Apples and early freeze

[wifezilla]

I was looking for information on apples and freezing because the weather this weekend is supposed to be TOTAL GARBAGE!


My pear has totally blossomed and my 2 apple trees are just starting. According to this chart I MIGHT be ok....

http://www.allaboutapples.com/backyard/budfreeze.htm

But in case they are full of it, what can I do for my fruit trees? Saturday night is supposed to get down to 29.

Again...

 

[Greenthumb18]

Sorry to hear that wifezilla, i hope that frost won't cause trouble for your fruit trees. I would cover them up in case frost does come though, that should help.
The weather sure has been cool the past few days but its starting to warm up on the east coast.

Good Luck!

 

[wifezilla]

I can cover one of the apple trees. The pear tree is too tall. The other apple tree...hummm....possible.

 

[Greenthumb18]

I can cover one of the apple trees. The pear tree is too tall. The other apple tree...hummm....possible.

Yeah try it, you never know!

 

[ducks4you]

! Wifezilla!!
Get out your blankets, borrow the tallest ladder you can, and throw them on top of your pear tree. WE had a frost Tuesday night, and the farmers who had planted corn that was already up, were really nervous. It turned out that none were lost because the ground was too warm. We did have frost on the windsheild of the car we left outside, but none on the ground. I imagine the warm ground will help YOU, too.
I lost all of my peaches about 5 years ago, when the blossoms froze.

 

[patandchickens]

You gotta be careful about putting sheets etc over the trees, though, as it is not too difficult to accidentally cause (sometimes-substantial) broken branches/twigs/spurs.

In all honesty, there is not really a whole lot we can do about the vicissitudes of weather, and at the end of the day, there just WILL be some years with poor tree-fruit crops due to a late frost. Makes the fruits of all the OTHER years all the sweeter

Good luck,

Pat

 

[ducks4you]

I looked at your forecast on weather.com--rain first, then freeze (30 degrees tonight), then the same through Sunday night. I would STILL cover them. You'll save the fruits further UP the limb.

 

[lupinfarm]

I covered mine last year with loose plastic, the kind you use for vapor barrier and I just lightly kind of tossed them on and secured them to some of the larger branches. Just make sure you're as careful as possible around those blossoms and smaller branches! I saved my nectarines last year doing this, though they later got eaten by bugs because they hadn't been dormant sprayed at whatever nursery they were from. Oh well, better luck this time LOL.

 

[wifezilla]

there just WILL be some years with poor tree-fruit crops due to a late frost.

Yeah, I lost all the apples last year. I WANT SOME FREAKING APPLES this time!


And hubby wonders why I wanted them trimmed.

 

[ducks4you]

We should do more searches. Here are some other ideas:
String Christmas lights on your fruit tree--
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/hobbies/article_452.shtml
Here's HOW to cover your trees with either blankets or plastic--
http://www.ehow.com/how_5809195_save-fruit-trees-spring-freeze.html
Cover with roofing paper and mulch--
http://www.ehow.com/how_5527275_keep-fruit-trees-freezing.html
Fill gallon jugs with water--
http://www.gardenguides.com/77972-save-fruit-trees-spring-freeze.html

Do you have cardboard or newspaper to put on the tree first, then cover?--I know that the residents of concentration camps used to stuff their clothes with newspaper to keep warm in the European winters.

Hope this helps--OH, I don't think I'd put "fairy" type Christmas lights--I'd use LARGE outdoor lights. I've seen them melt snow, so it might help.