ODN asks orchardist David Machial –

Great question, it’s one I’ve been asking my dad, uncles, and more experienced farmers.  According to them we should be ok.  The last time trees/buds died was in the sixties when temperatures hit lows of -25 for long periods.  It’s tough to tell looking at the trees while they’re dormant.

I was also talking to a viticulturist.  He has been testing grape buds and said he hasn’t seen damage yet, but that it is too early to know if the latest cold snap has damaged anything.

Also, Ontario and Quebec are Canada’s largest apple growing provinces and the low temperatures we’re having are normal for them. That said I’m a little worried about the young apple trees I planted last year.

We’ll both have to wait for the spring to find out.

Okanagan media report:

“Cherries can handle up to – 30 C, so we think we’re OK because we didn’t break any records,” said Fred Steele, president of the BC Fruit Growers’ Association.

“The advantage we have is we’ve had a considerable amount of snow and that’s insulation that protects the root systems. If we were talking minus 24 to 25 without insulation I’d be much more concerned.”