It's a little early, but our peach tree is in bloom. I'm expecting a few more frosts between now and the first week of April. These lovely blossoms have already survived a couple of lows below freezing. This variety is self-pollinating, so only one tree is needed to produce fruit. While I was taking these photos there were dozens of tiny pollinators swarming the blossoms, but not a honey bee in sight. Last year there were no pollinators around while our fruit trees were flowering.
I didn't prune the peach tree last year because it was still open to the breeze, well-shaped and not too tall. If peaches begin to form I'll have to cover the tree with bird netting to discourage squirrels.
I pruned both pear trees last year because they were growing too tall and the branches were too close together. Their buds are not open yet, so I'm not too worried about them getting frostbite. My trees are only partly self-pollinating, so I needed at least two. Also, for some reason I've never had explained, most fruit trees require cross-pollination in order to produce. We bought trees of different varieties for cross-pollination according to recommendations on the nursery labels.
The trees are all sufficiently established, so I'll be fertilizing them soon. As for having a fruit crop this year, I have my fingers crossed.
Stephen
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