[Fwd: RE:Chilling Hours Was: HELP :Blueberries]



-------- Original Message --------
Subject: RE:Chilling Hours Was: HELP :Blueberries
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 11:44:18 -0500
From: Chris_Nichols@Dell.com
To: dreher@seti.org

 but at least you wouldn't have to worry about providing
winter chill...we don't get that, either. The species is Vaccinium ovatum.

Kay Dreher
Berkeley, California

Chill hours:
Aside from knowing how much cold a plant can stand, it helps to know how
much cold it needs. Most plants need a period of winter rest or dormancy,
when temperatures are below 45 F. The total number of hours below 45 F that
a plant needs is called its "chilling requirement" or "chill hours."
Chilling requirement is independent of cold hardiness: a plant may be very
hardy and yet need little chilling (e.g., the almond). Once its chill
requirements have been met, a plant will resume growth as soon as
temperatures exceed 45 F, so low-chill varieties tend to bloom earlier than
high-chill varieties, especially in areas with erratic spring weather. This
can be bad, since plants are more susceptible to cold-damage when they are
growing. When known, I provided the chill requirement in the textual
commentary on the plant, under "Cultivation." Chill hours are approximate,
and can vary strongly according to microclimate (the north side of your
house will have more chill hours than the south side). As a rough guide,
figure that zone 8 provides 600-1200 chill hours; zone 9, 400-600; and zone
10, 0-400. Good sources of more accurate information include the US Weather
Bureau, the local agricultural extension agent, or a local nursery. 
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