Canton Zug,02.05.2016

Gloomy week for fruit farmers

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Snow and frost have consequences, especially for apple, pear and cherry trees.
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Around 320 paraffin ‘candles’ burning on the Hotzenhof in Deinikon over two nights to keep the trees warm.
 
The winter weather during the last week has caused problems for fruit growers. And there doesn’t seem to be much relief in the coming week.
 
Rain, freezing temperatures, snow and frost: the last week offered pretty much everything except spring weather. After short bright spells towards the end of the week, Sunday was also wet and cold. And things don’t look much better for the next few days.
 
What is simply depressing weather for many of us presents a real challenge to the fruit farmers, and has serious consequences for some of them. The wintry conditions badly affect fruit trees, and especially apples, pears and cherries, as well as grapes. "The effects can be very different, but there can be serious consequences," says Louis Suter, head of the cantonal office for fruit production.
 
The severity largely depends on the location of the fruit trees. "On the one hand, it depends on how advanced the blossom is, while on the other hand it’s crucial how low the temperatures fall," explains the fruit specialist. The apples trees have already started to bloom in certain areas, and even the pears are in full bloom. "There can be enormous damage if temperatures fall to minus 5 degrees. Some of the harvest can already be written off," adds Suter. Among others, the Deinikon area in Baar and the Reussboden have been hit particularly hard.
 
The Hotz family in Deinikon, for example, have a tough week behind them. "My father and I guarded against frost the whole week. We go out every two hours to check for frost", says Philipp Hotz, who is responsible for the orchards. There were only slightly frosty nights earlier this week. "But there was then heavy frost from Wednesday to Thursday and from Thursday to Friday - with temperatures around minus 3 to minus 4 degrees."
 
The family was kept busy on these two nights. "We fired around 320 paraffin ‘candles’ in our dessert cherry orchards," says Philipp Hotz. They were thereby able to keep the temperature slightly above freezing. But the solution has to be limited to this particular crop for reasons of cost. "Cherry blooms are also very sensitive, and die at temperatures below minus 0.5 degrees. The candles help avoid the worst." Nevertheless, some damage has to be taken into account, especially in the lowest areas. We expect major damage for other crops."
 
It’s not only farmers who suffered the consequences of the wintry weather last week. Beekeepers were also affected, although bees are generally quite robust and well-adjusted to cold spells and changeable weather, says Friedrich Arnet, President of the Zug Cantonal Beekeepers Association. The bees simply stay in their hives at such times. "As they are not flying, this means a reduction in the honey yield," explained Arnet. If it were up to the beekeepers, it would have been better if the cold snap had come sooner. "The winter was mild," says the club president, adding: "The treatment against Varroa mites, which harm the bees, had therefore probably not worked sufficiently." The consequences can only be seen in the summer.
 
Philipp Hotz and the other fruit farmers in the canton also cannot yet say exactly how great the damage to the yield will be. "We’ll know in the next few weeks," says Suter, "It's not over yet. The weather is set to be changeable over the next few days, with cool temperatures." Although Philipp Hotz hopes the worst is over, he won’t be relaxing his vigilance. "We have to keep an eye on developments," he says. Which means more sleepless nights. Hotz: "One night can destroy a large portion of the harvest. And that’s a problem. "
 
Protect well and be patient
In addition to fruit trees and bees, classic garden and terrace plants can also suffer from the unexpected onset of winter and cool temperatures. Although garden and balcony plants are usually more tolerant of freezing temperatures, "You should still be careful, especially with Mediterranean plants, "says Maurus Schoenberger, CEO of Schonberger Horticulture. If you’ve kept your plants indoor over the winter and have now put them back in the garden or on the balcony, you’d be well advised to provide them with some protection for a while. "Ideally, you could simply wrap them with insulating material, or put them in a protected place," says Schoenberger. Because the frost could damage the flower formation. The insulating material should be removed again during the day.
 
If you already have plants flowering in the house, you should wait before planning them outdoors, advises the expert. "It’s best to wait until the ‘Ice Saint’ days (Eisheiligen) have passed," says Schoenberger. Cold Sophie - the last of the ice saints – is on May 15th this year.