Stratification of stone fruit

Cold weather is rather unusually welcome at this time of year in the Mediterranean garden. Freezing temperatures help control bugs and diseases amongst the plants. They also provide an important service to growers of stone crop fruit and nut trees, after shedding their seeds the pits (or stone) of fruit and nuts need to go through a period of stratification, intense cold, before the seed is able to germinate.

Once the seed has grown to a tree the cold spell is again important. This is the reason fruit and nut orchards are at risk from rising winter average winter temperatures; without sufficient number of cold days for that particular variety the fruit will not set.

When you pick your apricot, peach, nectarine, plum, or cherry on a sunny summer day perhaps you should remember that early cold spell with a little more affection.

Tonight temperatures will range from freezing on the Mediterranean coast to -15C in the Pyrenées just a few miles away. We once recorded temperatures of -12C in our Mediterranean garden though a thick coat of mulch meant almost all of our plants survived.

Last year the cold spell was a little later falling at the beginning of March resulting in the loss of our cherry and Nispera / Loquat crop.

Spring is springing

Fruit trees have arrived in the supermarkets of Figueres, last year their arrival coincided with the start of a spell of extreme cold weather. Hopefully this year will be a little kinder to us gardeners. With temperatures now hovering around 12 degrees and spring maybe just around the corner.

The fruit trees are selling at 10€ each for a two year old grafted plant. Apples and pears do well towards the coast which is just a few miles away, so I should be able to grow them here with a little more work on the soil.

Oranges need a more sheltered spot than I can supply on my wind swept site, although I have been told that clementines are a little more robust than oranges. Last year I saw snow on the fruits of a mature lemon tree in nearby Navata, I must go and see how the tree was affected by last years climatic merry go round.

Kiwi fruit plants and various nut trees are also plentiful.