Due to climate change, it is becoming increasingly common for apple trees to begin to sprout prematurely due to mild temperatures. It can even happen that the first flower buds open in the middle of winter.
What happens to apple tree blossoms in winter?
The buds of the flowers actually sleep in the winter months. They begin to sprout when the apple tree receives the signal to bud again due to mild temperatures. If the process is disrupted by mild weather, the flowers sometimes open in the middle of winter.
Why don't flower buds freeze in winter?
Various mechanisms are responsible for this,which result in perfect interaction:
- Since the apple tree drains all the liquid from the buds in autumn, they cannot freeze through as quickly. In addition, the fruit tree deposits sugar in it, which significantly lowers the freezing point.
- This means that the flower buds are excellently protected from temperatures below zero.
- The flower and leaf buds are covered by stable bud scales and a resinous protective layer. This ensures that neither insects nor fungi can penetrate the sensitive parts of the plant.
What happens to the apple blossom in a warm winter?
If the winter is much too warm,this will mess up the entire metabolism of the tree:
- The tree begins to absorb water from the ground and the minerals stored in autumn migrate to the buds.
- These swell and in some cases can even begin to bloom.
Unfortunately, in this condition they can no longer withstand low temperatures below zero. Even the buds that are still closed can be so severely damaged by the icy cold that follows the mild weather that the apple tree blossoms are very sparse in spring.
Tip
Effective protection of apple tree blossoms from late frosts
You can protect the flowers of dwarf and columnar apple trees from frost using fleece (€49.00 at Amazon). Wrap the trees well and avoid openings through which cold wind could enter. For large trees, anti-frost irrigation, as is also used in commercial cultivation, can protect the delicate flowers from freezing.