Hardiness of Fruit Buds of Sweet Cherries, 1968-69

Abstract

The low temperatures of the winter of 1968-69, with the minimum of -21°F on December 29 at the Research Station, afforded an opportunity to observe damage to fruit buds of sweet cherries. The range of damage was unusually wide, from 1% in the "wild" cherry selection Glenn Dale to 99% in Bing. Following the main cold period, sample branches were forced in the greenhouse, fruit buds sectioned and the damage recorded. Fruit buds were classified into 3 groups as follows: Group 1—all blossoms in the bud killed; Group 2—one to two of the (usually) three blossoms killed; Group 3—all blossoms survived. In calculating the percentage of survived blossoms, half the number of fruit buds of the group 2 were added to the group 3. Two or more trees were sampled in commercial cultivars, while only one tree was usually available for observations in the less known cultivars or in seedling selections. Data are given for those named cultivars that have some commercial possibilities and those seedling selections that rated over 50% in the bud survival.