Anyone using a gas powered wind mill frost machine for their orchards?

[mikester]

We lost our harvest this year due to a frost. Didn’t get enough apples out of 500 trees to make a single pie. The vineyard on the property next to us has two wind machines. They had a good harvest this year. I don’t know if those trees will ever give us a decent harvest. Every year is something new.

Frost in spring or fall?

Our trees were so overloaded with apples this year large branches were breaking off.

I don't understand why the windmill is in use here in late fall other than the guy left it in auto start mode with a 6.5oC set point and doesn't live on the farm

 

[2LaneCruzer]

In Napa valley, I saw units where the prop was pointed upward. Not sure if it "pulled air down, or pushed air up"?

My guess is that it pulls the warmer (lighter) air down to displace the colder and move it upward. My guess also is that if it pushed the air up, (colder) it would be replaced with the surrounding cold air.

 

[rangerfredbob]

The one in the pic is an Orchard Rite (red gearhead is a giveaway I'm pretty sure, there's several companies that make them) out of central Washington, been there, my work sold a few engines to them... that box at the base is the engine with a gearhead at the base of the pole and a driveshaft going up to the gearhead at the top... They're generally powered by the cheapest engine available that will do the power needed to get some airflow. It's kinda like water doesn't freeze if moving why you keep your water flowing when cold...

Those temps do sound a bit much to be doing that though... usually it's just the couple degrees around freezing that they use those...

 

[NitroWade]

Loss of harvest due to frost is till a very big deal today, I wonder if there can be a truly permanent solution to it aside frost warnings