What it does
Chill Hours counts the hours below the temperature that fruit trees register as winter cold, then totals them for your location. Each variety of peach, apple, pear, plum and blueberry has a chill requirement. The app matches your accumulated chill against that requirement so you can tell, before you buy, whether a variety will perform where you live.
Why it is better
Generic advice tells you a variety is "good." It rarely tells you whether your winter is cold enough for it.
- Your real winter, not an average. Chill is tracked for your area, so the answer fits your spot, from a warm South to a cold Mountain West.
- Match before you buy. See a variety's chill requirement next to your accumulated total and avoid an expensive mistake.
- Useful both ways. Warm-winter gardeners can find low-chill varieties; cold-winter gardeners can grow the high-chill classics with confidence.
How to use it in three steps
Set your region
Pick your US region once and the app starts tracking your winter chill.
Check your total
See your accumulated chill hours for the season at a glance.
Match a variety
Compare a fruit variety's chill requirement against your total before you plant it.
How it connects
Chill Hours works alongside the rest of your fruit growing.
- Varieties you choose go into your garden planner and Fruit & Perennials journal.
- The weather planner covers the other side of the season, frost and heat risk.
- Harvests off your trees roll into your dashboard and savings totals.
Check your chill before you buy.
Free to start, works offline, and built for your US region.