Figure 1. Lexington growing degree day accumulation (base 50circF for 2023 and past years. (Matt Dixon, Meteorologist, UK Ag Weather Center

through with modest losses. Critical temperatures for apple flowers at half-inch green is 23circF for 10% kill and 15circF for 90% kill. I found 57% survival of the ‘Gala’ buds, so there is still potential for a full crop, we will just need to adjust our thinning strategy. Blueberry flowers at bud swell can tolerate 10-15°F while newly emerged buds of strawberries can tolerate into the low 20s. Plasticulture strawberries that were double covered for protection and had most of their emerged buds still closed should have fared well also. Any open flowers were likely killed. However, keeping covers in place has been no small feat so far this year with multiple 30 to 40, and in some areas +50 mile per hour wind gusts. Peaches and any other fruit trees with open blooms experienced another devastating crop loss event. Where the peach crop has been lost, growers will want to either forego or only apply half the normal amount of nitrogen fertilizer to avoid excessive vegetative growth. Orchards that show moderate amounts of wood injury (browning) due to the December freeze should be pruned heavily, but not dehorned (major scaffold limbs severely cut back). Severely damaged trees with bark splitting (common on trees younger than five years) due to cambium injury should be removed. If a limb is dead, it can

Where the peach crop has been lost, growers will want to either forego or only apply half the normal amount of nitrogen fertilizer to avoid excessive vegetative growth. Orchards that show moderate amounts of wood injury (browning) due to the December freeze should be pruned heavily, but not dehorned (major scaffold limbs severely cut back). Severely damaged trees with bark splitting (common on trees younger than five years) due to cambium injury should be removed. If a limb is dead, it can

Figure 2. Minimum temperatures (\circF) experienced across the state on the morning of March 20, 2023. (Matt Dixon, Meteorologist, UK Ag Weather Center)