Feast or Famine; Only Time Will Tell

    One problem with living in a lush semitropical climate is the "semi" part.  Those of you who read our 'rants' have heard this before, so I thought I'd do a little post that "gambles" on the outcome.  It's January 7,  2015 and these are our Japanese Plum Trees. Another name for them is Loquat plums.

     As you can see, the tops of the these trees are ablaze with bloomage.   As you get closer to them, you can hear  the solid hum of "buzzing, as the honeybees do their job.

 The lower branches are covered with little green plums and it appears we have a bumper crop in the making.

The big question is as to whether or not they will be able to mature into the huge harvest they appear to promise, or will a late hard freeze cause us to have a lean year. 

       Two years ago we had such a bountiful harvest that after we had picked, eaten and canned to our heart's content, we still managed to give away ten full five gallon buckets to a local non-professional wine maker. 

    Now, last year, due to a late hard freeze, we barely had a dishpan full; just enough to make 3 quarts of canned plums.  This year we are wondering, "What's it gonna be??"  Tonight we are supposed to have a 'hard freeze', so we'll be covering up what we can in our yard, but the plum trees are too huge for us to cover. Tune in for the answer to this cliff err... make that plum hanger.