Tree Fruit Newsletter — April 15, 2026
In this newsletter:
- Bud Stage Development and Hardiness
- Announcements
Bud Stage at Highmoor Farm
It’s that time of year again when we worry about freezing temperatures that kill flower buds. Warming temperatures push buds to stages where they lose hardiness, so any cool down below freezing makes us nervous. If you are considering an application of a frost protectant, we tested a few last year on apples and found them to be ineffective or to have mixed effects, such as an insulating effect that slowed bud temperature decrease but an advance in the bloom stage. Until research shows them to work consistently, I feel it’s best to not use them.
Apples are nearing green tip at Highmoor, but green tissue is not yet sticking out of the bud. They are showing a little green tissue but not enough to technically be green tip. They should be hardy to 18 ºF at this stage, and hardy to 25 ºF at half inch green. These temperatures correspond with 10% flower bud death. Substantial (90%) damage will occur at temperatures in the range of 10 to 15 ºF.
Peaches are in swollen bud and green calyx stages. Expected hardiness is 18 to 21 ºF for 10% bud death and 1 to 5 ºF for 90% bud death.
Pear flower buds are between bud swell and bud burst. This is for both Asian and European pears. They should be hardy to 15 to 20 ºF at the bud swell to bud burst stages.
Plums are at swollen bud and bud burst depending on species. They should be hardy to 14 ºF at swollen bud and 20 ºF at bud burst.
Sweet and sour cherry buds are at the swollen bud stage and should be hardy to 15 °F. At the green tip stage, they should be hardy to 25 ºF.
Hardiness of apples and other tree fruits at each bud stage can be found at the Utah State University website: Tree Fruit Growth Stages – Apple | Intermountain Fruit | USU
Announcements
Welcome to Marketing in a Flash!
Developed by University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the Maine Business School, this course breaks down marketing into approachable, real-world steps you can apply right away—no jargon, no guesswork. If you’re looking for a clear, practical way to build a marketing strategy for your business, you’re in the right place.
In this self-paced, fully online course, you’ll follow the journey of a small business, Forget-Me-Not Flowers, as they move from scattered decisions to a cohesive marketing strategy using the 4 Ps: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. Along the way, you’ll apply the same tools and frameworks to your own business, helping you make confident, connected decisions about what you offer, how you price it, where you sell, and how you reach customers.
In approximately 3–4 hours, you’ll build a complete, aligned marketing strategy grounded in your values and your customers’ needs. Upon successful completion, you’ll earn the Marketing in a Flash Micro-Badge, a digital credential you can share on LinkedIn, résumés, or professional profiles to demonstrate your ability to develop and apply a cohesive marketing strategy.
Sign up on the Marketing In A Flash registration page and start building a stronger marketing plan for your business.
What You’ll Learn
- Identify your ideal customer and use a persona to guide marketing decisions
- Define and refine your product based on customer needs and differentiation
- Choose a pricing strategy that reflects value and supports your business goals
- Evaluate distribution (place) options, including direct, indirect, and hybrid models
- Apply promotion strategies to reach and engage your audience effectively
- Understand how the 4 Ps work together to create a cohesive marketing strategy
- Adapt and evaluate your strategy as your business grows and changes
Successfully complete this learning experience and you will earn the Marketing in a Flash digital badge! This badge is verified by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the Maine Business School and can be shared on a resume, LinkedIn, or other social media page, or on a website. It is linked to you and contains the data needed to prove that you have the knowledge from this learning experience! Share it with potential clients or employers!
Technology Requirements:
The course content will be entirely online on Brightspace. An email address, access to a reliable internet connection, the newest version of your web browser, and an electronic device (i.e, laptop, desktop, iPad, or tablet) with video/audio capabilities are required to complete this course. If you need technical assistance with registration or a reasonable accommodation to participate, please contact UMaine Extension’s Brightspace support team by email at extension.brightspace@maine.edu.
Renae Moran
University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Tree Fruits
PO Box 179
Monmouth, ME 04259
(207) 933-2100
Mention of a trademark, proprietary product, or vendor does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product, nor does it imply approval or disapproval to the exclusion of other products or vendors that may also be suitable.
University of Maine Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity institution and provider committed to nondiscrimination. For more information, visit extension.umaine.edu/nondiscrimination.