Peaches

   / Peaches #1  

redlevel

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The peach crop in the Southeast took a hard hit over the weekend. I have seen reports from Chilton Co., Alabama of a 100 percent loss. Television reports from South Carolina and Georgia aren't quite as pessimistic, but generally acknowledge the destruction is severe.

I leased my home farm to one of the largest growers in Georgia a few years back, and the 80 acres of trees on my place should be in their first year of full production this year. I haven't had a chance to talk to the grower, but when I was driving to Easter Sunrise services at 6:30 Sunday morning, I looked at the car thermometer when I passed by the orchard. It was 27 degrees. I think it was at least that cold the previous morning. I would guess the loss in that orchard will be moderate to severe. It will be several days before they will be able to make a definitive estimate.

I can vaguely remember my Daddy helping a neighbor try to save his peaches some time in the middle 1950's. I remember him saying that at two in the morning, with old tires burning at many places in the orchard, that they looked at a thermometer hanging in a tree right next to one of the burning tires: it was 21 degrees. They all went home and went to bed. That was the year it was said that there weren't enough peaches picked in Georgia to make a pie.
 
   / Peaches #2  
When it freezes, is it just the peaches that die or the whole tree? I have been wondering about that
Thanks
Jim
 
   / Peaches #3  
A hard enough freeze will kill the whole tree in some cases.

Here in Western NC the early apple crop will probably be considered a 100% loss although some varieties had not bloomed yet....and I don't think the peach farmers just to the south fared much better.

Better stock up on that canned stuff while you can.
 
   / Peaches #4  
I was at my grandmother's in Fayette Co., AL (NW Alabama) this past Sunday for the annual Easter dinner. Both the peach and apple trees there had already set fruit. There were little peaches and apples about the size of a kidney bean all over the trees. Unfortunately, all of them were very dark green to nearly black. The sub-freezing temps on Saturday morning likely killed them all. This isn't a commercial operation, just a few trees in the yard. So, it won't be a financial loss. Ma Willamena makes some mighty fine apple pies, both from fresh and dried apples. And, her peach cobbler with some vanilla ice cream is hard to beat. Hopefully, the freeze wasn't bad enough that it'll be a total loss.

Later,

BR
 
   / Peaches #5  
They were talking about the hard freeze we had for 3 nights in a row hear last weekend.

They said virtually 100% loss of the buds that are on the trees, but they said they MIGHT get a second budding that would be about 1/3 of normal. But it was wait and see what the trees would do.

"they" said that with the hard freeze we had (low of about 22-25) the trees would make it with some pruning.
 
   / Peaches #6  
It was 21 degrees Sunday morning here in up state SC (huge peach growing region). Saturday it was about 28 and windy. The day before it was about 32.

I haven't heard reports but I suspect the peach crops were hard hit here as well.

I think this peach survived the cold:

800px-Peachoid-27527.jpg
 
   / Peaches #7  
I guess we'll have to depend on the northern crop this year. Trees around here have yet to break dormancy.
 
   / Peaches #8  
hudlow said:
A hard enough freeze will kill the whole tree in some cases.

Here in Western NC the early apple crop will probably be considered a 100% loss although some varieties had not bloomed yet....and I don't think the peach farmers just to the south fared much better.


I heard the last time the apple crop took this kind of hit was back in the 50's. An early spring and late season frost is always an apple farmers worry. I have never seen cold weather kill the apple trees though, but frost sure does kill the apples.
 
   / Peaches #9  
1bush2hog said:
I heard the last time the apple crop took this kind of hit was back in the 50's. An early spring and late season frost is always an apple farmers worry. I have never seen cold weather kill the apple trees though, but frost sure does kill the apples.

I think the older, established trees were OK. It was the new trees that had been set out right before the cold snap that the growers were concerned about being killed.
 
   / Peaches #10  
N80 said:
It was 21 degrees Sunday morning here in up state SC (huge peach growing region). Saturday it was about 28 and windy. The day before it was about 32.

I haven't heard reports but I suspect the peach crops were hard hit here as well.

I think this peach survived the cold:

800px-Peachoid-27527.jpg


Coming in from Cliffside, around by Grassy Pond and down 11, that's a pretty awesome sight for a country boy.....;)

The "Peach Festival" might be on the slim side this year. At least the peach farmers have had a couple of pretty good seasons lately. But I doubt there will be enough peaches this time to keep the yallerjackets fed.

Good to see a little drizzle of rain today, ain't it?
 
 
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