Critical Spring Temperatures

The critical control temperatures for tart cherries and sweet cherries are given in the tables below.

Old standard temperatures is the lowest temperature that can be endured for 30 minutes without damage.
These tables also shows the temperature that will kill 10% and 90% of normal fruit buds.

Tart cherries

Critical spring temperatures for tart cherries
Cherry Stages	Critical Control Temperatures
Swollen bud	10% kill: 15 90% kill: 0
Side green	10% kill: 24 90% kill: 10
Green tip	10% kill: 26 90% kill: 22
Tight cluster	10% kill: 26 90% kill: 24
Open cluster	10% kill: 28 90% kill: 24
First white	10% kill: 28 90% kill: 24
First bloom	10% kill: 28 90% kill: 24
Full bloom	10% kill: 28 90% kill: 24

Sweet cherries

Critical spring temperatures for sweet cherries
Cherry Stages	Critical Control Temperatures
Swollen bud	Old temp: 23 10% kill: 17 90% kill: 5
Side green	Old temp: 23 10% kill: 22 90% kill: 9
Green tip	Old temp: 25 10% kill: 25 90% kill: 14
Tight cluster	Old temp: 28 10% kill: 26 90% kill: 17
Open cluster	Old temp: 28 10% kill: 27 90% kill: 21
First white	Old temp: 29 10% kill: 27 90% kill: 24
First bloom	Old temp: 29 10% kill: 28 90% kill: 25
Full bloom	Old temp: 29 10% kill: 28 90% kill: 25
Post bloom	Old temp: 30 10% kill: 28 90% kill: 25

These numbers were taken from WSU and MSU Extension Bulletins. Sweet cherries - WSU EB 1128, Tart cherries - MSU Research. Rpt. 220. Portions of these bulletins are posted at Greg Lang's Fruit Bud Hardiness page at the MSU Horticulture Department.