Central Otago orchardists are assessing damage to their fruit trees following three consecutive frosts.
Many chose to fight the frost with overhead sprinklers on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings, in an attempt to protect forming buds and blossoms.
Others did not want to interrupt the pollination process and left trees dry.
Earnscleugh orchardist Harry Roberts irrigated his trees during all three frosts, covering blossoms and bare branches in icicles which melted in the mid-morning sun.
"Some are frost-fighting and some aren't - it's just a grower's choice at this stage.
The frosts were not too severe - it could have been much worse," he said.
Mr Roberts said the frost was more of a nuisance than a major problem for most orchardists, as it was still relatively early in the season and fruit was not yet formed.
"By the end of next week, it will be a totally different game, and if we get frosts then, there will be much more damage.
At this stage it doesn't look too bad - we don't know whether we've lost crop or not from interfering with pollination - but it's more of a nuisance," he said.
Roxburgh orchardists are typically a week or so ahead of those in the Alexandra basin, while Cromwell is similarly behind.
Apricots are the most developed, with many in full bloom and ready for fruit to start forming.
Cherries, nectarines and peaches develop slightly later, and many are not yet in blossom.
Grapes are weeks from being susceptible to frost.
Roxburgh orchardist Stephen Jeffery started fighting frost with overhead sprinklers before midnight on Thursday, which he said was earlier in the evening than usual.
His apricots were in the process of losing petals and most at risk.
Although Mr Jeffery said orchardists expected frosts at this time of the year, he estimated it would have been a decade since many were fighting frost so early in September.
Some Cromwell basin orchards used water to prevent frost damage, although the risk to crops was less throughout the area than in the rest of Central Otago.
