After a frost or freeze event, inspect stems for injury. Blueberry, Gooseberry, & Currantsįreezing temperatures can damage new emerging growth on gooseberry, currant, and blueberry stems. Flowers for grapes form on new growth so fruit production is rarely impacted by freeze events, although fruit set may be later in the season if new shoots have to form to replace damaged ones. If the entire shoot is dead, secondary shoots should emerge at the base of the dead shoots in about 10 to 14 days. If temperatures are low enough, the bud or shoot may die. If vines begin to bud or shoots begin to form, grapes are at risk of damage from a late frost or freeze in spring. The yields of fall-bearing raspberries that are pruned back to the ground in late winter will not be affected as the canes produce fruit on the current year's growth. Yields of summer-bearing red, purple, and black raspberries may be reduced if exposed to below freezing temperatures in April or May. Flower bud loss on plantings covered with a protective straw mulch should be far less. If strawberry plantings are prematurely uncovered in March, they will likely have flower buds damaged or destroyed leading to smaller yields in summer. This strawberry flower has damage to the petals as well as the reproductive parts in the center of the bloom.įor best yields, strawberry plantings are mulched in fall to protect the plants from cold temperatures. For example, at petal drop on apples, a temperature of 28☏ will kill approximately 10% of the developing fruit while a temperature of 25☏ will kill approximately 90% of the developing fruit.įlowers of fruit trees and plants are easily damaged by late frost events in the spring preventing fruit set. Colder temperatures will cause more extensive damage. Species AffectedĪpricots and peaches are more prone to damage from a spring freeze as they bloom earlier than apples, pears, and tart cherries. If flowers are damaged, this year's fruit crop may be smaller than normal. However, the trees themselves should not be seriously harmed. The colder the temperature and the further developed the blooms are, the more likely they will be damaged or destroyed by frost or freeze events. The extent of damage will be determined by the plant species, stage of plant development, and temperature. They are most vulnerable just before, during, and after bloom. As flower buds begin to swell, they become increasingly vulnerable to cold temperatures. However, freezing temperatures can damage new spring growth, especially flowers. How to manage cold temperatures and the damage it can cause to trees, shrubs, fruit trees, spring bulbs, perennials, vegetables, and other plants is provided below.įruit Trees | Small Fruit | Trees & Shrubs | Conifers | Perennials & Spring Bulbs | Vegetables | Annuals | Lawns | FAQs | Additional Resourcesįreezing temperatures don’t harm dormant plants. The good news is that cold temperatures shouldn't affect most plants long-term. The cold spring temperatures can affect plants in gardens and home landscapes. Below-freezing temperatures in April and May can follow unseasonably warm weather in late March and early April. In Iowa, the weather in spring is often erratic.
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