What a Deep Freeze Really Does to Colorado’s Peaches
Every time a serious cold front rolls into Western Colorado, locals know the fate of summer’s sweet Palisade Peach harvest can hang by a thread. During the winter months, Palisade Peaches need a specific amount of winter chill to produce a healthy crop the following summer.
Sometimes, winter temperatures can drop too low, and an arctic blast can damage or kill a tree's dormant buds. So, how do local farmers deal with extreme cold snaps that could endanger the peach crop? Let’s take a look.
What a Deep Freeze Can Do to Dormant Peach Buds
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During the winter months on the Western Slope, Coloradans are watching those tiny buds on the trees in our peach orchards just as often as they watch the snow reports. Even when the trees look dead, extreme winter freezes can kill or injure the flower buds that will become next year’s peaches. It’s something farmers are never quite sure of until the spring. Damage can depend on how cold it gets and for how long, and what stage the buds are in when the cold weather arrives.
How We Respond When a Freeze Threat Looms
Protecting Palisade’s Peach Orchards is a massive job for Western Colorado farmers. During the coldest winters, pumps, priming sprinklers, wind machines, and heaters are all set and maintained so they can be used at a moment’s notice.
Overhead irrigation can help protect the trees' buds during a freeze. Wind machines can be used to pull warm air down when conditions are right. These tools only work when temperatures are just right and when timing is perfect. Farmers often face a long night of decisions and temperature watching every time we get a deep freeze in the Grand Valley.
The Long Game — Planning Between Winters
During December, Western Colorado farmers are typically planning longer-term fixes. This includes choosing hardier varieties (rootstocks), siting new rows to avoid cold pockets, and upgrading irrigation and frost protection gear ahead of the upcoming spring. CSU and regional extension materials recommend these practices during the winter months as a safe way to soften the blow of a bad freeze in April or May, so that a single cold snap can’t wipe out an entire orchard.
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