North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["V. Michael Bove, Jr." <vmb@teakettlefarm.com>]

21F this morning when I got up.  Myrobalans, black apricots, peaches,  
Nanking cherries blooming like mad, but I'm not expecting a lot of  
fruit from them...  (trifoliate orange blooming, too, but it won't be  
a bad thing if I don't get a lot of fruit from that -- there are only  
so many whisky sours one can drink).
Michael Bove
Teakettle Farm, Z6 (MA/RI border)

On Mar 27, 2012, at 9:51 AM, Maria Schumann wrote:

> We had 14 deg. F this morning.  I covered my kiwis with old sheep
> fleeces which were heavy enough that they didn't blow away.  We're
> hoping that the apples were in early enough bud development stage that
> they won't be totally hit.  We'll see!
>
> Maria
> Greensboro, VT
>
> On Mar 27, 2012, at 8:25 AM, Caren Kirk wrote:
>
> > Hey Steve,
> >
> > This morning had to bundle the kids up in full snow suits that they
> > haven't worn for about 3 weeks. Even they were happy to put them on!
> >
> > Feel like a doofus for pushing some of the mulch away from  some of  
> > my
> > plants last week. Probably sentenced them to a death if not severe
> > damage.
> >
> > At least the wind has died down here. With the sunshine it actually
> > looks quite beautiful out. Shame it's -10 deg C!
> >
> > Steve, as you said, we'll just  have to see what survives and
> > whether we
> > get any fruit at all!
> >
> > Courage!
> >
> > Caren.
> >
> > On 3/26/2012 10:31 PM, Steve wrote:
> > > I'm not covering anything. It's going to be too cold and too windy  
> > > to
> > > make any difference. Every time I check the forecast, it looks  
> > > worse.
> > > When they were predicting 12 degrees, I figured it was early and
> > > maybe
> > > it wouldn't end up being nearly that cold. No such luck. Here's
> > > what the
> > > national weather service has to say, now that Monday night is here:
> > >
> > > "Clear, with a low around 3. Wind chill values as low as -8. North
> > > wind
> > > between 6 and 10 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph."
> > >
> > > Those are Fahrenheit temperatures, of course. The only  
> > > "precaution" I
> > > took was to pick the daffodils that were in bloom and those showing
> > > color in the buds. I fully expect that flowers, leaves and  
> > > everything
> > > will be killed to the ground. I really don't know what it will do
> > > to the
> > > fruit trees. What a spring.
> > >
> > > Steve (in the Adirondacks)
> > >
> > >
> > > On 3/24/2012 11:04 AM, Caren Kirk wrote:
> > > >   Steve,
> > > >
> > > > As far as this list goes I'd say we're neighbours!
> > > >
> > > > Did my pruning yesterday, there was a lot more green on the cuts
> > > > than
> > > > usual although the buds were all still tightly closed.
> > > >
> > > > Strange insects about with the warm weather, worried that could be
> > > > a new
> > > > problem.
> > > >
> > > > Not worried too much apart from the apricot, can't do much about
> > > > it anyway.
> > > >
> > > > I am going to vigilantly monitor the precipitation though.  A
> > > > couple of
> > > > years back we had a very dry, warm spring and I lost a couple of
> > > > young
> > > > plants (including a young apple tree) and I strongly believe it was
> > > > through lack of water during the spring (never thought to water in
> > > > spring here previously). With the rapid melt and warm weather I
> > > > feel it
> > > > could go that way again. But who know, it could rain all next week!
> > > >
> > > > Good Luck for Monday, I've had a success protecting plants in the
> > > > autumn
> > > > with sheets and blankets, don't know if that's a viable option for
> > > > the
> > > > scale of your fruit production or if it even works in spring.
> > > >
> > > > Caren
> > > >
> > > > On 3/23/2012 12:13 AM, Steve wrote:
> > > > > We live fairly close to each other. You could drive to my house
> > > > > is less
> > > > > than 3 hours. After mid to upper 70s all week, I see the forecast
> > > > > low
> > > > > for Monday night is 12 degrees F (about -11 C). The apples and
> > > > > American
> > > > > Hybrid plums are showing green tips on the buds. The pears and
> > > > > European
> > > > > plums mostly are not showing green.
> > > > > Apples are so forgiving, I bet they will be OK. I'm not so sure
> > > > > about
> > > > > everything else.
> > > > >
> > > > > Steve in the Adirondacks
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > On 3/22/2012 1:49 PM, Caren Kirk wrote:
> > > > > >     Steve,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I'm suffering the same weather pattern as you with astonishingly
> > > > > > warm
> > > > > > weather beating all  existing records by over 10 degrees C.
> > > > > > Weathermen
> > > > > > say that it'll be over tomorrow but I'm stressed about getting my
> > > > > > pruning on the go all the same.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The yo-yo temperature pattern we experienced this winter seem to
> > > > > > be
> > > > > > continuing. I wonder how it will affect all my fruits.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Caren Kirk
> > > > > > St. Jerome QC
> > > > > >
> > > > > > On 3/19/2012 10:24 PM, Steve wrote:
> > > > > > > On 3/18/2012 10:22 PM, Steve wrote:
> > > > > > > > On 3/18/2012 2:34 PM, sherwin wrote:
> > > > > > > > > On 3/18/2012 12:49 PM, Steve wrote:
> > > > > > > > > > I'm thinking of going out and starting my pruning. It may
> > > > > > > > > > not seem early
> > > > > > > > > > to some of you but it's early here. I usually wait until
> > > > > > > > > > late April when
> > > > > > > > > > the chance of real cold weather is mostly over. I just
> > > > > > > > > > checked and our
> > > > > > > > > > normal high and normal low for this date is 37 and 14
> > > > > > > > > > degrees F.
> > > > > > > > > > Today it's already 70 degrees and the lows for the rest of
> > > > > > > > > > the week are
> > > > > > > > > > in the 40s. I think I'm going to start pruning, at least the
> > > > > > > > > > apples,
> > > > > > > > > > right now, even though it could easily get into the single
> > > > > > > > > > digits on any
> > > > > > > > > > given night for the next 3 or 4 weeks.
> > > > > > > > > > Does anyone think this is a mistake? Apples are pretty
> > > > > > > > > > forgiving but
> > > > > > > > > > what about my pears and plums?
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > Steve in the Adirondacks
> > > > > > > > >            Steve,
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > >            As far as I know, the main requirement for
> > > > > > > > > pruning is that the
> > > > > > > > > tree is dormant.
> > > > > > > > >            Otherwise, you are going to encourage more growth
> > > > > > > > > by pruning an
> > > > > > > > > actively
> > > > > > > > >            growing tree.  So it all depends on how soon you
> > > > > > > > > can get out to
> > > > > > > > > prune, weather
> > > > > > > > >            permitting.  With all this warm weather, if your
> > > > > > > > > trees have
> > > > > > > > > already woken up, you
> > > > > > > > >            may want to postpone your pruning, or at least
> > > > > > > > > limit it.  Cold
> > > > > > > > > weather should not
> > > > > > > > >            bother a freshly pruned tree.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > >                        Sherwin Dubren in Illinois
> > > > > > > > The trees are still pretty dormant, very slight bud
> > > > > > > > enlargement at the
> > > > > > > > very most. Actually, summer pruning would encourage less new
> > > > > > > > growth, but
> > > > > > > > I'm not really worried about any of that on the apples.
> > > > > > > > I was more concerned about a sudden return to very cold
> > > > > > > > weather causing
> > > > > > > > extra die back at the pruning cuts. Also some concern about
> > > > > > > > the pruning
> > > > > > > > cuts being open longer since there may be no growth to start
> > > > > > > > closing
> > > > > > > > them until May.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Steve
> > > > > > > I'm going to add that the high today was 73, the record high
> > > > > > > for the day
> > > > > > > (until now) was 63, and the record low for this date is 19
> > > > > > > below zero.
> > > > > > > Normal low is 15 above zero. It's going to feel like a real
> > > > > > > insult
> > > > > > > when/if the temperatures return to normal.    Steve
> > > > > > > __________________
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