With the start of spring, French orchards are covered in white and pink colors, and the trees are adorned with thousands of flowers. A feast for the eyes, of course, but it also marks the start of a period so dreaded by arboriculturists: the spring frosts. This critical period generally lasts until the end of April, and this year, it started as early as last week in some regions of France. "As far as I'm concerned, I got the candles out last Monday and Tuesday," explains Anthony Oboussier, an arboriculturist in the Drôme region.
© Anthony Oboussier
Temperatures dropped to -2.5°C in some plots. Fortunately, the damage was very limited. "I chose not to protect all my plots, but only those that were most at risk. I only placed candles in orchards that were already starting to deflower, with the petals detaching from the collar. The peach and nectarine trees, which were still in full bloom, were not protected, as the phenological stage was not yet very advanced."
The gamble paid off, as very few flowers froze. "The trees must have lost around 20% of their flowers, which does not represent a significant loss. The more advanced the phenological stage of the tree, the greater the risk of frost loss. As far as I am concerned, I opted not to protect at the full flowering stage. We are only at the start of the frost period, and the risk will increase as the days go by and the critical threshold becomes lower. It is important to make the right choices so as not to burn up all our cartridges as soon as the first frost hits. Frost control is expensive, so as soon as sub-zero temperatures are forecast, we need to weigh up the pros and cons of lighting spark plugs."
For the time being, however, the mild weather has settled over the Drôme region and is set to last for a few more days.
For more information:
Anthony Oboussier
EARL Les Chambres
Phone: +33(0)6 75 85 59 51
espritfruite@gmail.com