Melbourne Heat/Drought Damage 2009

[Adam from Oz]

Hi All,

We are now into the 12th year of this drought and with water restriction - still.

We had a heatwave lasting four days. The temperatures peaked at 45.1C (113.2F) with our first ever occurrence of three consecutive days over 43C (109.4F). This, combined with the fact that we are severely restricted in our ability to water, humidity down to 5% and there's been no rain in about a month has led to some damage and loss.

I have lost about 10 palms completely with others showing browning off.

I took some pics of palms around my neighbourhood. Here we go:

Toasted Howea forsteriana:

Edited February 2, 2009 by Adam from Oz

[Adam from Oz]

Phoenix canariensis goner:

[Adam from Oz]

Another CIDP transplanted 3 years ago. Was lush last week:

[Adam from Oz]

This one surprised me.

A Washingtonia robusta that lost the plot in the space of two days:

Much more damage around. Hard to find a plant that's not browned off in some way. I had to laugh when an Agave in my garden got burnt.

Cheers,

Adam

[paulgila]

thats so sad! sorry to hear about it.

[tim_brissy_13]

I doubt you could find one Howea across all of Melbourne that isn't at least slightly burnt. Your photos really tell a story Adam, they are tough palms that have been damaged, I'm surprised to see a Washy look like that, and Phoenix canariensis, those things pop up in between train tracks.

Driving through Mordialloc recently I saw all the Agapanthus alongside the highway are crispy. I thought they were indestructable until this heatwave.

[Adam from Oz]

Yeah, Tim.

There's quite a lot that has surprised me. I wasn't surprised to lose my treeferns overnight nor was I surprised when my bananas crisped and fell over.

I was surprised when a Yucca alolifolia var. "with pinky bits" wilted and burnt.

Also, my large Syagrus has dropped its growing spear. It has just bent over into the canopy. It's too tall to photograph and I don't know what it means or if it will be OK.

Here's the list of palms I have lost or are severely damaged in no particular order:

Guihaia argyrata defoliated.

Howea fosteriana nuked.

Archontophoenix alexandrae almost dead

Ditto ditto cunninghamiana with lots of crispy badness. Three small palms dead.

Arenga engleri reduced to dust.

All Chamaedoreas toast. That's 5 plants.

One Nikau dead, the other crisped.

Phoenix roebelenii crisped. Flowers went from yellow to black in about 2 hours.

Lytocaryum with the long name dead.

Ceroxylon alpinum pfffffft!

Um, it's adding up to more than ten so I think I'll stop thinking about it. That's just the palms.

I'm switching from drought sensitive palms and bananas to as many different yucca species as I can get my hands on as I've sort of had enough.

Where's the smiley for giving up?

Adam

[Walter John]

We don't give up, that's why there's no smiley for it.

[Adam from Oz]

We don't give up, that's why there's no smiley for it.

That's quite a clever line, Wal.

The funny thing is I can't take pics of my own damaged plants or garden. I don't even want to look at it. In complete whinge/whine mode, I am sick of worrying about the levels on the water tank, getting up at 6am for my alloted watering time twice a week to now have a garden that looks like utter cr8p.

I'll still stick with the really hardy stuff (my Brahea armata looks great) but ......I don't know .......fill in the rest as you see fit.

[Walter John]

You could have what you want and own, a ratpack idea of ours, and have it/them planted on someone else's property up north, it will be your palm, just planted in another state. I'm going to do that myself soon.

[Adam from Oz]

You could have what you want and own, a ratpack idea of ours, and have it/them planted on someone else's property up north, it will be your palm, just planted in another state. I'm going to do that myself soon.

I don't get you, Wal.

[Walter John]

You could have what you want and own, a ratpack idea of ours, and have it/them planted on someone else's property up north, it will be your palm, just planted in another state. I'm going to do that myself soon.

I don't get you, Wal.

Perhaps you are still grieving ?

Here's the thing, in brief.

You like palms right ?, correction, you love palms. You want to own and see the the growth of certain palm species, ones that edge over the beauty scales, lovely tropical looking, kinda rare even, and don't have to endure the dramatic turns from super dry cold to super dry hot temperatures. The trouble is, your abode does not bode well for these treasures, the risk is too great to sustain them, so what do you do ? You are an Australian, with Australian friends of the palm all around this country. Send them $, they buy palms for you and instead of you planting them in death camp charlie, they plant them for you up north where survival rates are extremely high. They are your palms on your aussie palm contacts property. You recieve updates, photos and when the time comes, you visit and see your palms for yourself. It's like a pen pal(m). That's the theory and I'm currently negotiating this process myself.

We don't give up.........

[ariscott]

You could have what you want and own, a ratpack idea of ours, and have it/them planted on someone else's property up north, it will be your palm, just planted in another state. I'm going to do that myself soon.

Where are you planting yours, Wal? FNQ or Darwin?

Adam,

It looks really sad... It would break my heart, if it happens to me.

Regards, Ari

[Adam from Oz]

Thanks, Wal and Ari.

I have moved from grief into anger.

We have a state goverment that is absolutely pathetic. All this could have been avoided if I would have been able to water freely. In years past, I would simply water the garden like crazy and spray down plants' leaves.

Our head in the sand government treats us like a 4th World country. They have done nothing to increase Melbourne's water capacity since the early 1980's. Only now have they moved to build a desalination plant which won't be ready for Gawd only knows how long.

They also can't provide enough electricity or get the transport working.

Drought or no drought, we are in world terms a rich country. Melbourne is growing fast. We've been absorbing over 60,000 new people per annum. Might be time to address that?

Provide me with the basics please before spending billions of dollars on fixing up the MCG for Commonwealth Games, Rod Laver Arena for the Australian Open and losing millions every year on a Grand Prix. And then having the nerve to say you want to go for the Olympics again.

Suck the water from Tasmania or Far North Queensland. Get hydrogen and oxygen and combine the two. I don't care.

There are much drier places on Earth without water restrictions that go on for years

End of that rant.

I'd feel like a deadbeat Dad with a palm interstate. Would I have to pay Palm Allowance?

Me.

[Jonathan]

Suck the water from Tasmania?!?!?

WHAT WATER?

We dont have any.....I'm sure you've not noticed, but we've been in drought for 12 years as well! Even our fabled Hydro dams are nearly empty.

I live in a rainfall zone of about 300mm per annum, half an hour from the middle of Hobart (2nd DRIEST state capital after Adelaide) and I can't get reticulated water here. People here buy it by the truckload or suck it out of salty bores.

I feel for you, its horrible to watch your plants die.....but bleed the provinces to feed Rome? Give me a break.

[Adam from Oz]

Suck the water from Tasmania?!?!?

WHAT WATER?

We dont have any.....I'm sure you've not noticed, but we've been in drought for 12 years as well! Even our fabled Hydro dams are nearly empty.

I live in a rainfall zone of about 300mm per annum, half an hour from the middle of Hobart (2nd DRIEST state capital after Adelaide) and I can't get reticulated water here. People here buy it by the truckload or suck it out of salty bores.

I feel for you, its horrible to watch your plants die.....but bleed the provinces to feed Rome? Give me a break.

Read:http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/go-with-tassies-flow/2008/03/02/1204402273183.html

Edited February 2, 2009 by Adam from Oz

[Adam from Oz]

Also, western Tassie very wet over the last year.

May we buy?

[Jonathan]

No you may not. People here come up with this idea from time to time.

A good way to make money...all that water pouring down the West Coast rivers and out to sea.

It's called environmental flow and its required to keep estuarine and coastal marine ecosystems alive. Take a look at whats left of the Coorong in SA.

Have a peek at the Murray Darling wetlands. Look in your own backyard...

The West Coast of Tasmania is very wet and thats why its covered in Australias biggest continuous rainforest...but the East is dry as a bone and has been for years.

So IF we were to take water from the west, which we shouldn't, where do you think it should go first? To thirsty old Melbourne and its 60,000 new thirsty mouths each year - or poor little Swansea on the East Coast which has been living on boiled water for 5 years?

And after we've sucked the West Coast dry, then what? I hear NZ has a lot of water.

Its bad enough that our own State Government is hell bent on destroying this place - we don't need outside assistance thanks!

[Miccles]

"Suck the water from Tasmania" ?? Oh Adam... you make it sound like we're gunna drain our Southern friends dry, then toss them over our shoulder like an empty beer can !!

Perhaps "purchase any of Tasmania's surplus water" is preferable. But I do agree... there's going to come a time in Australia when piping of large amounts of water across the country will become a reality, it will be thought of in the same fashion that electricity is now.

[Walter John]

But I do agree... there's going to come a time in Australia when piping of large amounts of water across the country will become a reality, it will be thought of in the same fashion that electricity is now.

The late Sir Joh Bjelke Peterson had that idea in the early 70s, he was laughed out of every political room in the country for it. Piping floods from NQ down south ?, ha ha ha, silly man.

Adam, I hope you enjoy yucca dot com.

[Jonathan]

And one last point to my 'rant'...

The engineers in your Age article state that the "water flow across Bass Strait would be driven by gravitation because the Tasmanian dams are higher than the Victorian dams".

The only problem being that our Dams are nearly empty. So the water would then have to be pumped to our dams from lower down the rivers. That requires ELECTRICITY, which in Tasmania means HYDRO, which = WATER IN DAMS.

Its known as a Mexican Cat Farm, or Trophic Energy Loss - you feed the rats to the cats and the cats to the rats and get the cat skins for nothing - only you don't - cause it dosn't work.

Now in a normal rainfall pattern when our dams were full it would be a different story - but then we wouldn't be having this stupid conversation would we?

[Adam from Oz]

Go on.....we'll give you an AFL team!

That should sway most of the populace. What's a few thousand gigalitres between friends?

I like the word, "annex".

[Miccles]

But I do agree... there's going to come a time in Australia when piping of large amounts of water across the country will become a reality, it will be thought of in the same fashion that electricity is now.

The late Sir Joh Bjelke Peterson had that idea in the early 70s, he was laughed out of every political room in the country for it. Piping floods from NQ down south ?, ha ha ha, silly man.

Adam, I hope you enjoy yucca dot com.

Wal,

Being laughed out of a political room is hardly grounds to judge an idea on. In fact, if the politicians laughed at it, I'd be more inclined to look at it. Fine by me - you can stay in the 70's then.

This "silly idea" was looked at quite a bit with the Ord river in the West not so long ago. Rather than just shoot everything down at the blink of an eye, I'd prefer to at least assess its feasability. If indeed it is all hocus-pocus, so be it. But just because a peanut farmer from Kingaroy mentioned it over 30 years ago doesnt mean squat now.

[Daryl]

I think we have to stop the population explosion in our major cities. There are plenty of other areas in Oz that are habitable, and with infrastructure planning, would cope with the growth. Of course, we will eventually outgrow this country's water and farming resources, so need to think about capping the population growth so that we can keep our population at sustainable levels. I wonder what the maximum population this country's resources would sustain in a normal drought cycle? The drought cycle will always affect southern Oz and in the past the cities had enough capacity to 'weather' it out. Not so any more due to the population increase and corresponding lack of water storage etc. We have the same capacity problems here in SE QLD. I lost a lot of palms due to water restrictions at the peak of our drought 3-5 years ago...not fun! Anyway, nothing we can do about the current policies, just grin and bear it! NSW has some really bad water laws..just ask Matt (ntheastpalms).

On the ridiculous other side of the coin, we have had more than enough rain, and our dam has been overflowing for two weeks plus, because we were on too harsh restrictions recently..now it is all going straight into the ocean!

Daryl

[Tyrone]

Adam, I really feel for you, and I too can't see the point of growing a palm 2000km's away which is "yours". Personally if I was going to do that, I'd buy a palm in the wild in Madagascar, pay Bruno to look after it etc. Sorry Wal, I don't really get it either, but it's a nice thought anyway.

Water from Tassie I don't think would ever happen. But what I think should happen is water from the Ord River Lake Argyle area should be pumped south first to Perth then across the country to Adelaide and Melbourne. Lake Argyle is not measured in Gigalitres, it's measured in Tetralitres, and it's getting wetter up there in the Kimberley. The water which flows over the sluice way will fill Sydney Harbour in 30 minutes, and it just flows out to sea. I'm not saying pump all of it away of course because of the environmental impacts, but a smaller percentage wouldn't hurt. As far as a transcontinental pipeline is concerned, let us not forget the great engineer CY Oconnor that did the Perth Kalgoorlie pipeline around 1900, which at the time was the longest pressurised pipeline in the world. I think we can move along to transcontinental pipelines 109 years later with all of the technology we have now.

What get's me mad is governments will allow the big cities to get bigger and bigger, reaping larger and larger tax incomes from the ever increasing populace, and do not reinvest in infrastructure proportionally to the population growth. Here in Perth we haven't built a new dam since the 60's, and this sort of nonsense seems to be nationwide. When populations were lower the big cities could ride out slightly lower rainfall years, whereas now we need at least average rainfall or above average rainfall just to break even in the catchments. Then the governments try to indoctrinate us into thinking that it doesn't rain here anymore. The fact is, in most places in Oz, yearly rainfall varies a long way, and that is normal. This continent can't handle the amount of people on it, without some serious water infrastructure upgrades. We're becoming a third world country. What will they do next, turn the water off for 21 hrs a day in Melbourne and Adelaide. I'm sure they've thought about it. It would be political suicide though.

On a brighter note, this heatwave in SE Oz has been so far out of the ordinary, you may not ever see the likes of it again. I'm hoping that is the case, and the events of this summer will be a distant horrible memory for you guys, and rainforest gardens in Melbourne will not be a thing of the past.

Has anyone had a look at the Melbourne botanical gardens lately? How are they going? Did they get emergency water, or are they dead too?

Best regards

Tyrone

[Daryl]

Have you ever seen Lake Argyle on Google Earth? Monstrous!

We have been so bombarded and terrorised by our governments about water conservation...it was so strange to see public areas in Darwin and Townsville being irrigated nightly and watching half the water flow down the drain! Both had more than enough capacity to just waste it...do you remember the days as a kid when you would play under the sprinkler in the back yard? You'd be fined these days!

Daryl

[Tyrone]

But I do agree... there's going to come a time in Australia when piping of large amounts of water across the country will become a reality, it will be thought of in the same fashion that electricity is now.

The late Sir Joh Bjelke Peterson had that idea in the early 70s, he was laughed out of every political room in the country for it. Piping floods from NQ down south ?, ha ha ha, silly man.

Adam, I hope you enjoy yucca dot com.

Wal, they laughed at CY Oconnor back in the 1900's, so much so, a pig arrogant politician started "The Sunday Times" newspaper (which still exists today) with the expressed purpose of publically deriding the man, and making him a laughing stock to everyone. CY Oconnor shot himself at a Fremantle Beach 2 days before the water finally got to Kalgoorlie, a broken man. So the lesson is just because someone laughs at it, doesn't mean it's a bad idea. Now CY Oconnor is a considered a hero which helped build WA. Poor bloke.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Walter John]

Sometimes you have to think outside the box, but first you have to stop running around in circles.

[John in Andalucia]

In support of Wal's idea, it is like sponsoring an animal in the zoo. Your palm belongs to nature, even if it is on your property.

[Jonathan]

Go on.....we'll give you an AFL team!

That should sway most of the populace. What's a few thousand gigalitres between friends?

I like the word, "annex".

You can't 'annex' your parents, little fellow.....remember your history....Melbourne was settled from Launceston I believe....so is in fact a Colony of Tasmania. So 'annex' away!

And we already have an AFL team thanks - The Reigning Premiers Hawthorne have 'Tasmania' blazened all over them and play home and away games in Victoria's ancestral homeland - Launceston.....!!

Can we talk about palms again now?

[Shon]

Sorry to see your palms Adam. Water restrictions is something I'm reading with great intrest from you guys. We in So Cal might or will see our first set this summer. From what I'm reading does'nt sound like fun.

[pogobob]

If I didn't see the names and places I would of thought you were talking about California! We get most of our water piped and aquaducted from Northern California hundreds of miles away, so why can't they do the same in OZ?

The pictures of drying and dying palms is quite frightening and is probably the reality in Cali if we don't get a handle on our population and developement explosions. We too are in a drought with lower than average rainfall several years now. Where are all the people comming from causing the population to rise so fast in OZ?

[Shon]

Good question Bob. I too was under the impression that Oz had strict laws against people from other countries moving there. I work for a company that is going to open up a few buildings in Oz and I thought about going but fi something has changed I might look more into it.

[Adam from Oz]

Go on.....we'll give you an AFL team!

That should sway most of the populace. What's a few thousand gigalitres between friends?

I like the word, "annex".

You can't 'annex' your parents, little fellow.....remember your history....Melbourne was settled from Launceston I believe....so is in fact a Colony of Tasmania. So 'annex' away!

And we already have an AFL team thanks - The Reigning Premiers Hawthorne have 'Tasmania' blazened all over them and play home and away games in Victoria's ancestral homeland - Launceston.....!!

Can we talk about palms again now?

How's about free tickets to a Boxing Day Test, then? Five day Test, population of Tassie = 500, 000. MCG capacity = 100,000. The maths just does itself!

On a serious note, our immigration levels are still high. I have a 2008/9 figure of over 190,000 people.

On an even more serious note, what to do with my Syagrus romanceandstuff? It has dropped its inflorescences and, as I mentioned, has dropped its growing spear into the canopy. It's hanging there at a 45 degree angle. Am getting as much water to it as possible.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Cheers,

Adam

[Keith N Tampa (ex SoJax)]

Adam, my sympathy on the drought casualties. I've missed your witty posts and was wondering what had happened. Now I understand. For what it's worth, California is hurting too as the agricultural concerns are facing another allotment cut. I understand they are turning off the taps to a huge tract of Almonds this year if rainfall isn't adequate. So far it isn't even close to adequate and the trees will surely die without irrigation. The farmers fate is uncertain at best. I can't imagine how people can afford to water grass in CA. Here in FL where it rains more than 1.5 meters per year (though not evenly distributed), my water bill generally runs between $60 & $75 per month. I've been using about 5,000-7,500 gallons per month. If I irrigated my tiny turf patches, it'd be well over $100. So, I've turned off the tap to turf. One thing I generally don't have to worry about is death by drought. Some things get pretty stressed during the dry season, but we rarely reach 40C and most of our dry season cooincides with cooler temperatures. Unfortunately we did drop to -5C and I've had plenty of damage from that. (Enough with the palms that can't tolerate temps that low!) I hope you can find some real desert survivors like Medema argun that will thrive in your Sahara desert climate. Actually, I just hope you get some damn rain. Wishing you the best from Sunny, but frosty North Florida.

[Jonathan]

How's about free tickets to a Boxing Day Test, then? Five day Test, population of Tassie = 500, 000. MCG capacity = 100,000. The maths just does itself!

Ok, Ok, Adam, you can have the water....

.....just please don't mention the cricket again.

I don't think Australians should mention that word in public at the moment!

[Adam from Oz]

How's about free tickets to a Boxing Day Test, then? Five day Test, population of Tassie = 500, 000. MCG capacity = 100,000. The maths just does itself!

Ok, Ok, Adam, you can have the water....

.....just please don't mention the cricket again.

I don't think Australians should mention that word in public at the moment!

Hah! Every man has his price! You won't even notice the gentle insertion of our pipe whilst you're all soaking up the atmosphere of the G. We'll arrange the Test against the Kenyans so Oz may stand a fighting chance.

@Keith. Thanks for your kind words. Sorry to hear about your ouchy -5C. Seems you have the same attitude I'm developing. It's survival of the fittest out there! California sounds a bit depressing. I'm tyring to work out what a gallon is.............about 3.8 litres. So, you're using up to 28,000 litres a month. I used exactly half that during January and paid about $50 for the privilege. (I have trouble reading the water bill - there's too much propaganda from the Ministry Of Drought)

I find the stuff that falls from the sky to be somewhat better value.

Anyone know any good Yucca websites? Raindance websites? Tony Nelson still got Jeannie?

Me again

[Jonathan]

Kenya.....?

How about Canada!

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Sorry to hear about your palm casualties from the heatwave Adam . Fortunately where i am there are no water restrictions and my water bill only averages 70.00 every 6 months. Being a responsible palm addict i had one of these installed rather than let all the rain run back into the sea !

[Tassie_Troy1971]

this is how dry it looks for about 9 months of the year over the hill from my house !