How cold is too cold for blossoming apple trees?

Some beautiful spring blossoms from May 2015.

Every spring, the number one question we get from Bayfield fruit enthusiasts is, "How did the trees do this winter?"  This question comes primarily from our loyal customers who make the trip to Bayfield in the winter, looking for their favorite Apple Butter, only to find it is much colder than they ever expected!  Asking about the health of our apple trees makes perfect sense...these trees are, after all, standing in an orchard all winter with very little protection from the blustery winds that visit the hills of Bayfield.   My answer is that our trees are very cold hardy and (thankfully!) the winter does not really bother them.  Even after the coldest of winters (remember the polar vortex, circa 2013) our trees will faithfully blossom each spring.  There is, however, a catch!  If we get an early spring in Bayfield, and our trees begin to blossom...we cross our fingers that the weather stays warm and we do not get a late hard frost!  A hard frost that happens after the trees have begun to blossom will almost certainly result in very little fruit the coming fall.  

So how cold is too cold for blossoming apple trees?  Take a look at the chart below to see the temperatures that will result in damage to a burgeoning fruit set...and keep your fingers crossed for a gradual thaw of the Bayfield orchards this spring! Apple blossoms are right around the corner!