try and find a heritage variety that actually grew here in oklahoma. there used to be viable apple orchards all around me but now i can't find a variety that can stand the wind etc.
I think this is lots of it! That’s why it’s not the best idea just to go to Lowe’s or tractor supply and buy whatever fruit trees they have. You’re much better off seeking specific varieties that are proven locally.
I didn’t grow up in Oklahoma, but my wife did. I’ve been here for 10 years. She remembers her parents growing lots of fruit. There were also well-established orchards pick by the pound type places around here back in the day.
About half of our fruit trees are ones that we just bought from places like Lowe’s. Those don’t do very well. The better half are varieties we plucked from the ground as sprouts growing under old heirloom variety established trees on other properties. They are awesome!
Two of our peach trees are a white peach variety. It runs on a later schedule. They are later to bud/flower and later to ripen. But that trait in them helps mitigate some of these Oklahoma weather issues.
The wife and I are thinking when the freeze comes we will try to protect the flowers by wrapping each branch individually with heavy black trash bags, or something along those lines..
Prolonged bitter cold temperatures will obviously damage the cell walls, regardless of being covered or not. But I hope to at least try something.
We have put way too much work into these trees to just sit back and let nature take its course and not worry about it.
Prolonged bitter cold temperatures will obviously damage the cell walls, regardless of being covered or not. But I hope to at least try something.
We have put way too much work into these trees to just sit back and let nature take its course and not worry about it.
I don't live too far away - let me know if you need any help.
Thanks! Will do
Haha! Yup, it’ll look something along those lines
Many of us older guys will remember that we frequently have had some of our largest 3-6in snow storms around the last two weeks in April. Now if we get a dusting in Jan or Feb it is a disaster. Perceptions of what is "normal" when it skips a few years have changed.
Biggest snows I remember are around Thanksgiving and Easter.
