North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Dan Nave <nave1@comcast.net>]

The weather forecast for freezing temperatures this next week in the upper Midwest changes daily, 
but it seems that it will happen on Monday and Tuesday night.

Because of the early spring and the early flowering and growth on many plants I want to avoid having 
the frost kill off all the flowers and juvenile fruit.  It seems that most of my plants have 
flowered or are flowering right now.  Apricots are pretty much done flowering, Nanking cherries have 
only a few blooms left, Plum is in mid bloom, Red and Black currants as well as Jostaberry are in 
mid bloom, Carmine Jewel Bush Cherry is starting to bloom, Shadbush Serviceberry is near end of 
bloom, and Regent Serviceberry is just ready to bloom.

 Bob Purvis has noted in the Apricot Interest Group that KDL (Potassium Dextrose Lactose) is a 
potassium spray which is supposed to give up to 7 degrees of additional protection during a freeze.  
In spite of a very, very strange Indian woman who answered the phone at Agro-K in NE Minneapolis and 
didn't want to tell me what the company hours were because she wanted to leave early on Good Friday, 
I managed to get a gallon of KDL for $22 plus tax.  The expert there mentioned Bob Purvis and 
recommended that we use 3 ounces per gallon and adjust the pH by adding 3 ounces of household white 
vinegar.

I had already gotten a Stanley brand 4 gallon Backpack Sprayer which is a little awkward to hoist 
around but once you get it on your back it is incredibly convenient and easy to use.  So, today I 
sprayed all the plants mentioned above with the KDL and will see how well everything comes through.  
Probably sprayed a bit heavier than I needed to, but...

Dan
Zone 4a 4b St. Paul, Minnesota