Frosts Hurt Peach & Pear Crops, not Apple Crop

    The temperature dropped to 25 F here again yesterday morning, and to 28 F near dawn today.  Since our fruit trees were further along in bloom development, yesterday's frost did more damage.  Peach trees were at the petal fall stage and Asian pears were in full bloom due to the early spring, and it looks like the frost killed almost all of the newly-set young fruit.  I estimate we'll have 10% of a full peach crop (perhaps 800 pounds of peaches total over the season instead of 8000 pounds) and about 15% of a full Asian pear crop (maybe 300 pounds of Asian pears over the season instead of 2000 pounds).

   Most European pear varieties were also in full bloom, so we may have just 25% of a full crop of those.  We do have one late-blooming European pear variety, 'Shenandoah', that is still in the bud stage, so we should have a full crop of that variety.

   Some apple varieties, such as 'Gold Rush', were blooming heavily during this frost, but even 'Gold Rush' trees still have more flowers in the bud stage, which should produce a good crop.  'Enterprise' and many other apple varieties bloom a bit later, and though some open blooms were killed by the frost, many more flowers are still in the bud stage so were protected from this frost.  No more frosts are in the forecast for the next 2 weeks, so we should have a good apple crop this fall.

Yesterday's frost killed almost all open blooms of 'Enterprise' apples, but many flowers are still in the pink bud stage, so should produce a good crop.

   Blackberry bushes and pecan trees bloom later in spring, so neither crop got hurt by these frosts.  Asparagus was frozen back but will regrow, and I'll start selling it in early April.

   My husband Bill and I are still very busy pruning all our fruit trees and blackberry bushes.  From Dec. 16 to June 14, we're open by appointment.  During these dates, phone 620-597-2450 a day ahead and leave a message on our answering machine saying the day and about what time you'll come, and what you want to buy.

   You can make an appointment to arrive here between 10 a.m. and noon or between 1:30 and 5 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays, or between 2 and 5 p.m. on Sundays, but please state a specific approximate time in your message. Then I'll be out in the sale building to meet you when you come.

   If you want a return call, you must state your phone number in your message, or we won't know it.  Our phone is a landline that rings in our house, so you may get our answering machine if you call during the day, and we return calls after dark.  We'll answer the phone if you call while it's dark or very cold, so please do not call after 10 p.m. or before 7 a.m.  Thanks.

   We still have many harvested, cracked pecans for sale now.  Pecans store well for several months in a fridge, and for over 6 years in a freezer.  We sell cracked pecans in 4-pound bags, which are over 75% pecan kernels and under 25% shell fragments.  Each bag has the equivalent of 6 pounds of in-shell pecans, and when you pick out the pecan kernels, you get 3 pounds or more of nutmeats.  Each bag costs $19.32 + sales tax.

We still have many harvested, cracked pecans for sale in 4-pound bags. Excess shell fragments are blown off, as shown in the sample box, so each bag contains over 3 pounds of nutmeats.

   As always, we take cash or checks for payment, but NO credit cards or debit cards, and no "apps".  We don't use a smart phone, and have no phone line to the sales building.  So please bring your checkbook or enough cash to cover the amount of fruit you want to buy.  Thanks.

   Expected sales dates for all our crops for the next 12 months are shown in the left sidebar under Crops Sales Seasons.  That also show which crops we sell harvested, and which crops we sell pick-your-own.

Fruit Buds Survive 25 F Frost

    The temperature dropped to 25 F here near dawn today, but most of our budding fruit crops survived.  Peaches and Asian pears were in full bloom due to the early spring.  Our earliest-ripening, and earliest-blooming, peach variety had very few blooms due to mid-winter cold damage from -5 F in Jan., and most of these few blooms were killed by this morning's frost.  But our later-ripening peach varieties, especially 'Intrepid' and 'Contender', still have a good crop as of now.

Asian pears were in beautiful full bloom during this morning's frost. Many flowers ensure that a good amount survive frosts.

   My husband Bill and I have been very busy pruning all our fruit trees and blackberry bushes, and we'll keep pruning them for the next few months.  From Dec. 16 to June 14, we're open by appointment.  During these dates, phone 620-597-2450 a day ahead and leave a message on our answering machine saying the day and about what time you'll come, and what you want to buy.

I'm using pneumatic loppers, powered by the air compressor on the tractor, to prune vigorous watersprouts from 'Enterprise' apple trees here. This is a big job that takes several weeks each spring.

   You can make an appointment to arrive here between 10 a.m. and noon or between 1:30 and 5 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays, or between 2 and 5 p.m. on Sundays, but please state a specific approximate time in your message. Then I'll be out in the sale building to meet you when you come.

   If you want a return call, you must state your phone number in your message, or we won't know it.  Our phone is a landline that rings in our house, so you may get our answering machine if you call during the day, and we return calls after dark.  We'll answer the phone if you call while it's dark or very cold, so please do not call after 10 p.m. or before 7 a.m.  Thanks.

   We still have many harvested, cracked pecans for sale now.  We sell cracked pecans in 4-pound bags, which are over 75% pecan kernels and under 25% shell fragments.  Each bag has the equivalent of 6 pounds of in-shell pecans, and when you pick out the pecan kernels, you get 3 pounds or more of nutmeats.  Each bag costs $19.32 + sales tax.

   As always, we take cash or checks for payment, but NO credit cards or debit cards, and no "apps".  We don't use a smart phone, and have no phone line to the sales building.  So please bring your checkbook or enough cash to cover the amount of fruit you want to buy.  Thanks.

Some sweet cherry varieties, with white blooms at left, are blooming in our small cherry orchard. Redbud trees I planted are blooming along our driveway, and our red sales building is at right.

   Expected sales dates for all our crops for the next 12 months are shown in the left sidebar under Crops Sales Seasons.  That also show which crops we sell harvested, and which crops we sell pick-your-own.  More info is at our new website with our new name, Reid Orchards, at https://reidorchards.blogspot.com/