Record your spring blossom dates

Orange Pippin is calling on fruit-tree growers worldwide to mark the dates of this year's blossom season in the UK-based web site's database.

The effort to document blossoming takes on special significance in light of last year's unusual growing season and the threat of climate change.

Join the database by opening a free account at Orange Pippin's Tree Register page.

From Orange Pippin:

Fruit trees of any given variety blossom over a period of about 2 weeks. Conventionally the beginning of the period is marked by the opening of 10% of flowers, the end is marked by petal fall from 90% of flowers. Full bloom is usually taken as the date when 90% of the blossom is open, and usually occurs 5-8 days after the first blossom appears.

I reviewed Orange Pippin in 2008, but since then its webmaster has added so many ingenious features that it really deserves a whole new write-up.