Just chill............

Some of the most common questions that we are asked are, what are chill hours and why are chill hours important and how do they effect my fruit trees?

                                         

First of all, chill hours are the cumulative number of hours of temperatures below 45f that are required by deciduous fruit and nut trees to produce fruit. The hours are tracked during the dormant season, they are measured from November 1 to February 29.

The number of chill hours required varies by the type and variety of each fruit or nut tree. It is important to make sure the tree you choose is appropriate for your particular location. Research the average

chill hours in your location as well as the hours required for the specific fruit or nut tree that you wish to plant. Nurseries will stock trees appropriate for your area, however the chill hours are usually on the Tomorrow's Harvest tag to help you choose your tree.

Chill hour incompatibility can be seen with frequent crop loss due to early bloom and late spring frost damage to the crop. In these situations, the chilling requirement was exceeded. On the other hand, planting varieties with higher chilling requirements than necessary can result in uneven bloom or uneven foliation.

In these cases the chilling requirement was not met.

I hope this helps out when you are trying to pick out the perfect trees for your home. As always, if you have any further questions, please let me know.