Chill hours matter when growing fruit trees

Late fall and winter are prime time for planting trees in Louisiana. If you’re interested in adding some fruit trees to your landscape, you should first familiarize yourself with the concept of chilling hours.

“Chilling hours is probably the No. 1 thing you need to look at before deciding which fruit tree you want to plant in your backyard,” said Michael Polozola, LSU AgCenter fruit and nut specialist.

Chilling hours, often shortened to chill hours, refer to the number of hours a fruit tree is exposed to temperatures between 32 F and 45 F during its cool-season dormancy. They’re essential to the tree’s ability to produce flowers and fruit in the spring and summer.