Citrus and Peach trees

[frankthetank]

One of the older seed grown peaches had to be chopped today (sucks, but i didn't know the seed source, and it has never flowered...it was free). A vole took up residence right next to the trunk and chewed it all the way around pretty deep. The vole also met a very large shovel and is no longer with us. I learned a lesson. ALWAYS use hardware cloth and never pile up snow around trees. Big mistake there. Voles love this deep snow (which is now gone).

Think i'll order a white fleshed nectarine... Grow it in a pot. I'm going to use galvanized garbage cans (18 gallon).

[PeakOiler]

ftt, sorry to read about your peaches.

Weather is perhaps responsible for the most damage to my peach trees as well. (Late freezes, drought, high winds, hail, or all of the above.)

[PeakOiler]

I fired up the chiminea burning cedar and mesquite deadwood in an attempt to protect some of the baby peach fruits and blossoms from the freezing temperatures tonight. I'll add more deadwood to the chiminea over the next 18 hrs.

I used some of the peach tree trimmings (from last Fall) as kindling.



The mesquite smoke smells great! Mesquite smoked peaches. hmmm



I need about four more chimineas.

Edit to correct spelling.

[PeakOiler]

Last night the low temp was just above freezing, but tonight the forecast indicates sub-freezing temps for about 5-6 hrs in the early morning. So I decided to bring a potted orange tree (that has formed some fruit for the first time) back into the house.



The remaining potted citrus on the porch only get blankets.

[JJ]

went to Ruidosa for spring break the last three days, (18 degrees and snowing yesterday morning). The odd thing is you can walk around in short sleeved shirt there; here at 35 degrees it would feel like your freezing to death. Came back to find the plum tree covered with thousands of tiny plums!

[frankthetank]

The deal here is i got trees that look like they are going to want to open the next big warm spell we get. This week looks mostly 50F to 60F...with the following week looking like maybe a chance at a 70F+ reading. That would send them over the edge. I need to plan NOW for how i'm going to protect them after they flower. There is no way we get through April/early May without several hard freezes.

Dug out the roots to the vole damaged peach... Very impressive root system... required a lot of sawing. I replaced it with another seed grown tree (about 4ft tall) .

I've been leaving all kinds of stuff in the greenhouse lately. Even tropicals. Last night it was 26.6F in there. I just cover everything with blankets... They must not know what to think when the daytime temps sits around 90F for about 5 hrs.

[frankthetank]

Peakoiler-

You better get ready for a heat wave. Next week looks like an old fashioned broiler in Texas. That air will even make it up here with 70F's and maybe better. I would suspect some 90f's will be in cards for you guys.

[PeakOiler]

Peakoiler-

You better get ready for a heat wave. Next week looks like an old fashioned broiler in Texas. That air will even make it up here with 70F's and maybe better. I would suspect some 90f's will be in cards for you guys.

The NWS 7-day forecast indicates highs in the 60-80 F range here.

Last night and Saturday night the low temp did not reach the freezing mark! The solar water distiller glass would have had frost/ice on it early in the morning. The peaches, citrus and pears are happy!

[PeakOiler]

went to Ruidosa for spring break the last three days, (18 degrees and snowing yesterday morning). The odd thing is you can walk around in short sleeved shirt there; here at 35 degrees it would feel like your freezing to death. Came back to find the plum tree covered with thousands of tiny plums!

I'll buy some of your homemade plum jelly, JJ.

[JJ]

went to Ruidosa for spring break the last three days, (18 degrees and snowing yesterday morning). The odd thing is you can walk around in short sleeved shirt there; here at 35 degrees it would feel like your freezing to death. Came back to find the plum tree covered with thousands of tiny plums!

I'll buy some of your homemade plum jelly, JJ.

if we have the bounty we did three years ago, you are welcome to all you care for. Our pear trees had scarcely a flower on them this year.

[PeakOiler]

if we have the bounty we did three years ago, you are welcome to all you care for. Our pear trees had scarcely a flower on them this year.

JJ: If the weather is more forgiving this year, and we get good harvests, I will certainly trade you some peaches for some plums!

[PeakOiler]

There is always a good chance of having severe weather here in Central Texas in Springtime that can damage my peach trees. But if the storms miss them, I plan on having a peach harvest party this June for family, friends, and acquaintances. We'll see what happens...

There are a lot of immature peaches forming.

I will do a better job at thinning them out this season. Last year, many formed too close together, resulting in smaller fruit.

[JJ]

what he said, peach trees COVERED with fruit, as is the plum tree.

[PeakOiler]

Yesterday I attached bird netting around one of the pvc pipe frames over one of the smaller peach trees. Still more to do with regard to protecting the other peach trees from birds. Time to make another scarecrow.

Meanwhile a couple of the potted Meyers lemon trees are going crazy! Some lemons are already forming:



I think the citrus have been getting too much water. Some of the leaves are yellowing. One of the orange trees is still covered with blossoms. I love the fragrance of citrus blossoms. The bees apparently do too.

[PeakOiler]

Deleted. Double post...

[PeakOiler]

The strong wind gusts today have removed some of the weaker small peaches forming on the trees. The thunderstorm early this AM also brought about an inch of rain!

[Ludi]

We got high winds last night, still gusting today, which thinned the plums but many remain. As far as I can see, we do not have a single peach or nectarine.

[PeakOiler]

We got high winds last night, still gusting today, which thinned the plums but many remain. As far as I can see, we do not have a single peach or nectarine.

If you're interested, Ludi, we can rendezvous and I'll be more than happy to share some of the peaches I'm growing with you.

In June, when the peach production is peaking, I'll PM you.

[Ludi]

That would be great! My sister lives in Austin, so maybe I can combine visiting her with meeting up with you.

I don't know if I have anything much to swap, but would be happy to pay for some peaches with $ if necessary.

[PeakOiler]

In spite of Nature's winds recently that thinned some of the fruit, there are still many hundreds of peaches on the trees.

Who's got a good recipe for peach wine?