Why are chillinghours important? Without enough chillhoursforpear trees, plants won't break dormancy, resulting in no flowers, few flowers, or incomplete flowers. All this means a no to low fruit harvest. Your hardiness zone will simply tell you the average temperature in winter. What does chillhours mean? It refers to the number of hours a deciduous fruit tree spends in temperatures between 32°F and 45°F (0°C to 7.2°C) during its dormant season. What Are ChillHours & Why Do They Matter? Chillhours measure the amount of time temperatures stay between 32°F and 45°F. Pear trees rely on a certain number of these chillhours to rest and prepare forfruit production. Many fruit and nut trees, including pears, need a certain amount of time within a specific temperature range to break dormancy. You might hear that pears need 1,000 chillhours. That just means that a tree needs to experience 1,000 hours below 45°F. During the year that I got around 400 chillinghours my Tennessee pear did not bloom at all. This past winter it got 525 hours and bloomed in dribs and drabs. It blooms well (explodes into flower) when I get 600 hours or more. Given this I’m saying the chilling requirement is around 550 hours. This disease impacts fruit trees from the rose family, which includes apples, crab apples, and pears. How can I find the specific chillhour requirements for different fruit varieties? Different fruit species have specific chillinghour requirements; for example, apple and pear trees typically need around 1, 200 to 1, 500 chillhours. Trees requiring higher chillhours, ranging from 800 to 1, 000, are best suited for cooler northern climates. But what exactly are chillhours? This term refers to the cumulative number of hours during the winter months when temperatures fall between 32°F and 45°F (0°C to 7°C). For many deciduous fruit trees like apples, peaches, pears, plums, and cherries... You’ll learn how to calculate chillhours and how they affect different plants, especially fruit trees like apple, cherry, peach, and pear trees. Let’s dig in and demystify chillhours! The Flordahome Pear produce fruit that are crisp and sweet-tart with minimal chillhours making it perfect for Southern landscapes. Enjoy fragrant spring blooms, summer pears, and easy care in zones 6–10. What Does “ChillHours” Mean ForFruit Trees? For both fruit and nut trees, there is a period of dormancy over the winter. During that dormant period, most fruit or nut varieties need a certain amount of winter cold. Beyond the zone: How many chillhours do Red Bartletts need? Chillhours, or chill units, are the total number of hours during the winter where the temperature is between 32°F and 45°F (0°C and 7°C). Pears, like many fruit trees... Have you heard the term "chillhours" or "chillinghours" in conjunction with fruit trees and their growing requirements? See our reasons for learning about the individual chillhours required forfruit tree varieties.
