A break in the weather!

The tail end of April could certainly have been a lot warmer for the blossom … and our  nerves. Several mornings we have seen air  temperatures perilously close to 0 deg C.

Not a good omen for  cherries which dislike chilly conditions let alone a cutting northerly for a couple of days.

At the moment all is appearing on track with still blossom on D’arcy Spice, Orleans Reinette, Suntan  and Worcester Pearmain to benefit from the expected increase in temperatures (after this first Bank Holiday). A small amount of light rain has fallen but we need much more. Now that  areas south and west of Essex have benefited from rain there is some fuel for shower making as warmer conditions develop.

Overall, a longwinded blossoming period as the temperatures have varied so much. This is bound to be reflected in the maturity of the  fruits on any one tree to be drawn out later in the year.