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Posted: 5/5/2020 9:34:13 PM EDT
[#1]
 Both trees are like this! |
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Posted: 5/5/2020 9:45:33 PM EDT
[#2]
They *should* tolerate an overnight dip just below freezing... say to 29+ or so, with minimal loss, for a single night. Multiple nights or any colder and yeah, no buds. How old are the trees?
Any non plastic options? Hun, I really dont know how your Grandmother's hand-crocheted table cloth ended up on that apple tree, much less the guest rooms bed sheets! Eta: In the event it's not obvious, neither SME nor entirely sober. |
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Posted: 5/5/2020 10:49:04 PM EDT
[#3]
Trees are about 9 or 10 years old.
Nothing other than the plastic unfortunately. |
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Posted: 5/6/2020 12:16:45 AM EDT
[#4]
well they used to burn tires to deal with this but that would be frowned apon these days.
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Posted: 5/6/2020 2:03:42 AM EDT
[#5]
You could mist them down with water the way orchards do.
Might save the buds that are showing color. Doubt it will save the fully open blooms. If you leave the plastic on there the whole time, you're going to get some damage from that (based on my experience leaving coverings on too long.) First..you need air flow. Second...if the sun comes out, you're going to cook the foliage third...hmmmm I dunno what the third point is honestly. Hell, it might work. the temperature hit the trees will take is EASIER on the trees if it's gradual...like it gets colder, colder colder, then coldest, then starts to warm up again. If you leave the plastic on there, I have no idea how that affects the trees. It SEEMS like it would make the trees get WARMER during the day, and then the nighttime cold hit would be worse..but... Maybe not. This is definitely above my pay grade. |
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Posted: 5/6/2020 9:10:20 AM EDT
[#6]
Well, I guess I'll try and take the plastic off every morning, hopefully it's not windy.
I'll secure a pole of some sort to the bucket of the skid loader, use that as a long crane arm, then kiddo on the ground to help set it. Actually, I have a better idea.... |
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Posted: 5/6/2020 9:48:33 AM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: You could mist them down with water the way orchards do. Sprinklers FTW, I quit covering things up years ago. Just set out the sprinklers earlier in the day and verify good coverage then I monitor the temp overnight. When it gets down to about 30/31 I turn the sprinklers on until the sun comes up. |
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Posted: 5/6/2020 10:35:27 AM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Sprinklers FTW, I quit covering things up years ago. Just set out the sprinklers earlier in the day and verify good coverage then I monitor the temp overnight. When it gets down to about 30/31 I turn the sprinklers on until the sun comes up. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: You could mist them down with water the way orchards do. Sprinklers FTW, I quit covering things up years ago. Just set out the sprinklers earlier in the day and verify good coverage then I monitor the temp overnight. When it gets down to about 30/31 I turn the sprinklers on until the sun comes up. I could not have planted these trees further from a hydrant if I tried. Well, maybe if I really tried, but yeah. I have enough hose to reach them, but barely. |
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Posted: 5/6/2020 11:04:15 AM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Rat_Patrol: How wet do you need to keep them? I could not have planted these trees further from a hydrant if I tried. Well, maybe if I really tried, but yeah. I have enough hose to reach them, but barely. It only works for a few degrees. I'm not an orchard keeper so I've never done this with fruit trees. Interested in the answer. If I remember right (and I may not, precisely), the thermal release from the water freezing actually keeps the buds and blooms warm enough to help them. That's a mighty small thermal release. But it's worked for fruit growers for decades now. ETA: I *think* what you need is a constant light wetting. But it does have to keep happening, because each time the thin coating of water hits the freezing point, BOOM, you have a thermal release right there. Then you need another, and another. |
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Posted: 5/6/2020 11:13:18 AM EDT
[#10]
Right now, the minimum forecast low is 31, but we tend to get about 2-3 degrees colder than forecast, at least in our "orchard" area. There are many mornings where there is a frost down there, but nothing up by the house (up hill).
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Posted: 5/7/2020 7:04:11 PM EDT
[#11]
You could do an experiment for us and leave one covered?
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Posted: 5/7/2020 7:48:00 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted: You could do an experiment for us and leave one covered? |
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Posted: 5/7/2020 11:00:06 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Not risking my potentially awesome apple harvest I just put in a new little orchard of 20 trees over the past few weeks that I plan to manage more intently and hopefully overcome my battle with cedar rust this time. |
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Posted: 5/8/2020 12:08:21 AM EDT
[#14]
Well, the plastic didn't work. With the materials I had on hand, and the time I had available, it was just too flimsy to get it over the tree.
I drug a couple hundred feet of hose down there and hooked up the sprinkler. |
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Posted: 5/8/2020 9:03:54 AM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: It only works for a few degrees. I'm not an orchard keeper so I've never done this with fruit trees. Interested in the answer. If I remember right (and I may not, precisely), the thermal release from the water freezing actually keeps the buds and blooms warm enough to help them. That's a mighty small thermal release. But it's worked for fruit growers for decades now. ETA: I *think* what you need is a constant light wetting. But it does have to keep happening, because each time the thin coating of water hits the freezing point, BOOM, you have a thermal release right there. Then you need another, and another. Been reading on this a bit due to the fact we are supposed to hit 25-26 tonight, and my apricots, nectarines, peaches, and cherries have blossomed and my apple trees are getting ready to. It seems that with using the sprinklers the goal is to keep it constantly wet, the freezing temp of the water should stay at roughly 32 degrees but if for some reason it doesnt keep getting new water on it, it will actually cause more damage to the flower. sources I've been reading: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/using_sprinklers_to_protect_plants_from_spring_freezes https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/fruit_freeze_resources https://www.canr.msu.edu/uploads/files/PictureTableofFruitFreezeDamageThresholds.pdf |
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Posted: 5/8/2020 10:05:41 AM EDT
[#16]
Sprinklers ran fine all night. All plants in the yard look normal, as in I'm not sure we had a frost, but the apple trees be like:
 |
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Posted: 5/8/2020 10:00:10 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Rat_Patrol: Sprinklers ran fine all night. All plants in the yard look normal, as in I'm not sure we had a frost, but the apple trees be like: https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/165887/KIMG1659_JPG-1406471.jpg Well, you know you got below freezing then. |
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Posted: 5/8/2020 10:22:29 PM EDT
[#18]
Trees looked perfectly fine this evening, buds and all.
I turned the sprinklers on again tonight 
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Posted: 5/8/2020 10:43:01 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Rat_Patrol: Trees looked perfectly fine this evening, buds and all. I turned the sprinklers on again tonight 
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Posted: 5/14/2020 3:08:08 PM EDT
[#20]
Did that work out the last hard freeze, two nights ago?
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Posted: 5/14/2020 9:09:40 PM EDT
[#21]
I know there were pics with ice on apple buds....why am I not seeing that? It's like part of the thread isn't loading.
 Okay there they are. Had to close everything and reload. If my internet gets any slower I could walk up there and chat with you about your trees by the time the window loads. 
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Posted: 5/14/2020 10:16:01 PM EDT
[#22]
Well, after putting a thick ice accumulation on all 3 of my apple trees with blossoms, I can safely report that it appears to have worked.
If I think about it, I'll take a pic tomorrow 
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Posted: 5/14/2020 10:30:12 PM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Well, after putting a thick ice accumulation on all 3 of my apple trees with blossoms, I can safely report that it appears to have worked. If I think about it, I'll take a pic tomorrow Awesome! Great save. I'll be running drip irrigation to my new little orchard - will have to make sure I plan for a way to also run a sprinkler if needed. |
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Posted: 5/15/2020 9:54:43 PM EDT
[#24]
   
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Posted: 5/16/2020 3:08:13 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Rat_Patrol: https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/165887/KIMG1667_JPG-1417718.jpghttps://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/165887/KIMG1668_JPG-1417717.jpghttps://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/165887/KIMG1669_JPG-1417716.jpghttps://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/165887/KIMG1670_JPG-1417715.jpg Fantastic news!  FWIW, I believe orchards use mist heads, to keep the droplets as fine as possible. Don't hold me to that without doing some research. Mist heads are not too expensive, though it takes a certain combination of pressure and size of head to get the mist high enough into the air to reach the tops of the trees. This is all very, very vague in the back of my brain from long ago lectures by orchardists in my area, and it's been long enough that my brain may well be spitting out some good data and some that is a bit...corrupt. 
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Posted: 5/24/2020 10:52:25 PM EDT
[#26]
I am astounded, even down to 29F that saved thise blossoms.
Thanks for sharing |
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Posted: 5/25/2020 12:31:28 AM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I am astounded, even down to 29F that saved thise blossoms. Thanks for sharing Yep I think 28 is about the limit of it, if I remember correctly. Maybe 27? Gosh the years take away a lot. 
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Posted: 5/25/2020 12:39:15 AM EDT
[#28]
OH!
@Rat_Patrol @kallnojoy I remember seeing photos of orchards with Loooooooong extensions on the sprinklers, so the mist head was probably 5-6' high, so it shot the mist way into the air and covered the tree like a fine dew falling (yes. Yes, I know) all night long. So when you set up your orchards for future, you might look at those pics. Just a bit of pipe and an elbow is all it takes to get the mist heads high enough to cover semi-dwarf trees. |
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