Maya
5 year old buck +
Merry Christmas all! I haven't been on here in a while, I've just been to busy at work, and a little hunting. (two does down) I've had a couple inquiries about this warm weather in the east and the effects on apples. Here's a couple things to think about and a quote from Terry Bradshaw, the head of the apple team here at UVM.....
Much of the whole talk of winter hardiness and winter kill quickly turns to cold tolerant trees and rootstock. That's been talked about here at nauseum and I want to take this thread in another direction. It's true that cold tolerance and winter kill can be attributed to the trees genetics but something not talked about here is weather's effects on apple trees winter health. Trees need time to "harden off" with a slow cooling which will protect the trees from winter's chill. When things have warmed up as they have here in the NE the past few days it "CAN" be harmful to your trees.
The following is an e-mail alert I got from UVM that better explains this and some thoughts on pruning......
"by Terence Bradshaw
I've had some growers inquire and there has been general chatter lately about the risk of pruning apples and grapes now, given the warm weather we've been having. My advice will apply equally to apple and grape growers, with lessening degrees of caution: hold off as long as you can.
The danger is two-fold. Plants may begin growth if warm weather continues, since most some (i.e., grapes, but not necessarily apples) may have seen the required chill hours needed to break dormancy. Continued, extended warm weather could cause buds to swell or break which would be very susceptible to winter cold. Even if buds stay closed, cold hardiness acclimation is a two-step process initiated by shortening day length (beginning back around August) and gradually decreasing temperatures. It is that last part that likely has perennial plants like apples and grapes in a less than fully acclimated state right now. Past research on pruning apples, grapes, and peaches in fall, and meteorologically, we're still in late fall, are less hardy to deep cold in mid-winter. I know many growers are going to be ready to get out in the field after the holiday, but if at all possible, wait as long as possible, or at least after a (hopefully gentle) cold snap. Gradually decreasing temperatures will allow plants to harden off better to withstand any cold that may come. Fresh pruning wounds not only are more cold-tender, but also may stimulate bud break if conditions are right.
Thankfully the 10-14 day forecast is calling for just what we need: daytime temperatures (after the Christmas eve warmup) dropping from the 40's through the 20s and 30s and nighttime temperatures in the teens and twenties. It's best to leave your trees and vines be until at least the first week in January. I wouldn't touch a grapevine right now. On apples, the usual advise is worth following: start on your largest semi-dwarf trees and trees with lighter crop load and good nutrition/management in the past season, then move on to smaller, younger, ad more crop-stressed trees."
Much of the whole talk of winter hardiness and winter kill quickly turns to cold tolerant trees and rootstock. That's been talked about here at nauseum and I want to take this thread in another direction. It's true that cold tolerance and winter kill can be attributed to the trees genetics but something not talked about here is weather's effects on apple trees winter health. Trees need time to "harden off" with a slow cooling which will protect the trees from winter's chill. When things have warmed up as they have here in the NE the past few days it "CAN" be harmful to your trees.
The following is an e-mail alert I got from UVM that better explains this and some thoughts on pruning......
"by Terence Bradshaw
I've had some growers inquire and there has been general chatter lately about the risk of pruning apples and grapes now, given the warm weather we've been having. My advice will apply equally to apple and grape growers, with lessening degrees of caution: hold off as long as you can.
The danger is two-fold. Plants may begin growth if warm weather continues, since most some (i.e., grapes, but not necessarily apples) may have seen the required chill hours needed to break dormancy. Continued, extended warm weather could cause buds to swell or break which would be very susceptible to winter cold. Even if buds stay closed, cold hardiness acclimation is a two-step process initiated by shortening day length (beginning back around August) and gradually decreasing temperatures. It is that last part that likely has perennial plants like apples and grapes in a less than fully acclimated state right now. Past research on pruning apples, grapes, and peaches in fall, and meteorologically, we're still in late fall, are less hardy to deep cold in mid-winter. I know many growers are going to be ready to get out in the field after the holiday, but if at all possible, wait as long as possible, or at least after a (hopefully gentle) cold snap. Gradually decreasing temperatures will allow plants to harden off better to withstand any cold that may come. Fresh pruning wounds not only are more cold-tender, but also may stimulate bud break if conditions are right.
Thankfully the 10-14 day forecast is calling for just what we need: daytime temperatures (after the Christmas eve warmup) dropping from the 40's through the 20s and 30s and nighttime temperatures in the teens and twenties. It's best to leave your trees and vines be until at least the first week in January. I wouldn't touch a grapevine right now. On apples, the usual advise is worth following: start on your largest semi-dwarf trees and trees with lighter crop load and good nutrition/management in the past season, then move on to smaller, younger, ad more crop-stressed trees."
