HORTICULTURE
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Cold and Freezing Damage Articles:

On this page I have posted articles on how freeze and frost damage happens in fruit crops.
Recognizing Freeze Events
Steps can be taken to prevent or reduce freezing damage.
Example of freezing injury

I have collected published critical temperatures for various sources
Spring Bud Critical Temperatures for Frost Damage in Fruits (HTML).
Spring Bud Critical Temperatures for Frost Damage in Fruits (PDF)
Do you need to download the PDF reader software?

Spring Bud Critical Temperatures for Frost Damage in Fruits (pictures).
This table is designed for radiation freezes, thoughts on the critical temperature bud table after the Easter freeze of 2007 and the radiation freeze in 2008.

Frost / Freeze Events

Last date of killing Spring Frosts in SW Michigan
First date of killing Fall Frosts in SW Michigan
Frost or Freeze: What is the difference
How to recognize a Radiation Frost
2007, A Cold Snap After Growth Begins Thoughts on late winter cold during a warm winter
Radiation Frost on April 23, 2002
Radiation Frost on May 3, 2004
The 2007 Easter Freeze, an Advective Freeze April 4, 5, 6 & 7 in 2007
April 30, 2008 Radiation Freeze

I also have crop specific information below.

Cold Hardiness

Dormancy and cold hardiness in woody plants
What Does the Warm Winter in 2007 Mean for Fruit?
How Cold is too Cold? (2004)
Winter Injury in Woody Plants
Diseases that defoliate the tree reduce cold hardiness Cherry Leaf Spot and Cold Hardiness

Reducing Frost Freeze Damage

The Use of Dewpoints in Determining Frost Potential
Air Moving Fans to Improve Air Drainage on Your Farm
Assessing and Improving Air Drainage on Your Farm
Bare Ground Can Be Warmer

Fruit Trees

Examples of Frost Damage to Fruit Trees by Early Spring Frosts.
Examples of Frost Damage to Apple Trees by Early Spring Frosts.
Examples of Frost Damage to Stone Trees by Early Spring Frosts.
What is a Frost Ring?
Radiation Frost on April 23, 2002
Radiation Frost on May 3, 2004
The 2007 Easter Freeze, an Advective Freeze April 4, 5, 6 & 7 in 2007

Blueberries

Frost Damage to Blueberry Fruit by a Late Spring Frost. (May 30, 2001)
Frost damage to Blueberries
Reducing freeze injury in Blueberries using sprinklers
Damage to leaf buds during the Easter Freeze in 2007

Grapes

How Cold Can Grapes Go
Wet Freeze vs. a Dry Freeze does it matter?
Early Spring Frost, April 23, 2002
Late Spring (Post-bloom) Frost in Grapes (pictures from the 1997 June frost).
Poor Fruit Set Due to Cool Bloom in Grapes (2001)

Links to Other Cold Injury Articles on the Web.

Greg Lang of the MSU Horticulture Department also has lots of Spring Freeze information including Washington State Bulletins on critical freezing temperatures of different tree fruit as PDF files. These are the bulletins I learned from and every grower should have them.

For more Michigan climate information including frost dates and other growing season information, check out the Michigan State Climatology Site. Click on the Michigan Map Link and choose the region you are interested in.  The enviroweather site allows you to select a weather station and look at the low temperatures for the morning.

The Fruit AoE team produced a series of Articles for the Fruit CAT Alert on Frost after the Early 2002 Frosts. These are all linked at the 2002 Fruit Frost Page.

Auburn University has an good article on frost and freeze protection and terminology.
I would recommend them to all commercial growers.

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Posted: June 14, 2001
Last modified: April 30, 2009