On 10/9/2014 10:06 PM, Fran Farmer wrote:
On 10/10/2014 11:45 AM, David E. Ross wrote:

I am very concerned about my 'Santa Barbara' peach tree. It requires
about 300 hours of winter chill (hours of temperatures at or below 45F
from the beginning of November to the end of March). Living somewhat
inland with the Santa Monica Mountains between me and Malibu, the
average winter chill in my garden was been over 350 hours over the 12
years from the winter of 2001-2002 through the winter of 2012-2013. The
winter of 2013-2014, however, provided less than 130 hours. I got only
three peaches this year, and the tree was quite late in leafing out.

Many years ago, I heard of someone who was trying to grow somethign in
an area where it supposedly wouldn't grow because it didn't get enough
winter chilling. The solution for that gardener was to fill large
plastic ice cream tubs with water once frozen to turn the ice outonto
the roots.

I can't for the life of me now remember who the story involved, where
they lived or what they were trying to grow but the memory of the
routine has stuck with me. Sounds labour intensive to me and I have no
idea if it would work of not. I'd have thought the chill would have
been needed around the foliage area, but who knows. Anyone?


I wanted to grow peonies after seeing them at Longwood Garden
(Pennsylvania) and Winterthur (Delaware). A local nursery told me that
the necessary chill has to be applied to the branches and growth buds.
He suggested a wire mesh cylinder about 2 feet wider and taller than the
shrub. I should place the cylinder over the shrub at the end of October
and keep it filled with ice cubes until I remove it in March. n
Apparently, winter chill has to be felt by the entire plant, not merely
the roots.

So I have citrus, rosemary, eugenia, camellias, bearded iris, and other
plants that tolerate my mild-winter climate. No, I cannot grow Dutch
tulips; but lady tulips (Tulipa clausiana) have naturalized in my
garden. I also have various narcissus, freesias, lilies of the Nile,
and grape hyacinths (Muscari).

I have not seen snow in my area in over 15 years. In the 41 years I
have lived in my current house, I saw snow here only three times. When
we did get it, it all melted after only an hour or two. I do get more
winter chill than Hypatia Nachshon or Higgs Boson although they are
within 40 miles of where I live, but killing frosts are extremely rare
even in my area.

Born, raised, and married in the city of Los Angeles and now living a
5-minute walk outside of Los Angeles County, I did not see snow fall out
of the sky until I was 34 years old, on a business trip to Philadelphia.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary