Perfect Weather

This year’s crop is high in sugar but has lagged behind on color and the recent cool nights can only help.

We have been fortunate with our cool late November weather.  Although some forecasters showed projections in the mid 20’s, Mother nature cooperated and gave us nice temperatures in the low 30’s to a few high 20 degree nights.  This is perfect weather to harden off the trees and fruit and to help bring on color. 

We have two main tools to fight off cold weather: water and wind machines.  Wind machines are 32 foot towers with 17 to 19 foot propellers that are driven by large engines or have 75 to 100 hp electric motors.  These machines stir up the warmer air and blow it down through the orchards to help raise the temperature.  Depending on that night’s inversion layer, we can increase the temperature up by 2 to 4 degrees.  There is typically one machine for every 10 acres. On a typical freeze night, wind machines will be started when the temperature drops below 30 degrees (sooner for mandarins and lemons) and the machines will be shut off in the morning as the temperature rises back to safe levels.  Most machines are started by hand however many of the newer machines start automatically by thermostat.

 Water is also a very good tool to help avert cold temperatures.  The water is pumped from the wells and comes out of the ground from 50 to 60 degrees.  The water heats the air as it freezes and helps hold the heat in the ground longer. The wells must be started before the temperature dips below freezing, as the hoses that carry the water to the trees will freeze and not allow the water to make it across the orchard. 

Let us hope for a cool but not cold winter and a successful season.