Cold weather

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Campo Steve
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Cold weather

Postby Campo Steve » Fri Feb 03, 2012 8:40 am

With sub-zero temperatures forecast to hit us overnight down here in the south the Ayuntamiento are recommending that tropical fruits should be irrigated asap. Something to do with if the trees are feeding whilst it's cold they are stronger, so fight the frost.

The local farmers tend to normally know what they are doing, it is their livelihood after all, but I was surprised by this recommendation. I would have thought putting extra water round the roots and base of the tree would be the last thing one would do in freezing conditions.

Anyone any experience of this, or recommendations? I want to do the best for my one and only mango tree.
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Martin Page
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Re: Cold weather

Postby Martin Page » Fri Feb 03, 2012 12:54 pm

Depending on the size of your mango tree - the cold wind, as much as the frost, will cause more damage. You need to wrap it in fleece and bubble wrap ... anything , but wrap it up.

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annfoto
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Re: Cold weather

Postby annfoto » Fri Feb 03, 2012 6:29 pm

Not sure of the biology round that one. We couldn't irrigate them even if we wanted to as the irrigation canals are not running where we are. It rained last Friday and we got about an inch so the soil is wet anyway.
If the trees or plants aren't too big cover them up with old sacks, blankets, fleece whatever. No doubt we will loose a few limbs from our avocado trees & bougainvillea :(
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Campo Steve
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Re: Cold weather

Postby Campo Steve » Fri Feb 03, 2012 7:50 pm

I'll cover it up although a bit worried it could act as a sail if the wind gets up and the tree gets damaged that way. A no win situation, but I'll give it a go. Got some bubblewrap somewhere.
I've got an inferiority complex, but it's not a very good one!

Chunky Monky
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Re: Cold weather

Postby Chunky Monky » Sat Feb 04, 2012 12:12 am

plums usually shrink in freezing weather!

oliveview01
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Re: Cold weather

Postby oliveview01 » Sat Feb 04, 2012 2:37 pm

We have very sad looking hibiscus, tall lilies and a couple of other shrubs whose name I do not know. :( We will have to wait and see what happens come spring.

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Campo Steve
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Re: Cold weather

Postby Campo Steve » Sat Feb 25, 2012 9:34 am

For various reasons (one being laziness) I didn't get the tree wrapped in time and now the leaves are brown. According to my Spanish neighbour the tree is now dead. He has lost 200 or more mango and avocado trees. Sadly, in the Trapiche and Triana area one can see probably thousands of trees in the same, or worse, situation. Not all trees affected as some adjavent groves seem unaffected.

According to him the tree is dead, but from reading some sites Mangos affected like this can recover by sprouting new branches although it may be a while before a fruit crop appears.

Would I be better waiting to see what happens or replace the tree altogether?
I've got an inferiority complex, but it's not a very good one!

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murbisa
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Re: Cold weather

Postby murbisa » Sat Feb 25, 2012 11:05 am

I would just leave it alone and see what happens. In that really bad frost a few years ago most of the plants in my garden looked dead but we lost very little. We are coming back to Spain tomorrow and I am dreading seeing my garden!!

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Martin Page
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Re: Cold weather

Postby Martin Page » Sun Feb 26, 2012 10:10 am

Unless its is a tree with branches over an 1" thick, waiting to see will be a waste of time .. Its dead

Wven wrapping it would have been risky, at best, because this year the temperatures have been so low, But it would have bee worth a try !

I have a number of citrus trees that have been belted by the frost this year, and thats the first time in 7 Years

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Re: Cold weather

Postby annfoto » Mon Feb 27, 2012 6:11 pm

I wouldn't assume that your trees are dead yet. Our avocado trees lost all of their leaves and the fruit all ripened at once and those that we haven't picked have fallen off. A couple of nights during this recent cold spell the temperature has been down to -4C where we are.
In February 2004 it got down to -9C. Looking at the state everything is in at the moment it is not dissimilar to the mess that caused. We thought at that time we had lost everything apart from the oranges and pecan trees but we hadn't.
Avocados, hibiscus, bougainvillea, chirimoya, lantana - all lost their leaves and a lot of wood died back but as the roots were well established they were as good as new by the following autumn :thumbup:
Ann

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Campo Steve
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Re: Cold weather

Postby Campo Steve » Mon Feb 27, 2012 7:37 pm

I'll keep my fingers crossed. It is only the mango thst seems to have been affected. The apple, pear, avocado, plum, lime and plums look ok. The mango was the youngest so probably most susceptible. The fig tree doesn't look good but we are hoping that maybe it has been killed off because we don't like figs and the tree smells of cats pee. Not nice when that smell drifts across to the pool!
I've got an inferiority complex, but it's not a very good one!


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