Fantastic flowering of South African plum orchards

Growers in the Western Cape are taking into account possible frost damage from last weekend's snow and icy rain (with more rain expected next weekend). The cold was such that even in the Northern Cape, cold winds damaged the grape vines. In the early plum orchards of the Boland, the fruit is already being thinned out. Pear orchards are in full bloom, while only the earliest apple cultivars such as Panorama Golden, Mahana and some Kanji orchards are in bloom. In Ceres, which has already received 1,300 mm of rain this season, the icy rain has left its mark on some orchards. Pears and cherries that are just in full bloom may have suffered damage, but it is difficult to tell so soon after flowering. Some peach and pear orchards have been left standing in water, with no chance to dry out amid the rains of the past month. "The Boland Mountains are white with snow. It doesn't rain all the time and when the sun shines the bees work. We were concerned about the effect of the snow and icy ...