Chill needed for regional fruit trees
The week’s cold temperatures left San Benito County with more
than just icy chills and a nice dusting of snow on a few of
hilltops.
The nasty cold spell that dipped temperatures into the low
twenties, and on at least one night even into the teens, was
responsible for burst pipes, frozen plants and more than a little
ice on windshields.
Chill needed for regional fruit trees
The week’s cold temperatures left San Benito County with more than just icy chills and a nice dusting of snow on a few of hilltops.
The nasty cold spell that dipped temperatures into the low twenties, and on at least one night even into the teens, was responsible for burst pipes, frozen plants and more than a little ice on windshields.
Fortunately most of San Benito County’s agriculture remained unscathed. There were a few reported cases of damaged crops. Citrus trees are especially hard hit by frosty weather. For example, Roy Lompa, who could not be reached, had problems with frost damaging his crop of lemons, according to local farmer Paul Hain.
Agricultural Commissioner Paul Matulich reported Tuesday that lemon growers in San Benito County looked to be the only farmers whose crops have been impacted, but Matulich and his staff were still researching the situation and could not say for certain that all other crops had been spared.
“I did talk to a few commissioners in the Valley and I know the frost over there got 65-70 percent of those crops,” Matulich said.
There were also many plumbers that had their work cut out for them over the weekend. Andrea Yanez, a representative for J+R Plumbing Services, said they had a lot of calls.
“We definitely had a lot more calls than usual,” Yanez said.
Another plumber with San Benito Plumbing and Heating, who declined state his name, estimated that he had received at least 15 calls during the first three days of the week.
Not all farmers are complaining about the cold. Hain, who grows walnuts, said that his trees appreciated the cold weather.
“There’s some good moisture around the roots and the walnuts need some cold weather to help them sleep,” Hain said.
He said that the same is true for a lot of tree fruits, including apricots that need to go dormant during the winter.
In a previous article published in The Pinnacle, Bill Coates, farm advisor with the University of California Davis Cooperative Extension, explained that tree fruits need a certain amount of cold weather or “chill hours” per year to produce the best bloom and bountiful crops during the spring.
The trees actually rely on enough cold weather for flowers and leaf buds to develop normally, Coates explained. If the buds do not receive sufficient chilling they may develop problems.
According to Coates usually tree crops should receive about 1,000 chill hours by mid-February, and during the past few years the winter temperatures have tended to be milder, so a little colder weather makes for better growing conditions for some of the crops.
Despite the inconvenience of cold noses and hands and few burst pipes, the weather could lead to tastier and more abundant crops next season.
Patrick O’Donnell can be reached at [email protected].
