Melbourne Heat/Drought Damage 2009

[tim_brissy_13]

I just got back from Sydney so I took some photos of the damage in my garden. From what I've seen, I was relatively lucky despite 3 43C days in a row in the garden.

Here is a Howea belmoreana in full sun.

And a H. forsteriana

[tim_brissy_13]

Two more H. forsterianas in full sun:

Archontophoenix alexandrae X cunninghamiana

[tim_brissy_13]

Damaged Dypsis carlsmithii and Hyophorbe indica

Crispy Dicksonia antarcticas

[Adam from Oz]

Ouch! Tim!

I'm feeling your pain. Literally.

What I've noticed over the last few days is that the damage is worse than I originally thought.

Brown and green on the one leaf is not an attractive variegation, is it?

Plans for tomorrow's 44C?

I'm just going to break water restrictions and hose down the foliage.

Can say I was hallucinating from that contaminated water sucked in from Tasmania.

Me.

[ricky]

hi Adam just an idea but can you get swell gel over there the stuff you normally use in containers and hanging baskets i think it holds about five times its weight in water you could try digging this in around your plants to hold water while the plants have time to use it also wet news paper also holds quite a lot of water here's hoping it cools down soon

Ricky

[chris.oz]

Palms of the future here: Brahea, Phoenix, Washi, Butia

Virtually every Howea I have seen has serious burning.

My Brahea armata sits in full sun all day..............not a mark on it. !!!!

[Tyrone]

I really feel for you guys. This sort of heat is so far out of the ordinary, once it's over you may not see such extremes for a very long time. Take notes on what has taken the heat well.

I know I've asked this before, but I can't remember what the answer was, why don't you put bores down, then you'd have all the water you'd want. If the waters a bit salty put an RO unit in. I know that's all expensive, but it would be worth it if you could raise the cash to do it. It's better than watching everything fade away in an afternoon of extreme heat.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Adam from Oz]

hi Adam just an idea but can you get swell gel over there the stuff you normally use in containers and hanging baskets i think it holds about five times its weight in water you could try digging this in around your plants to hold water while the plants have time to use it also wet news paper also holds quite a lot of water here's hoping it cools down soon

Ricky

Hi Ricky.

Yes, we have the same material here. It kind of looks like clear porridge once it is wet. I have used it for years and it only seems to last a couple of months. The "BED OF DEATH (where many happy palms went to perish) was given this treatment to no avail.

As for the bore water question from Tyrone, I'm not sure what the council regulations (coughs in a low tone, "H*tler") are. I have heard of some people doing this and being sued by their neighbours for structural damage due to land subsidence. Also, I'm 80m above sea level - don't know how far they would have to drill me....how deep is Challenger Deep?

Things have taken a worrying turn for the worse as the temperature here has gone up from 21C (70F) to 29.7C (85F) in an hour as the wind has picked up. And it's 4am (4am).

News is full of dire warnings of bushfire, Armageddon, Horses of some Apocalypse, 44C (111F) or more and the like. I've just been running around watering everything. My "legal" time begins in two hours.

With floods in Queensland, all that juicy water in Tassie and our delightful state government giving us the guilts for not consuming our own sweat, you'll understand my plea once more when I say:

I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE TO SUCK IT OUT OF THE SOUTHERN POLAR ICECAPS OF MARS, JUST GIMME WATER!

[/vent]

Me.

Edited February 6, 2009 by Adam from Oz

[pogobob]

Damaged Dypsis carlsmithii and Hyophorbe indica

Crispy Dicksonia antarcticas

Tim, your pics show the date of June 2nd 2008, looks like frost burn too me. Are you in Florida?

[Adam from Oz]

No, he's not.

He has his camera with the year wrong but the day correct.

6/02 = the sixth day of February (the second month). We record dates in their sequence.

[pogobob]

No, he's not.

He has his camera with the year wrong but the day correct.

6/02 = the sixth day of February (the second month). We record dates in their sequence.

Why do you guys have to do everything bassackwards?

[Adam from Oz]

Well, why do you guys take things out of order?

To my mind, it makes sense to have the day, the month and the year in sequence. It builds.

You're used to your way and that's OK. Just realise others do it differently.

Best.

Adam

[pogobob]

Well, why do you guys take things out of order?

To my mind, it makes sense to have the day, the month and the year in sequence. It builds.

You're used to your way and that's OK. Just realise others do it differently.

Best.

Adam

I guess my mind would work differently too if I was upside down all the time Just playing with you

[Adam from Oz]

Well, why do you guys take things out of order?

To my mind, it makes sense to have the day, the month and the year in sequence. It builds.

You're used to your way and that's OK. Just realise others do it differently.

Best.

Adam

I guess my mind would work differently too if I was upside down all the time Just playing with you

I feel right side up. Feet on floor. Head not. Know you are pulling my extremities. That's OK too.

Now my two hours of watering begin. If California gets water restrictions, you won't like them. Hope you don't get them.

[pogobob]

I'm afraid we will be on water restictions soon enouph, as all the rain so far this season is way below normal Hope things improve for you!

[LJG]

We are stage 1 right now and will go stage 2 this summer.

I do have a question. What if you get up at 3 am and water when the neighbors are asleep? If the restriction at the meter or simply rules in place that are broken only when someone tells on you?

[pogobob]

We are stage 1 right now and will go stage 2 this summer.

I do have a question. What if you get up at 3 am and water when the neighbors are asleep? If the restriction at the meter or simply rules in place that are broken only when someone tells on you?

Better yet, jump the fence and hook up to the neighbors hose and use their agua

[BigFrond]

Can you "sneak" watering the plant at night? I did that the last time there was a restriction here. I also bought like 10 BIG trash cans for water storage. Hehehe... I refilled the water every week.

[Daryl]

I don't know about Melbourne, but when we were on restrictions last year, we had water 'police' who came around and inspected properties from the street to see who had a green garden, or who had their irrigation system on. They checked the water meters for activity if they suspected 'illegal' use.

Our meter usage was monitored and if we exceeded the 'allowed' limit we had a water audit and had to prove no excessive use. After that it got dirty...

Luckily our dam is full and we have no current restrictions, but they would like us to be on restrictions 365 days a year forever.

Daryl

[LJG]

And I have just the neighbor too!

We are stage 1 right now and will go stage 2 this summer.

I do have a question. What if you get up at 3 am and water when the neighbors are asleep? If the restriction at the meter or simply rules in place that are broken only when someone tells on you?

Better yet, jump the fence and hook up to the neighbors hose and use their agua

[freakypalmguy]

My property has an easement at the far edge for the huge water line from Lake skinner to the south. I was thinking about getting a looooong drill bit and Vwala! free water.

[DoomsDave]

Adam!

Yike!

That was painful to see!

12 years? Gadzooks, that truly is horrific.

I don't blame you for your obviously dispirited attitude.

Hmm. Those exchanges you had with other Ozzians in Taz, and elsewhere sound a lot like Americans when we get to talking about the same thing.

And, we have taken water from other areas, and now it's going to be gone, too.

I watch events in Oz with great interest.

[tim_brissy_13]

Thanks for pointing out the incorrect year on my camera guys, I must fix that. There will be some shots I took in Sydney recently I'll put in the travel log that will most likely have the same error.

Adam, I honestly didn't realise we still had legal watering times. I've been slowly emptying a 44L esky that collects water from my shed roof onto only the palms most in need (like your old Ceroxylon alpinum). Needless to say the 44L ran out during those 43C+ days, so I think I might have to resort to a bit of lawbreaking today.

[Tyrone]

Adam, as far as bores are concerned and that land subsidence thing, I've never heard of bores caving in the surface layer over here and everyone has bores. If you want any sort of garden you don't use mains water in WA. During Jan and Feb we have daily evap rates of 12mm usually, so trying to keep a garden alive on two days a week mains water is almost impossible.

As far as your height above sea level (80m) this has little relevance to the water table. Water table contour lines can follow the surface level line, or be competely unrelated to surface contours. Without knowing your area I couldn't tell you how far to water or what depth of water you have, only an experienced driller in your area could give you an idea.

A modern bore is basically a 100mm diameter hole, which is then cased with an outer casing. Then the pump is dropped down the centre with a 40mm pipe and wiring to the surface.

The bore man that did my place did the town water supply for Exmouth and also bores on cattle stations up north where he's had to drill up to 2000m down, only to extract salty water which has to be desalinated. No mains out there, so that's your only hope of getting water.

About the only thing that changes when you have to go deep to get water is the price. But if the water is there, it can be brought to the surface no matter how far down it is.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Al in Kona]

Many or perhaps most areas on the Big Island of Hawaii have water catchment systems (catch the rain that falls on roofs and store it in a large covered tank. If you ever run out due to any number of reasons you can always have water trucked in, which for our area runs something like $185. for 6,000 gallons. For us that would be our only water bill so I don't feel bad if I have to do that a few times in a year.

What is the population of just Southern California now and what is the population of SE Australia where the drought is occuring? Must be quite a difference and to think S. California really hasn't experienced much in the line of water restrictions must mean they have much more water available to them from different sources. Can anyone eleborate on that?

[Tyrone]

At 1.30pm EDT Melbourne is at 44.3C and Avalon is at a whopping 46.8C. Still no southerly change yet, with a NNW blowing. I pity everyone over there at the moment.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Tyrone]

What is the population of just Southern California now and what is the population of SE Australia where the drought is occuring? Must be quite a difference and to think S. California really hasn't experienced much in the line of water restrictions must mean they have much more water available to them from different sources. Can anyone eleborate on that?

Al, I'm not too sure of the exact figures but I think S Cal has the population of all of Australia approx. Melbourne is about 4 million people, not sure of the rural pop of Victoria, and Adelaide is over 1 million people, again I'm not sure of the rural population of South Australia. Part of the drought effected areas also include southern New South Wales, so as a combined population you may be looking at 7 or 8 million approx. So about 40% of the population of Southern California.

Best regards

Tyrone

[tim_brissy_13]

Its 42C at my place right now, so a bit cooler than the city, but the worst part is the harsh northerly. It is like an oven outside, maybe not as hot as those few days last week yet but the wind is a killer. I'm expecting some bad damage from today.

[Tyrone]

What I forgot to mention is SE Australia has at least double the average rainfall than So Cal in most areas.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Tyrone]

Hang in there Tim. Can you go out there with a pump up mister or spray bottle or something and keep the humidity up. I know it sounds hopeless but that's what I'd be doing. I wouldn't care if the neighbours thought I was totally mental. They think that anyway.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Tyrone]

Melbourne just hit 45.2C whereas Avalon has just cooled down to 45.7C. I can hear the plants groaning in agony from here.

Tyrone

[Tyrone]

Melbourne 45.7C Avalon 47.3C at 2pm

[tim_brissy_13]

And that's the record, passing 45.6C recorded on Black Friday 1939. I'm not sure if a mister is going to do a whole lot Tyrone, I've got a fairly large and open garden, and its hard enough just to go out there and bear it at the moment.

[Miccles]

It's about 2.30pm here... just come in from a break from watering and creating whatever shade I can in my garden. Tim is right, whilst the sun it baking hot, the strong dry winds are making it like a furnace outside. You can't see properly outside without sunglasses on, it is that hot, bright and dry. Terrible bushfire weather.

Since about 9am I have been putting up temporary shade cloth over palms that were damaged by last weeks hot blast (I was away then). I've even placed a deck chair over my semi-shaded Hedyscepe to try and help.

All the sides are open on my pergola, and the thermometer is measuring 46.1C in there. I am misting/watering in there every 30 minutes. A lot of potplants in the laundry, and even plenty sitting in the bathtub !

I will be glad when the cool change comes through (tonight).

[DoomsDave]

Melbourne 45.7C Avalon 47.3C at 2pm

Oh, dear god.

That's hot. 115 F?

[DoomsDave]

What is the population of just Southern California now and what is the population of SE Australia where the drought is occuring? Must be quite a difference and to think S. California really hasn't experienced much in the line of water restrictions must mean they have much more water available to them from different sources. Can anyone eleborate on that?

So Cal's population is about 13 - 17 million, depending on the illegal aliens. We're the best water thieves on Earth.

Oz's population is smaller, I'm sure . . . .

[Tyrone]

So Cal's population is a bit smaller than I thought then. Australia has approx 20 million inhabitants.

I just looked at the temps again and Avalon got to 47.9C with 80kph (50mph)wind gusts and average wind at around 60kph (37mph).

The SW change is not quite into Port Phillip Bay yet. It's just east of Cape Otway at 3pm. It could be a couple of hours yet.

The good news is the SW change has helped Adelaide already.

Miccles you're doing very well, keeping the plants hydrated with that wind will be almost impossible, but something is much better than nothing. Hang in there guys. The cool change isn't far away and it will be humid with dewpoints around 18C.

Best regards

Tyrone

[tim_brissy_13]

Dave, Avalon's max of 47.9C is 118.2F.

[alan.oz]

Adelaide quickly reached 41 C earlier today then a "cool change" arrived at mid day and dropped the temp by 6-7 C, it has not yet reached places to the east and north some of which are hovering around 47-48C.

I moved many of my potted palms to shady spots over a week ago and they seem to holding up OK.

On a lighter note I just visited the local supermarket and they had a big display of Hot X Buns inside the entrance, not much demand for these of late.

Hang in there Melburnians the end of this is in site.

[Adam from Oz]

Melbourne recorded its highest temperature 46.4C/115.5F since records began in 1855. It may go higher???

Humidity 5%.

The sky is smokey, I think. Could be dust. Wind is just tearing some stuff apart.

Just been spraying the plants on the hour.

Speaking of which.......