AT A GLANCE
What happens to apple tree blossoms in winter?
Actually, the buds of the flowers are dormant in the winter months. They begin to sprout when the apple tree gets the signal from mild temperatures to sprout again. If the process is disrupted by mild weather, the flowers sometimes open in the middle of winter.
Why don't the flower buds freeze to death in winter?
are for this various mechanisms responsible which result in a perfect interplay:
- Since the apple tree drains all the liquid from the buds in autumn, they cannot freeze through so quickly. In addition, the fruit tree stores sugar in it, which greatly lowers the freezing point.
- As a result, the flower bases are excellently protected from temperatures below zero.
- The flower and leaf buds are covered by stable bud scales and a protective resinous layer. This ensures that neither insects fungi can still penetrate the sensitive parts of the plant.
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- pruning apple tree
What happens to the apple blossom in a warm winter?
If the winter is much too warm, so brings the upset the entire metabolism of the wood:
- The tree begins to absorb water from the soil and the minerals stored in autumn migrate to the buds.
- These swell and can occasionally even begin to bloom.
Unfortunately, they can no longer withstand sub-zero temperatures in this state. Even the still closed buds can be so severely damaged by the freezing cold that follows the mild weather that the apple tree blossoms are very sparse in spring.
Tip
Effective protection of the apple tree blossom from late frosts
You can protect the blossoms of dwarf and columnar apple trees from frost with fleece. Wrap the shrubs well and avoid openings through which the cold wind could penetrate. In the case of large trees, frost protection irrigation, as is also used in commercial cultivation, can protect the delicate blossoms from freezing.