I checked my apple trees this week to see if there were any apples left after that freeze we had a couple of weeks ago. I found only a handful of small apples that looked like they could grow on to maturity.
Over 99 percent of the buds were frosted and subsequently fell off the tree. I found a few buds that were still hanging on but, once I touched them with my finger, they fell to the ground.
- The tiny apple on top will probably grow into a mature fruit. The small bud below was killed by the frost and has already separated from the tree.
There are other small, growing fruits left on the tree but many of them are deformed. In those cases, the cold temperature killed only part of the bud. They will grow to maturity but will still be gnarled.
We have only a few trees — imagine having acres of trees and having to depend on them for your livelihood.
The question now is, do I continue to spray? I probably will spray a few times, just to help keep insects and foliage diseases in check.
Bob