Spring frosts in the orchardcan do a lot of damage. Frosted flowers or fruit buds on fruit trees are not uncommon. See when frosts can occur and how to prevent damage to fruit plants by frost. Here are proven ways tofrost in the orchard !
Spring frosts in the orchard
Spring and the start of vegetation by plants is the great moment when, after winter, we can start enjoying the awakening nature and admire the developing flower buds.It would seem that since the frosty winter is over, the trees and shrubs in the orchard are not in danger anymore. Unfortunately, it is in this beautiful period that the orchard plants on your plot may face a huge threat in the form oflate spring frostsWe are dealing with a frost when the average daily temperature is positive, but the minimum temperature has dropped below 0 ° C (this usually takes place at night or in the morning). As a result of frost damage, the yield you receive may be reduced and of lower quality.
Why are plants damaged by frosts?
Fruit shrubs and trees achieve the greatest resistance to frost in winter, when they are at rest. When winter ends and warms begin, the process of plant tempering begins - with the beginning of vegetation, the plant's resistance to frost drops sharply. The parts of plants most exposed to frost damage are flower buds, flowers and fruit buds.
The greatest risk offrost damageoccurs in trees that are not very resistant to frost and begin flowering early. They are: apricot, peach and cherry. Pear, apple and cherry trees are much less exposed. Among fruit shrubs, frost damage occurs most often on black and red currants. Strawberry flowers are also damaged by frosts.
The resistance of plants to frostsis not only a species or even a varietal feature. It also depends on the degree of development of flower buds and the overall condition of the plants. The inflorescences are most sensitive from the pink (or white) bud stage until the end of flowering. In the case of apple trees, temperatures ranging from -2 ° C to -4 ° C during this period may result in the loss of 10% to 90% of flowers.
Is the occurrence of frost predictable?
Success inpreventing frost damagedepends on the ability to predict the occurrence of frost and take appropriate actions early.In commercial-scale fruit crops, frosts are predicted using the dew point method (the dew point is the temperature at which the amount of vapor in the air is sufficient to saturate it). If the sky is clear in the evening and the dew point is close to or below zero, frost will undoubtedly occur in the morning. The dew point temperature can be determined using dry and wet thermometers and psychrometric tables.
In amateur crops on the plot, inpredicting the occurrence of frostswill help you find out the causes of frosts. In this respect, we can distinguish between advection frosts and radiation frosts.
" Advective frostsare caused by the influx of cold air masses and occur simultaneously in large areas (often even throughout the country). The incoming cold air floods the area with a very thick layer. Weather forecasts usually inform about the formation of a strong high in the Scandinavian countries during this period.So you have to watch the weather forecasts and listen for frost warnings. "
The second type of frost is more difficult to predict, but knowing the cause of its formation will make it easier for you to prevent it. Well,radiation frostsare caused by the radiation of heat at night by soil and plants. They occur locally, depending on the local terrain conditions, the possibility of heat evaporation or accumulation of cold air (frost pool). Through proper care, you can to some extent reduce the degree of heat radiation by the soil and plants.
Methods of preventing frost damage in the orchard
Here are the methods of preventing frost damage in the orchard that are used in amateur cultivation:
- avoid planting fruit plants indepressions of the terrain , which can be influenced by cold masses of air (frost pools),
- if your plot is located in an area threatened with frequent frost, avoid growing species and varieties that begin growing early,
- tree species particularly susceptible to frost and frost damage (peaches, apricots) should be grown only in secluded places,sheltered from frosty wind(this increases the chances of a good winter wintering of the trees and reduces risk of freezing flowers),
- abundantlywater the soilaround trees and shrubs and in strawberry beds (moist soil accumulates more heat and gives it up more slowly during a frosty night),
- keepsoil free of weedsand cut grass low (weeds and grass increase the rate of heat evaporation from the soil by increasing the evaporation surface),
- do not overdo itnitrogen fertilization , excess nitrogen accelerates the growth rate of plants and increases their sensitivity to frost, while the plants should be adequately supplied with potassium, which will increase their frost resistance,
- when frost is expected, before sunsetcover the plantswith corrugated paper, nonwoven, reed or reed mats bushes, this method is particularly practical when it comes to protecting strawberry beds),
- in case of slight temperature drops and windless weather,smokecan also be effective, which is best to start right after sunset, during smoke you can burn wet straw or use special smoke candles,
- another way to reduce frost losses isheating the air in the orchardby burning various materials (sawdust, briquettes, straw) in order to obtain heat increasing the air temperature (recently even 'candles' for generating heat in the orchard), unfortunately due to energy costs, this method is quite expensive.
I hope that the above-described methods of preventingfrost damage in the orchardwill prove useful for you. However, if the fruit plants are damaged by frosts …
What to do if the plants have been damaged by frost?
"Plants damaged by frostshould thaw slowly (otherwise quickly thawing water destroys the plant cell structure).The rapid increase in temperature occurs primarily due to heating by the sun&39;s rays, therefore, if possible,frost-free plants try to shadePlants that slowly thaw in the dark have a better chance of recovery.
If the plants will bear less fruit due to frost damage (or will not bear fruit at all), limit their fertilization with nitrogen. In the absence of fruit, plants will grow faster (because they do not use energy for fruit development), and nitrogen fertilization accelerates plant growth even more. Plants that are overly stimulated to grow may not establish flower buds for the next year.
Justafter frost damage , we can help plants with the Superplon K growth stimulator, referred to as first aid for plants. The preparation accelerates tissue regeneration and even restores frozen plants to life."
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