Unseasonably warm weather causes ‘false bloom’ for some East Texas plants

GREGG COUNTY, Texas (KLTV) - A period of unseasonably warm weather for East Texas during late January and early February may come as welcome to some, but it could have ups-and-downs for growers.

Green patches are beginning to appear, as unseasonably warm temperatures reaching into the high 60s to low 70s are giving our days a spring-like feel.

“There really is a downside to it because the plants get a false sense of what time of year it is, what they’re supposed to be doing,” said Gregg County Master Gardener Tom Babin.

It’s a double edged sword since early spring can be good for some.

“We’re going to have some really early-blooming plants and flowers, and it’s just going to be beautiful early, and we’ll be able to enjoy the beauty that much longer,” Babin said.

But, fruit growers, like those working to produce peaches, require around 700-to-800 chill hours every winter for a healthy crop. With continued warmer weather, we could fall well short of that.

“[They need] 45 to 32 degrees temperature, and once they raise, you are reducing those chill hours because the plant is warming up,” said Gregg County Agri-life Extension Agent Shaniqua Davis.

“For fruit growers, it could ruin their livelihood. They won’t come back; they won’t have time to come back,” Babin said.

At the same time, another hard freeze is always possible.

“Hopefully we don’t get another one of these freezes, because if they do bud out enough ahead of time, and a big freeze comes later and burns off all the buds, we’ve got to start all over,” said Babin.

For next week, the KLTV 7 weather forecast calls for continued daytime highs in the 60s, and 70 degrees by Friday.

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