14 replies to this topic

[_Keith]

I live in the cooler part of Zone 9a. Two years ago, we had a Zone 8a winter. I lost a lot of tender stuff and even more froze to the ground. This year we had a Zone 10a winter. I am cutting back and shaping Zone 10a plants that never even went dormant this winter., and things usually considered annuals here that are right back to flowering and fruiting. Things will be huge by the end of the year if we get some even close to normal rainfall.

So, what was your winter like?

[Steve the palmreader]

Do you have a Royal ? When I was living in Jax I had one growing for about 5 yrs

I live in the cooler part of Zone 9a. Two years ago, we had a Zone 8a winter. I lost a lot of tender stuff and even more froze to the ground. This year we had a Zone 10a winter. I am cutting back and shaping Zone 10a plants that never even went dormant this winter., and things usually considered annuals here that are right back to flowering and fruiting. Things will be huge by the end of the year if we get some even close to normal rainfall.

So, what was your winter like?

[_Keith]

Do you have a Royal ? When I was living in Jax I had one growing for about 5 yrs

I live in the cooler part of Zone 9a. Two years ago, we had a Zone 8a winter. I lost a lot of tender stuff and even more froze to the ground. This year we had a Zone 10a winter. I am cutting back and shaping Zone 10a plants that never even went dormant this winter., and things usually considered annuals here that are right back to flowering and fruiting. Things will be huge by the end of the year if we get some even close to normal rainfall.

So, what was your winter like?

I lost my Royal in the big freeze of 09/10 along with 30 other marginal palms.

[gsytch]

A mild Tampa Bay winter has everything way bigger, growing faster and almost out of control care wise! I am trying to catch up. The Mangoes have fruited with small fruit. I need to borrow my nieghbor's big ladder to attempt to get to the top to check out the fruit. I try to climb to the first break in the branches and remove fruit in the middle so the outer fruit ripens. My P reclinata stilted, and the replant doesn't look good. RAIN would help. The big tall Triangle is blooming. I wish it wasn't so tall. I cannot reach the top where the flowers are, otherwise I would attempt to cross with a Pindo! But, wishful thinking. Two cold snaps for two days each, one below freezing (barely)and we move on. RAIN would be nice, did I mention that? Greg :-))

[_Rich]

A mild Tampa Bay winter has everything way bigger, growing faster and almost out of control care wise! I am trying to catch up. The Mangoes have fruited with small fruit. I need to borrow my nieghbor's big ladder to attempt to get to the top to check out the fruit. I try to climb to the first break in the branches and remove fruit in the middle so the outer fruit ripens. My P reclinata stilted, and the replant doesn't look good. RAIN would help. The big tall Triangle is blooming. I wish it wasn't so tall. I cannot reach the top where the flowers are, otherwise I would attempt to cross with a Pindo! But, wishful thinking. Two cold snaps for two days each, one below freezing (barely)and we move on. RAIN would be nice, did I mention that? Greg :-))

Greg,

Your mention of Butia capitata (pindo) X Dypsis decaryi (triangle) intrigued me. Do you know of anyone that has successfully performed this hybrid cross? If such a creature exists, can someone post a picture? The degrees of separation between the species seems too far a stretch to create viable seed. Stranger things have happened though.

Thanks,

Rich

[Stevetoad]

Here in east county San Diego I had mostly warm days but more frost than the last 3 years. Since most of my palms were planted this last summer many didn't do to well this winter. Hope summer comes early to get some growth back.

[palmmermaid]

Here in Palm Beach County we had a very mild winter. Only a couple of very short cold snaps - nothing compared to the last 2 winters! Everything is in bloom - many things earlier than normal, even orchids. My mango and avocado have already bloomed. My begonias have gone wild. My palms are growing. We had rain last week, quite a bit for the dry season. I hope that continues. If it does, we will have a fantastic growing season. I will need to take aout a loan for all the fertilizer I will need!

[Xenon]

I live in the cooler part of Zone 9a. Two years ago, we had a Zone 8a winter. I lost a lot of tender stuff and even more froze to the ground. This year we had a Zone 10a winter. I am cutting back and shaping Zone 10a plants that never even went dormant this winter., and things usually considered annuals here that are right back to flowering and fruiting. Things will be huge by the end of the year if we get some even close to normal rainfall.

So, what was your winter like?

Very similar here, except "annuals" and tender plants like hibiscus never stopped blooming! Bananas don't look that bad either...

Jonathan

Edited by Xenon, 12 March 2012 - 08:21 AM.

[JasonD]

We've had a very dry, rather warm and sunny winter. Winter is normally our rainy season. It's often felt like a Southern California winter, with calm, sunny days reaching into the 60s and 70s at times, chilly nights, and very occasional rain events. We're at perhaps 35% of normal rainfall accumulation (though we're due for a significant storm starting tonight). Sure, we've definitely had lots of normal temperatures too, with 50s during the day and 40s at night, but the warm stretches have been profuse. Normally we'll have one or two "warm" (~70F+) spells in January and February. Also, our fall was a repeat of 2010's: exceptionally clear and warm. And our summer was a repeat of 2010's: exceptionally foggy and cool, going weeks without breaking highs of 65F. The previous two winters were both very wet and lingered well into May & June.
Some dry winters can produce the pea-soupy tule fog that originates in the valleys and creeps out toward the coast, but this year it's been very rare. On only two days have we suffered any frost. My car registered an outdoor temperature two sequential mornings of 37F & 38F with frost on the window at sunrise, and tender plants in the SF Botanical Garden nearby (which can reach 10F lower than my house) were defoliated or damaged. These included Fuchsia boliviana, Gunnera insignis, and some of the newly planted mid-altitude Ceroxyons like C. alpinum. The only plants in my back yard to suffer were a Pritchardia remota (cold wet soil & rats were probably equal culprits), a Carica papaya hybrid called "babaco," and a Kalachoe prolifera. Now our tree daisy, Rojasianthe superba, is reaching full bloom, while our tree ageratum, Bartlettina sordida, swells its buds toward imminent bloom. At the nursery where I work, plants that normally sulk through the winter, like Passiflora vitifolia (red passion flower) and Solandra maxima (copa de oro), are rebounding and blooming much earlier than normal.
Some of the stone-fruit growers will have bumper crops this year because rain has not knocked off the blooms.
What's interesting to see is how little rainfall is required to get the winter greenery popping up. It comprises mostly Mediterranean annual grasses and some perennials, like wild radish. Judging by those weeds, you'd hardly know how dry it's been.
Oh yeah, and bananas - they're looking almost as good as they do in August, having suffered very little from winter gales and long stretches of chilly, wet weather.

[spockvr6]

A mild Tampa Bay winter has everything way bigger, growing faster and almost out of control care wise! I am trying to catch up. The Mangoes have fruited with small fruit. I need to borrow my nieghbor's big ladder to attempt to get to the top to check out the fruit. I try to climb to the first break in the branches and remove fruit in the middle so the outer fruit ripens. My P reclinata stilted, and the replant doesn't look good. RAIN would help. The big tall Triangle is blooming. I wish it wasn't so tall. I cannot reach the top where the flowers are, otherwise I would attempt to cross with a Pindo! But, wishful thinking. Two cold snaps for two days each, one below freezing (barely)and we move on. RAIN would be nice, did I mention that? Greg :-))

Yes great winter over our way Greg. This is like the "old days" when I assumed we wouldn't get frozen out. In Palm Harbor I bottomed at 34.X this winter and probably something around 40F in Bokeelia. This sounds OK with me.

[gsytch]

No, I have never heard of it but would love to try it. Just thinking. However I cannot reach the flowers on the Triangle. Way too high for any ladder I have. G~

A mild Tampa Bay winter has everything way bigger, growing faster and almost out of control care wise! I am trying to catch up. The Mangoes have fruited with small fruit. I need to borrow my nieghbor's big ladder to attempt to get to the top to check out the fruit. I try to climb to the first break in the branches and remove fruit in the middle so the outer fruit ripens. My P reclinata stilted, and the replant doesn't look good. RAIN would help. The big tall Triangle is blooming. I wish it wasn't so tall. I cannot reach the top where the flowers are, otherwise I would attempt to cross with a Pindo! But, wishful thinking. Two cold snaps for two days each, one below freezing (barely)and we move on. RAIN would be nice, did I mention that? Greg :-))

Greg,

Your mention of Butia capitata (pindo) X Dypsis decaryi (triangle) intrigued me. Do you know of anyone that has successfully performed this hybrid cross? If such a creature exists, can someone post a picture? The degrees of separation between the species seems too far a stretch to create viable seed. Stranger things have happened though.

Thanks,

Rich

[amazondk]

In my part of the wolrd it is officially summer still, but in reality it is getting to the end of the amazonian winter season. This is the rainy season and this has been very wet. The rivers are heading for a record high water point in this part of the Amazon Basin and thousands of people up the rivers have already been impacted and flooded out. Of course temperature is irrevelant as the coldest it ever gets is around 72 F.

dk

[madgav]

I live in the cooler part of Zone 9a. Two years ago, we had a Zone 8a winter. I lost a lot of tender stuff and even more froze to the ground. This year we had a Zone 10a winter. I am cutting back and shaping Zone 10a plants that never even went dormant this winter., and things usually considered annuals here that are right back to flowering and fruiting. Things will be huge by the end of the year if we get some even close to normal rainfall.

So, what was your winter like?

VERY mild winter (unlike most of central Europe & parts of the UK). Absolute low -1.4C (29.4F), with no lying snow to speak of and only 3 air frosts, all of which occurred within the space of a week at the end of Jan / early Feb.
I also live in zone 9a although most winters are 9b. 10/11 was a freak 8a winter - but I didn't lose very much at all although some plants are still recovering. We just missed a 10a winter in 11/12 although I'm sure some areas nearer the coast would not have gone below 30F.
Beyond winter March has been warm but April disappointingly cool so far

Edited by madgav, 16 April 2012 - 12:04 AM.

[_Wal]

I don't know about zones Keith, but the weather across the planet as far as I can see has been crazy now for 2 years. We've had exceptional rainfall for the last 2 years with associated flooding east coast of OZ, and tornado season has come earlier for the last 2 years in tornado alley areas, the freezes in Europe in the last 2 years have been over the top, it's a message to us all. Enjoy life now, plant more palms..

[gsytch]

I totally agree...plant more palms and enjoy life! I fin ally found some potted Sabal Palmettos in 10 gal at $29 and they are going in. I'm tired of the damaged marginal palms. I have plenty of palms, but a few more is always a good thing! They are also prediciting good chances of rain later this week...fingers crossed! We are in rather high drought right now. Tampa has reported onmly 4.25" since Jan 1st, we've had a bit more. FINGERS CROSSED!

I don't know about zones Keith, but the weather across the planet as far as I can see has been crazy now for 2 years. We've had exceptional rainfall for the last 2 years with associated flooding east coast of OZ, and tornado season has come earlier for the last 2 years in tornado alley areas, the freezes in Europe in the last 2 years have been over the top, it's a message to us all. Enjoy life now, plant more palms..