While the weather this winter has appeared mild at times, peach chill hours are up to an ideal number, according to Chilton Research and Extension Center Director Jim Pitts.

Pitts said the peach crops have logged 1,193 chill hours as of the cutoff point for counting hours on Feb. 15, which bodes well for the upcoming crop.

“We’re in good shape,” he said. “[Sunday] was the last day we keep records, but we’re pretty satisfied.”

Chill hours are counted by the Extension, which measures the amount of hours peach trees spend under 45 degrees for one complete hour, or a chill hour, at two locations: the Extension office, and at a location in the Fairview community.

The chill hours are necessary in order to produce a sufficient crop. Peach trees must be exposed to cold weather in order to keep buds from opening too early, which prevents the buds from being damaged by being exposed to a potential late freeze.

Pitts said the projected cold weather for this week shouldn’t do much in the way of harming the crops.

“We don’t think (it will affect the crops),” he said. “When it’s that cold and dry, you (get) concerned. It could cause some problems, (but) it’s way too early to tell.”

The next phase of the crops’ growth involves warmer weather facilitating the growth of the actual plant, depending on variety, Pitts said.

“The hormones are going from rest to grow mode,” he said. “They start clocking growing degree hours. It takes so many growing degree hours to (help the) development of the buds and flowers.”

If anything, the colder weather would help to kill off weaker buds that would need to be removed anyways, Pitts said. He also said that the amount of chill hours for the crops bodes well headed into the next phase of growth.

“This cool weather isn’t so bad,” he said. “We’ve had years where we’ve had 600 hours. If we get over 1,000, we feel good. We’re about where we were last year.”