Fruit Blossom 2017

Early Rivers cherry at the National Fruit Collection, Kent.

As we have done for a number of years, we publish the flowering dates for the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale, Kent, undertaken and kindly supplied by Lorinda Jewsbury. These are the records for a selection of varieties (standards and any new accessions) from all the tree fruit collections at Brogdale.

An early start to the warm weather has really brought on the flowering for this year, as I’m sure you’re aware. The plums are roughly a couple of weeks earlier compared to last year. As an example, Victoria was in full bloom this year on 30^th March – earlier than the 10^th April noted for last year; the current 10 year mean (the average full bloom date) for Victoria is 8^th April.

Although a number of the cherries in the Collection have yet to come into flower, the earlier varieties, again, have responded to the warm weather and Lapins reached full bloom on the 2nd April. It was the 23^rd April last year and Lapins’ 10-year mean is 16^th April.

The pear orchard is a sea of white once more as the trees have responded to the temperatures. Louise Bonne of Jersey, one of the early flowerers in the Pear Collection, was in full bloom on the 30th March. Last year saw it at full bloom on the 15th April, pretty much spot on for its average of 14th April.

The apples are just setting off and, of the early flowerers, Red Astrachan and Stark’s Earliest are already in full bloom. There is still a way to go yet with the Apple Collection and with the weather forecast to be a little cooler after the weekend there may be a fair gap this year between the early and late flowering varieties.

Lorinda Jewsbury

2017

PLUM

Cambridge Gage: 29^th March (10% open); 30^th March (full flower);

Czar: 20^th March (10% open); 26^th March (full flower);

Denniston’s Superb (Imperial Gage): 22^nd March (10% open); 24^th March (full flower);

Farleigh Damson: 25^th March (10% open); 28^th March (full flower);

Marjorie’s Seedling: 30^th March (10% open); 1^st April (full flower);

Oullins Gage: 28^th March (10% open); 30^th March (full flower);

Pershore Yellow Egg: 26^th March (10% open); 28^th March (full flower);

Victoria: 28^th March (10% open); 30^th March (full flower);

 

PEAR

Concorde: 5^th April (10% open);

Conference: 2^nd April (10% open); 5^th April (full flower);

Doyenné du Comice: 3^rd April (10% open); 5^th April (full flower);

Louise Bonne of Jersey: 28^th March (10% open); 30^th March (full flower);

 

CHERRY

Early Rivers: 30^th March (10% open); 2^nd April (full flower);

Hertford: 3^rd April (10% open);

Lapins: 30^th March (10% open); 2^nd April (full flower);

Merchant: 4^th April (10% open);

Stella: 5^th April (10% open);

Sunburst:

 

APPLE

Blenheim Orange:

Bramley’s Seedling:

Cox’s Orange Pippin:

Crawley Beauty:

Discovery:

Egremont Russet:

Falstaff:

Feuillemorte:

Fiesta/Red Pippin:

Gala:

James Grieve:

Jonagold:

Meridian:

Red Astrachan: 31^st March (10% open); 2^nd April (full flower);

St. Edmund’s Pippin:

Worcester Pearmain: