Current Chill Calculations for the Central Coast - CIMIS Station #129

Return to Strawberries

I had a local grower in our area call me last week about comparing the amount of chill accumulated so far this growing year, so I directed him to the UC Davis Fruits and Nuts site, which has a great chill calculator and also affords the opportunity to compare to the past years. There are two stations in the Watsonville area, #129 is behind the old Driscoll's research office off of San Juan Road in Pajaro, # 209 is closer to the shore and would be more moderated by the sea.

https://fruitsandnuts.ucdavis.edu/chill-calculator

I use the Utah model, which subtracts chill accumulation when temperatures go over 65 degrees Fahrenheit. I believe this is a good model since it reflects a lot going on with the plant's physiology.

Summary to Monday February 19 looks like chill this year is pretty well in line with years past. I did in fact pull some strawberry plants out at the end of January for a root starch, total non-soluble carbohydrate and sugar analysis to see how additive the effects of this chill are to critical components of the plant's physiology once it is in the ground. Stay tuned.

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