Kent top-fruit growers have welcomed the recent cold snap that has helped increase the number of chill hours needed by orchards following the warmest December on record.
Figures from grower AC Goatham & Son showed that there is a contrast between how many chill hours have been received by orchards in different areas of Kent. The company’s orchard at Bredgar, Sittingbourne has benefited from 788 hours, while Canterbury has received the least with around 535 hours.
Apple orchards need a minimum of 820 hours and pears need 620 hours at temperatures below 7.2C to help the new fruit and leaf buds to develop in the spring, the company said.
Nigel Stewart, technical director at AC Goatham & Son, said: “When flower and leaf buds are formed during the summer and autumn, growth inhibitors accumulate, preventing the buds from opening during the winter.
“Chilling is then required to break down these growth inhibitors and ensure the buds open at the right time of year. Each tree needs a specific number of chill hours below a certain temperature to break dormancy and that varies from variety to variety.
“If the trees get insufficient chilling, then they may suffer from delayed or uneven flowering and leafing which can lead to poorer crops.”
Chill hours recorded across Kent:
[Source, AC Goatham]
Ashford 768
Canterbury 535
Faversham 746
Marden 711
Newington 577
Rochester 645
Sittingbourne 788
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