Will the peach crop be impacted by the hard freeze expected later this week? I've noticed lots of flowers in full bloom in this area and know that it's been warm in our northern counties as well.

Don't think the freeze will hurt them. The cold winters seem to help.

The boy from Arkansas has absolutely no idea about the Fbg. peach crop.

According to the internet.

10 percent loss at 28 degrees and a 90 percent loss at 25 degrees at full bloom.

They need the cold winters, but not the late freezes after they bloom or set fruit. When I lived near Weatherford, the peach farmers would wet their trees an/or burn smudge pots or barrels to help offset the late freezes.

The question is what percentage of the trees are now in full bloom?

I wouldn't be asking if our azaleas were not in full bloom. Granted, I'm farther south but was just wondering if the warmer temps had made an impact to the north.

Yes, "chill hours" in the dead of winter make for a good bloom out once spring rolls around, so long a late freeze doesn't catch the blooms.

I remember one of the peach growers in Fairfield (Freestone County) commenting last year how the late freeze took most of their sweeter white meat peaches.

We have about six varieties here so the bloom/production is staggered across the summer. Only earliest varieties should be affected....

So which ones might be in short supply given this week's hard freeze? They're calling for a low of 30 in Houston's northern suburbs Wednesday night. I'm guessing that could mean mid-twenties in Texas peach country.

You stepped on the wrong snake. I was born at home. I chopped cotton. I worked in Uncle Johnny's peach orchard after the cotton was laid by. Got paid $4 a day. There are two general categories on peaches. They are cling and freestone. The freestones break free with a clean seed. Uncle Johnny grew elberta peaches. They were freestone. We picked them at first blush. He shipped most of them north. My daddy bought the over ripe peaches and sold them by the bushel. My momma canned the over ripe peaches in quart jars until we got our first freezer. After that she froze them.

Peaches grow better in the mid states. There is a saying about Georgia peaches.

Now you tell us about your knowledge of the Fbg peach crop.

I must have been no more than 11 or 12 when our family stopped to buy peaches at a roadside peach stand. I'll never forget what happened that day and my mother held it over my dad for decades. My dad and I walked up to stand and quickly my dad began looking at the peaches, being the self-recognized peach expert that he saw himself to be. After giving them a good look, he said to the much older man behind the peach table, "These are some nice looking peaches." The old man replied back, "Thank you." Then in a voice intended to let the gentleman know he knew peaches, my dad asked, "Well, do you have any Albertas?", to which the old man replied, "Sure do." "Well then, where are they?" asked my dad. The old man quipped back, "In the field, green as a gourd."

You also worked peaches when there were 2 varieties, Alberta and Loring.

Now there are dozens. The additional varieties were developed to give stronger resistance to the elements/disease. More varieties also lets us have local peaches over a longer period of time.

Just like you used to be able to bang your teacher, things have changed.

Dang. Bill took creek runner to school.

There are a few trees in my subdivision. They have done well with late freezes.

Hey all you peach experts ....... it's "Elberta"

Not any of my teachers brother.

My peach trees aren't blooming yet.

See edit. Spell check got me.

Latest report is 28 degrees, a lot fo the orchards have grasshopper style heaters and the owners stay up all night trying to keep them going. Some have trees under a portable greenhouse cover. These farmers work their azzes off to produce the best crop in the state only to hear tourists from the city bitch about the price of peaches.

Yup. Don’t forget that Bill was raised as a black child and picked cotton as soon as he could walk. He knows what he is talking about.

Plenty of poor whites picked cotton for low wages. My grandparents did, I’m sure bill did too. I will never pick at anyone who had to pick cotton.
Times were tough.

And I hear he was born in a log cabin he built all by himself.

'Very sorry I got you all riled up Bill. But you don't live in the Texas Hill Country, as the OP's question was directed to. Nor do you live in "the country ". (See below.)



And...what the hell does being born at home have anything to do with it? Not that uncommon for your age.