Mild weather could affect fruit crops
This year’s mild winter may lead to reduced fruit crops with a subsequent rise in prices, according to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).
Most hardy fruit plants need a period of chilling during winter to encourage flowering.
Without this cold effect, evidence shows crops, including blackcurrants, cherries and some apple types that have a high chilling requirement, may be reduced.
If there is not a prolonged cold period, plants will start growing earlier than normal and may flower early too, putting them at risk of damage if there is frost in late Spring.
Early flowering could mean less fruit as there may be fewer pollinating insects around.
The current cold spell may help but RHS fruit experts suggest that a colder and longer spell of weeks is needed to ensure growth and flowering development is held back.
“We have already seen buds on the trees beginning to swell,” says Jim Arbury, RHS fruit and trials specialist. “I have noticed two of our autumn-fruiting raspberries were flowering.
“This shouldn’t be a problem as the canes will be cut to ground level in February.
“More worrying is our blackberry cultivar ‘Silvan’ is also flowering and is therefore likely to have a reduced crop.”
There’s only a limited amount gardeners can do to reduce the damage.
Mr Arbury said: “If gardeners have only one or two fruit bushes that have started filling their buds, these can be covered with some horticultural fleece or an old curtain if it looks like there is going to be frost overnight.”
Greenhouse fruits such as nectarines and peaches should flower earlier, though they will still be in their dormant state until March when flowers begin to form.
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Weather for Jarrow
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 10 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North east
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