By Clint Thompson
Count Florida’s peaches among those crops impacted by the sub-freezing temperatures almost two weeks ago. The difference in the producers who protected their crop and those who did not was unmistakable, says Jose Chaparro, associate professor in the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).
“I can tell you that anybody north of central Florida that didn’t run water to protect, they had crop damage. Luckily here in Gainesville, we probably had 90% to 95% survival. On the trees that we did not run water, we had zero percent survive. Everything froze,” Chaparro said. “Even the citrus fruit here in Gainesville froze. It was a hard freeze a week ago this Sunday.”
Chaparro said he utilized running water from late Saturday, Jan. 29 to early Sunday, Jan. 30 for more than 12 hours. It generated acceptable ice coverage, which protected the fruit, flowers and buds.
“I think (the state) came through okay. I was up in Attapulgus (Georgia) Monday. The crop down there, the 350s should be fine because they weren’t far along in terms of bloom. The south Georgia people are fine. The (farmers in) north Florida and north-central Florida, we had to run water. Those people that ran water should be fine,” he added.
Unpredictable Weather Season
Crazy winter weather has made peach production unpredictable this year throughout Florida. The harvest season is likely to be uneven in different regions of the state.
“I can tell you our 250-chill hour material here in north Florida is going to be late. I think down the Fort Pierce way, where they had crazy bloom, they may actually be early. They may actually be in late March,” Chaparro said. “We got a little bit of chilling early. Then we got no chill close to Christmas. We’re getting a lot of chill right now. We only have 4 to 7 days of useful chill left for north Florida and south Georgia. If you don’t have enough chill for your variety by then, you’re blooming so late that you miss your typical marketing window.”
