Week of February 23, 2020

February sets the stage in Florida for the spring fruit crop.  This year, we had no severe frost so far, requiring frost cloth only a few nights.  We also had quite a number of nights with temperatures between freezing and 50 degrees.  This is perfect to get the number of chill hours needed to stimulate buds and blooms on the peach and plum trees, even if they are bred by UF for low chill hours required.  Sure enough, the backyard is full of fruit blossoms.  Welcome newcomers are blossoms on my Joey avocado tree.  The blueberries are sprinkled with little white pearls and hungry little bumblebees.  The Chickasaw plums provide a white cloud across the back of the yard.  The plums and peaches were pruned after the buds were set, and we enjoyed their blooms in a vase on our counter.  The remaining buds on the trees erupted with great vigor of white (plum) and pink (peach) blossoms.  We have had to thin the small fruit already to get the largest fruit we can.  This spring we will add a Methley plum to the spot where the quince was.  This is the plum we make sauce with up at the farm.  All looks well for a fruitful spring!