Peaches are a lot more susceptible to frost damage while the petals are
still attached. Once they have fallen the ovary is protected by the shuck
until the ovary swells enough to split the shuck. Temps can go to the high
twenties for several hours with no real damage while the shuck protects the
ovary. The petals seem to provide a pathway for frost to damage the ovary.
Breezy conditions are your friend as long as the temps don't drop to low.
HTH,
Steve

"songbird" wrote in message
...
i'm not a fruit tree grower.

a friend asked me if a peach tree is
in bloom how long it would take for it
to pollinate (assuming bees are around,
etc.) and if a frost would destroy the
developing fruit.

me guessing figures that if the flower
gets pollinated then the petals of the
bloom don't matter nearly as much as the
central part of the flower that carries
the pollen tubes down to the ovaries. a
light frost might damage the flower petals
but might not do that much to a more hardy
structure.

so what do you fruit experts think? or
what have your experiences been with peach
trees and frosts during bloom?

of course i told her that she could
protect the tree by covering it or putting
a smudge pot by it, etc. it isn't so large
a tree that it could not be somewhat
protected.


songbird