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Winter garden fleece and
plant protection
How To
Save Your Fruit Tree Blossoms From A Spring Freeze
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In most parts of the country it's still
dead of Winter. However, in a few spots like here in the Desert
Southwest, the warming weather starts to play tricks on Spring budding
trees and plants. They think it's time to wake up when it's really not
quite safe to.
In my own garden, I have an old Peach Tree
that produces the most wonderful almost softball size peaches. And up
until a few years ago, I rarely got the opportunity to see one make it
past the blossom stage.
As sure as the first warm days would wake
the old tree up in a display of absolute pink, so surely would a
Springtime freeze bring it to an end.
But then one day a few Springs back..... I
had a great idea.
It was a little overdue but still quite
fortunate that I picked those first warm Spring days to take down and put
up the Christmas lights. Because as I held those lights in my hands and
looked over at that beautiful pink tree just coming into its glory, a
light bulb turned on in my head.
Hmmm....., are you thinking what I’m
thinking? I'm sure you are and it does work.
From then on I've been able to get the
majority of my blossoms to the point of battling birds and June bugs.
However, battling the birds and June bugs will be another article
altogether.
While I am more comfortable to grow more
fruit trees now, I find that this method still works well for me because
I do only have a few trees. I'm not sure how practical, cost effective,
or easy it would be to string Christmas lights through more than a few
trees.
If you do ever use this method, use the
old fashioned base type bulbs and not the little twinkling lights. They
put off more heat. Also, if you live in an area where the climate is
harsher than here in the desert, it may be helpful to place a sheet of
plastic or tarp over the trees in addition to the lights.
While there are other ways of protecting
your trees and plants from a freeze, I just thought I would share this
little bit of garden wisdom with you.
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