Garden Notes
Chill Hours

Horticulture expert Dr. Lelia Kelly defines the gardening term chill hours. This refers to the number of hours below a certain temperature that is required before a plant will flower. Chill hours are typically used to describe fruit trees. You should pick your fruit variety based on the number of chill hours where you live. If the plant requires fewer chill hours than your location gets, it will bloom in a warm spell in the middle of winter and the blooms will be killed by frost.

Related Videos:
Planting Fruit Trees
Fruit and Nut Pollination
Fruit Tree Pruning

Related Resources:
Tree Fruit: What are chill hours?
Peach Chill Hours Make or Break Growing Season