To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] apricot flowering/honey bees
Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2007 17:48:28 -0400
On Apr 24, 2007, at 5:21 PM, Karen Kellogg wrote:
My zone 5 (NW Conn) largest apricot burst into bloom today, a week or
so later than usual. . .
My only apricot, Puget Gold, burst into bloom yesterday. (E Mass.,
zone 6) The buds had all swollen before the sharp freeze, and I was
afraid I had lost them, but the ovaries look green and sticky, and it
looks like there's pollen, so I'm optimistic. I haven't noticed any
pollinators, but I often don't. One bumblebee at mid-day when I'm at
work is enough to do the job. Nonetheless, I plan to spend a couple
of minutes with a cue-tip, just in case.
What a difference a day or two of warm weather makes. Friday nothing
had bloomed, by Sunday the apricot was about to bloom, the early
daffodils had opened, the forsythia were getting going, and the
peonies had grown about 6 inches (since Friday.) The apples are at
green tip, the currents are showing green, sap is dripping from the
grapevine, and it looks like spring.