This collage will bring you up to date on the status of the orchard. Things are moving quickly and we very well could have blossoms popping open this afternoon.Saturday night we experienced a 31 degree freeze. The Apple Farmer started some fires throughout, hoping to alleviate some of the adverse effects. Last year's week long freeze has left us all a bit unsettled. A freeze at 28 degrees will kill about 10% of the crop. This year, however, 10% thinning would be a big help. The trees are loaded and it will be a huge challenge to thin them sufficiently.
Last night we experienced a 27 degree freeze. Once again, the Apple Farmer went out and lit fires. He took "Puff the Magic Dragon" with him. Puff is a propane torch that the Apple Farmer's father made for him. With Puff, the Apple Farmer was able to light small piles of prunings throughout the orchard until 4:00 am.
After preliminary blossom testing, the blossoms that show some frost damage are still green after cutting them open. It also appears that the strawberry patch and tart cherries have surrvived last night's freeze.
1 comment:
So glad to see you posting again. I almost called to see if you were okay. Glad you are well and busy and the frost hasn't gotten your crop.
Post a Comment