04/04/07 Checking the Buds

Checking on the Buds. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. Some important tree fruit producer information is available online and free of charge thanks to Snokist and Wilbur Ellis. Producers can access the current bud hardiness reports online according to WSU Extension educator, Gwen Hoheisel HOHEISEL: You use your cold hardiness data or bud hardiness data, you use it to estimate how much damage would be done from cold temperatures. Producers can access the information 24 hours a day on line and the information is updated as it becomes necessary. Mike Bush, Extension Agent in Yakima says producers have been keeping an eye on the weather. BUSH: The growers have been spending a few nights  sleepless nights; last night, the night before and about a week ago, Wednesday night. Buds on fruit trees can be damaged by frost and cold temperatures. According to Hoheisel, the bud hardiness data was made available 6 or 7 years ago by former extension agent Dana Saubion. HOHEISEL: He basically compiled the information from Wilbur Ellis, Snokist and some other growers that were doing these cold hardiness reports and put it up on the website to make it available to all. Bush says now is a critical time for treefruit. BUSH: Right now our buds are probably the most susceptible they'll ever be, especially the flower buds and there's likely to have been some bud damage throughout the Yakima Valley and the Basin. The web address is treefruit.yakima.wsu.edu. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.