After a too warm late winter and so an early start into the springtime this week the frost stroke back. It’s the same old game every year. Indeed the problem of late night frost occurs every year until the middle of May. But the damage to plants especially blooming fruit trees and shrubs varies always. Often it is not a too heavy problem and only one variety will be effected. Sometimes in a worst case scenario all fruits are targeted. One is blooming at that time the other one has fruits yet. Maybe both are damaged and the crops are lost. That case is thankfully quite seldom.
This week the nights were not so extremely cold but it was enough to hit some plants seriously. It was quite humid before and the leaves were soaked up. Some might have been a little too early sprouting for the season. It is complicated and natural and you cannot do much about it. But it can be really annoying when it comes down at the wrong day. What’s pissing me off this year is the fact that we had no frost nights for weeks any more. And now at a critical point it is there.
It is still not clear how far the damage goes. What I figured out so far is:
- Grapevine – all leaves are frozen to death
- Apple – damaged blossom … they were full opened that time
- Gooseberry – found frozen berries
- Currant – found frozen berries
- Pear – fruits seem to be effected, unsure how bad
- Cherry – fruits seem okay
- Plum – fruits seem okay
- Quince – the blossom was still closed that time, so okay I guess
- Blueberry – were blooming, no idea if damaged
At the moment it is too early to figure out what the summary of damaged fruit will turn out though. Fact is so far that I am absolutely concerned about apple crops.
I made some pictures dating from Friday, April 26
