Low Temperature Injury to Peach Flower Buds in Western Colorado in Recent Years

Abstract

Low temperature injury to flower buds of peach cultivars in Western Colorado can occur at various seasons, including late fall, winter, or early spring. The increased frequency of critical low temperatures in recent years has provided an opportunity to obtain relative hardiness performance of buds of a number of peach cultivars under natural conditions. Extensive injury occurred at the Orchard Mesa Unit in the fall of 1967, and again in January of 1971 and of 1972. Counts on the extent of bud injury were made when the full amount of damage was evident, the percent of live buds was determined, and the results are presented in Tables 1 and 2. Flower buds were classed as dead when internal floral parts were brown to blackish in color resulting from oxidation of damaged tissues. Injury became apparent soon after temperatures rose above freezing, following the critical lows.