Texas fruit growers are facing a difficult season due to a combination of inconsistent winter chill and damaging spring freezes.
Fruit trees, including peaches and plums, rely on a period of winter dormancy, triggered by a specific number of “chill hours” or periods of cold weather that help trees reset and prepare for spring growth.
In Texas, where winters can be unpredictable, achieving the right number of chill hours is increasingly uncertain.
“This year, chill was marginal,” said Larry Stein, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service horticultural specialist and professor in the Texas A&M Department of Horticultural Sciences, Uvalde. “It wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t the worst. Trees did bloom but then we had freezes.”
Barely any chill
When freeze events hit after trees bloom, it can damage fruit sets and compound chill hour challenges.
“We’re dealing with a double whammy,” Stein said. “Not only was the bloom sporadic due to marginal chill, but the freezes killed some of the early fruit.”
Texas growers are seeing uneven tree production, with buds emerging inconsistently across branches.
“A well-chilled tree will leaf out all at once. But when chill is lacking, the growth is patchy,” Stein said.
Varieties matter
To avoid a disappointing crop, Stein said the importance of choosing fruit tree varieties suited to the specific chill requirements of
Texas’ regions is critical.
Growers and home gardeners should consult with local county AgriLife Extension offices and use resources like the Aggie Horticulture website, which features maps and fact sheets outlining chilling zones and variety recommendations, he said.
“If you pick a variety that needs too little chill for your area, it’ll bloom too early and get frozen out,” Stein said. “If you plant one that needs too much chill, it may never bloom or leaf out properly.”
With chill hours becoming less predictable because of climate variability, Stein said selecting the right variety is more crucial than ever.
“Chill is a real thing,” he said. “And it can make or break your fruit crop.”
Panhandle
The district received about 1 inch of rain and 2-4 inches of snow. The moisture was extremely beneficial for producers as corn planting was set to begin soon. Soil moisture was very short to adequate. Cotton planting was expected to begin the first of May, and sorghum planting was planned for the latter part of May into early June. Top dress fertilizer applications were made to many small grain fields for grain and forage under both dryland and irrigated conditions. Wheat responded well to the recent moisture, especially the dryland. Wheat grew and developed at a rapid rate. Rangelands greened up. Gains in stocker cattle were excellent on graze-out wheat. Pasture and rangeland conditions were reported from poor to good. Overall crop conditions were fair to good.
