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Putnam Ct.

We are forecasted to have temps in the teen tonight and my fruit trees all have buds flowering or close to it .Is there anything I can do to protect them from these temps ? Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks Gene

3/26/2012 6:33:34 AM

Baker City Oregon

One highly effective trick that I use is to string Christmas lights Starting at the bottom scaffolds at the outside and working up. You don't have to go all the way to the top as heat rises. I use the old incandescent type lights and not the little blinky type. You could also probably use Some sort of heat lamp or other type incandescent. I remember a guy who years ago had strings of the yellow bug light incandescent on his espaliered pear trees and they stayed up all year. Hope this gives you some ideas. Oh, and you really don't need to turn them on until the temperature reaches near freezing. Probably 33 to be safe.

3/26/2012 8:30:01 AM

Sheridan . NY

2 Ideas-- spraying with 0-0-25 -at full rate wet trees down real good 18-24 hrs be for frost----Or run sprinkles all night ---were going to run sprinklers tonight and sprayed 0 0 6 yesterday-----we have 65 pear trees that are 1/4 open and there talking 25 deg's tonight --GOOD luck to all--

3/26/2012 9:51:47 AM

Baker City Oregon

That's a good suggestion 'old man'. My method is not practical for a sizable orchard.

3/26/2012 9:58:47 AM

Bethlehem CT

Old man what does the 0-0-25 do? I am crossing my fingers here, It is ten O'clock and the temp is down to 31 already. I have got peach blossoms with a good amount of pink showing. I don't know if they can tolerate temps in the teens at this stage in the game. I think apples will be O.K. still. I am glad I don't have any Japanese plum trees as I bet they will be toast tonight.

3/26/2012 10:29:22 PM

Sheridan . NY

Big moon-- Potassium is as you know is the last number on the fertlizer bag----0 0 25 -It acts as a riper for all thing that grow tells the BP;S to thickin up and finish up for a worlds record----In a fruit buds thats parshally open when sprayed on a tree it gets in to the tree and says --stop contract its the end of the year let hold buds for winter---gives a 3-4 deg hold on partly open buds---We had 19 degs here last night so it didnt work--but i was up all night maning the sprinklers---we will know the story after lunch when i cut some bud in half-----shshba!%*#$!!

3/27/2012 7:50:26 AM

Sheridan . NY

GO to seach>> Potassium frost buds---it will explain it--

3/27/2012 8:28:44 AM

Putnam Ct.

Thanks for the help everyone, I set up sprinklers to prevent damage,keeping fingers crossed thanks Gene

3/27/2012 12:17:33 PM

Sheridan . NY

Green Gene - You will need to run the sprinlers till the ice melts off in the morin when it warms up --you can search -> frost bud sprinking it will explain the whole deal

3/27/2012 1:03:35 PM

Bethlehem CT

We had 23 degrees here, peach buds look O.K. when cut in half. The magnolias are all mush, the forsythia faired just fine. All bud growth is stopped dead in it's tracks now that more seasonable weather is in place. Thanks for the info on Potassium. I didn't know that.

3/28/2012 10:27:11 PM