Peach Freeze
Local peaches freeze because of low temperatures in March.
Nashville, Ark. – Most specialty crops like peaches are perennial. When disaster strikes, growers cannot regroup for the same harvest season. A freeze in mid-March with temperatures dipping into the 20s two nights in a row has caused considerable damage to crops that were beginning to bloom. This freeze resulted in a total loss for some growers.
Peaches have only one set of buds so they will only bloom once per year. Flower buds develop at various times throughout the season. The critical temperature below which damage will occur to open peach blossoms is 21-27 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperatures during the late freeze in mid-March were recorded as low as 24 degrees in some places. Some varieties of peaches are normally in full bloom as early as March 17. These varieties may have sustained substantial injury due to the freezing weather. Later blooming varieties may have been delayed enough to miss the harsh weather.
Moving forward, producers should continue to monitor for damage to crops. Any peach producers that lost fruit or buds should be careful not to fertilize too heavily. You do not want to force a lot of green growth that you will have to prune off later. Continue with normal irrigation and fungicides to keep your trees healthy.
Any blackberries that may have been damaged by the freezing weather will still have a crop this year. Blackberries have primary and secondary buds. If the primary buds froze, the secondary buds could still come out later. Strawberries are considered the most cold-sensitive of berries. Strawberry blooms will be damaged when temperatures drop below 30 degrees. Blooms were already visible on strawberries around the state before this weather hit. Strawberry blooms and fruit may survive this kind of weather with the help of growers.
For more information, you can contact the Howard County Extension office at 870-845-7517. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
By Dawson Bailey
County Extension Agent - Agriculture
The Cooperative Extension Service
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Media Contact: Dawson Bailey
County Extension Agent - Agriculture
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
421 N. Main Nashville AR 71852
(870) 845-7517
dbailey@uada.edu
The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative
action institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need
materials in another format, please contact your County Extension office (or other
appropriate office) as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension
and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex,
gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital
or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and
is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.