in their third spring at my
> site. Both hardy and fuzzy kiwi had started leafing out in the
> unseasonable warmth. My first action was to disconnect supports and to
> try to lay them down on the ground, no, too woody. I managed to bend
> primary cordons somewhat closer to the center of each plant.  I covered
> the plants with heavy cloth or plastic  tarps to the ground. Sealed the
> edges of the covers with clothespins, sealed the tarp to the ground with
> hay, I also put multiple buckets of water under each tarp.  With kiwis
> that were close to large wooden uprights of the trellis, I tried to make
> bundles of wood and plant material under each tarp with water buckets in
> the center of the protected space near the main 'trunks'.
>
> The next morning after the temperature had increased to near 40 degrees,
> I uncovered and inspected.
>
> The few kiwis buds that were still pretty tight seemed OK, as were the
> partially opened buds within 2 feet of the ground (each male). The hardy
> varieties had leafed out with about an inch of vigorous growth and all
> the foliage was limp and rapidly turning black when I lifted the cover.
> I am not sure how much damage was due to my plastic tarp covering one
> plant as the air was hot under the tarp as I opened it, the cloth covers
> apparently did not retain heat as the rising sun hit the covers.  The
> one bright spot was about 5 buds and leaf clusters of the older female
> that survived the freeze seemingly unaffected as the leaves were laying
> flat with direct ground contact under the tarp.
>
> As I toured the orchard to inspect uncovered plants I noticed that the
> pomegranate had started leafing out with tender material less than 1/4
> ". All burned crispy. The blueberries in full (mostly closed) flowers
> and small leaves seemed OK, the apples and pears ranged from slightly
> opening leaf and flower buds to new leaves and small, set fruit - all
> seemed OK although I noticed the edges of some fully open apple blossoms
> were brown.  New blackberry leaves also seemed OK. My Nanking cherries
> in flower and with small fruit looked a little burned but may be OK.   I
> will watch and see what the longer term consequences are. I am amazed to
> see some unexpected sights, my emerging asparagus that was covered had
> transparent shoots Tuesday AM, they looked heavily damaged. I viewed
> them last evening and they seemed for the most part to be recovering!
> They were more opaque with no signs of necrosis. I will watch to see if
> they leaf out normally.
>
> This AM, I awoke to ice on the cars despite overnight lows forecast in
> the high 30s. My thermometer said 37 F before dawn!  I did not cover
> anything. I am afraid to go look at the few kiwi leaves that survived
> Tuesday AM.
>
> Betsy Hilborn
> 7a Central NC
>
>
>
>
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