No effect. If it were in the spring, and the warm spell really woke things up it would be a different story, but at this time everything should easily stay dormant through a few days of 50s or 60s.

There are many places where that kind of yo-yo weather is the norm (Denver, to name one from personal experience), but most plants deal with it no problem. The big exception really is near spring bloom, of course, when mild April weather turns arctic, then there is no fruit, and/or disrupted leafing out.

Sorry, I beg to differ. My trees you say are waking up.

https://sites.google.com/view/thegardensofease2/home

If you look at the hydroponic section I was having a conversation with myself about exactly that. All my trees and fruiting bushes are showing signs of waking up. Don't kid yourself this is a big problem everybody hopes will "just go away". I live in PA so I'm going share your sorrow on that. Three out of the last five years there have been crop failures on a large scale in PA. The one other I'll be generous and say partial failure. Orchards are going to going out of business because climate change is effecting them. Vineyards as well. You know PA likes their vineyards. That's not even mentioning the Lantern fly. Which are expected in their trillions.

Yea lantern fly is a menace where I’m at. My apples have tons of buds, none flowering, but all this week and some of last week temperatures in the day were around 60 with majority of lows being close to 40, and one or two days with a low of 24-34! Next week back into the 20’s and 30s during the day. I feel like any hope of a good crop is gone. Two years ago late frost in feb knocked all the flowering buds off... last year was mildly better, and this year the buds are up, but not flowering yet... do I start putting sheets on them!?

See here's where your wasting your time with anything in ground. It would be better to get everything into containers and start thinking tents. Your fighting a losing battle. None of the old methods will help with climate change. Your already telling yourself what you see. Take your own advice.

Well, if we only think of climate change as temp change that's one thing. But what about the depletion of the ozone layer. The increase sun radiation acting like micro waves on the fruit buds. There's a whole new set of considerations that have to be taken into account. The increase in surface water evaporation, all these things are changing how things are grown in the areas we live. Those things are changing

I see absolutely NO evidence that this is of any immediate concern. Maybe in 25-50 years it will prove to be an issue but not now.

Wait let me get this straight. 25-50 years our time is what two generations. The little kiddies running under your feet are no concern because you hope to not be here. Hey you have to be here part of the time those rug rats are becoming helpful, productive citizens.

What have "little kiddies running under my feet" to do with not being able to plant in the ground due to climate change?? One has absolutely nothing to do with the other!!

The idea that we’re having this conversation and can see the others point of view brings awareness to each other as well as those who lurk. We don’t have 25-50 years to !!!WAIT!!! to figure this out. We have to start talking about what can be done now to ease us into those 25 or 50 years we can’t see. An by the way I’m way past 50 and in that life time I can see the changes that have come plants weeds and insects. The sun’s just a little brighter, the wind breathes different. So yeah I’ve already lived that 25-50 closer to 75 year thing. This is just the beginning of the next 25-50 year thing. I might still be alive in 25 years. But what are we talking about except idle conversation. It’s like the Batman says in that Justice League movie “Mankind treats the Dooms day clock like it has a snooze button”.

Chris,

Although going from subzero to 50-60 F for three days makes you nervous, it probably won’t have much effect on your trees.

However, a warm month of Feb and follwed by a freezing cold week in March would definitely do damage to fruit buds. Been there, done that. For now, relax.

Sorry did I sound stressed? If you checked out the site you'd find that I already have those situations covered. I am expecting just as you said a warm Feb with cold spells in March. My hydroponic system was designed for this changing weather patterns. I can moved everything in if things change to much. The grapes are starting to bud. The apples are showing fuzzy tips. The Blueberries are showing green. Hey, I'm covered tho. As they will be once in the greenhouse. If I didn't have that space the ideas I had on a new hydroponic system in winter wouldn't work either.

Well for the last month the pear buds were in the 1st stage scale separation. But the now the buds are a little late in were they should be bloom wise. Very cool evenings. But we still have to wait thru May 15th.

The pears are in full bloom and the apples are starting. I expect them to be in bloom the beginning of next week. The Crab apples are going to put on a show this weekend. There's at least a hundred trees with 75 in fruit. With that said it's still 30 days. The hydro experiment, so the half barrels froze and the trees are blooming.

First problem. Frost damage to 10% of the bloom. Micro climate thing. Fast blowing wind in that part of the yard. Apples are still in stage one or two.