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What it's like in zone 5b


JASON M

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When I have my palms, all nicely outside, I think to myself, when it's too cold, they will have died.

The winters are cold. All of you say that 30F is cold. Sorry but, all of you are total wimps! When I'm at school and it's been 15F for the past week, I take off my jacket at recess and feel soooo warm! You guys are all warm and cozy with your 72-80 all year climate. Well in Wisconsin, nature takes the weather to extremes. 2 years ago, it snowed one night, rained the next, and after that it froze. I had fun skating with my boots! Most of you probably don't know what snow is. But snow is a big part of me..... I have a love hate relationship with Snow. I have fun sliding down him, and playing in him, but when he gets down my shirt, that's a different story. Then I go inside for some hot chocolate like in all the Christmas movies. 5b and lower have picture-perfect Christmas movie lives all through December. And I like it. We have a reason to light a fire, curl up on the couch, sitting next to your dog who is quietly asleep.

Sometimes, the winter doesn't get too cold. It can be dry, too. Dry snow is not fun to play in at all. You can't make snowballs.

In the Fall, all the leaves change colors. It's beautiful when you drive through a forest. When the crisp fall air whirls through those trees, it's like a temperate paradise. But then when they fall off, you have to rake them up. When I was young I used to play in the piles of leaves. My dad always through me and my brother in there. Good times. Before 2007, I don't think I really knew what a palm tree was! I never paid attention, I never saw them before my trip to Hawaii in 2008. But then I saw all the exotic palm trees there. I loved them. Then at home, I stirred up an obsession. I loved those palm trees. Hey, your playboy is my issue of Palms! I've been hooked on them since, and I don't want the big man to unhook me and throw me back into the dark pit of not caring about tropical plants or anything like that.

So, there's a glimpse of my life in zone5b. And, I'm actually kind of happy! If you only have nice weather, it doesn't feel as nice as if you lived in Wisconsin. You look forward to it. There's nothing good to compare since it's just warm warm warm warm all year round, but in Wisconsin, there's bad and good. And that feels pretty awesome.

Milwaukee, WI to Ocala, FL

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Let's see some pictures of you're fall, snow, ice etc., I've never really experienced true snow, it must be beautiful, at least to look at.

:) Jonathan

Jonathan

Katy, TX (Zone 9a)

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Right on Jason! The sweet isn't as sweet without the sour.

And 30F is cold!!... proof

phonepics974.jpg

Edited by velutina

Adam 

 

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Let's see some pictures of you're fall, snow, ice etc., I've never really experienced true snow, it must be beautiful, at least to look at.

:) Jonathan

I might be able to get some up tomorrow, I don't know though. I'm going down to Fort Hood to see my dad. My mom's laptop might have some fall and winter pics.

Milwaukee, WI to Ocala, FL

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Jason,

where are you thinking about going to College? I hope you major in botany. --Erik

Florida, California, or South Texas hopefully, I do want to major in botany! :D

Milwaukee, WI to Ocala, FL

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Look into the programs in Hawaii as well. I majored in biology and almost went to grad school in Hawaii to do a tropical agriculture program.

Adam 

 

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Have fun with your dad.

If you and your mom are driving, you might be able to visit Texas nurseries that sell Sabal minor, which would be the next palm to try. --Erik

Terdal Farm, Tulsa OK, USA http://www.terdalfarm.com/

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Nice narrative on "Life in the Temperates" (like Don's "Life in the Tropics"). How easy would it be if all palms in the world could just sleep and not die through the winter! Then it would be sooo much easier to select what place to live. Your pictures of winter Christmas, fall colors, I can only imagine them, though I get comparatively some autumn colors here in Orlando, but not to your scale. And yes, I have seen snow, in Dallas, I played with tablescrap snow on a parking lot (was my first time ever, people would have thought I was crazy), while in New York I was lucky to catch a Blizzard the day before I left - sunny and dry (and very cold!) the day before, then the slummy suburbs of the Bronx transformed into a winter wonderland overnight (well I did not sleep that night and caught the first snowflakes on video), then in Minnesota, with snow covered christmas trees (Picea sp, I did fall in love with them), and first time snowboarding. Yes, it's different for me, I was a little boy again.

Being born in the tropics, every day is the same: rainy, cloudy, sunny, rinse & repeat. Cold air only comes from the car A/C, or the fridge. As a kid I thought that nature can't produce cold air or even cool air. It had to be artificial. It was hot, warm, or none of the above. Daytime 88°F, nighttime 78°F. That's it. And yes, 30°F IS COLD!!! When I read in school that there was winter and summer, I just couldn't understand what they were talking about. I looked out the window and just saw big coconuts attached to a very large palm tree, but no snow in December. The only deviation from more of the same was hurricane season, and we just celebrated at the possibility of seeing some powerful wind for a change, just to see that nature was capable of doing some more things. But not having cold meant the plants could reach their full potential. Everything is just beautiful. The topography, the tropical trees, the palms, the whole scenery. Tropical beaches are the best in the world. The trees, mostly Cocos, can grow all the way to the water line. The beach was a big part of me, and no matter how used to it I just didn't get tired of it and I learned to surf.

Being born in the tropics, it's harder and more unusual to fall in love with palm trees. You see them everyday, they're like your pine trees. I did feel some strage attraction to Cocos outside my bedroom window, but I did not put it all together until I learned about the different varieties from all over the world. Out in the streets, there were just coconuts, Royal palms, the little Adonidias that offered a few seconds of entertainment with their red seeds, the spiny Acrocomias, the clumpy Golden Cane palms, and the "fan palm" (Pritchardia) was a curiosity of the botanical garden. Since I was little I planted stuff. But just what the neighborhood grandpas planted: plantains, bananas, mango, papaya, gandules (pigeon peas), yautia, yuca, corn, beans, garlic, pumpkin, avocado, guanabana... I enjoyed it and looked after my plants all the time. Everything just grew. No watering, fertilizing only one time if at all, no sprinkler systems whatsoever, even for grass.

Now that I know about palms, I can compare, say two Dypsis lutescens or Adonidias, one from Florida, against one from San Juan, PR. They are almost two different palm species. A little, and I mean a little cool can mean a BIG difference.

You have it lucky Jason, you experienced 5B, and now can move to the tropics. I have never experienced 5B and would like to for just one year. But now I may never, because I'm so attached to my palms.

Edited by Trópico

Frank

 

Zone 9b pine flatlands

humid/hot summers; dry/cool winters

with yearly freezes

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I grew up in central NJ and well remember snow. In fact, we would have a few years with barely any, then a blizzard would bury us in 2-3 feet. I did not like it, Jason. I always remember watching the weather map. In January, Philly would be 28F with snow or ice or slohy rain or overcast for the 5th straight day. Miami was 78F and sunny. No brainer. At 25 I moved and never looked back - 22 years ago. I only wish I moved further south as my Tampa Bay location gets a wee bit chilly for the real tropicals, but I make do. Go to Hawaii young man! That is where the true tropics are and the best agri colleges/interns. Lately, FL's programs have been on the decline. Good luck. I'll be set to just watch your pretty pics and rather not experience the snow thing again :-)).

Begonias are my thing. I've been growing and selling them for three decades, nearly two in Tampa Bay. NPR is an bhour N of St Pete, coast

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Tropico,

I know what you mean about not appreciating palm trees when you grew up with them. I was born in Miami, and palms were everywhere, coconuts lying around in the streets and in people's yards. No big deal, pick up a few, crack them open and drink the juice and eat the meat. I also planted things like a Royal Poinciana, which is a very fast grower--in 5 years it was a huge tree. We had bananas, papayas, oranges and mangos growing in our yard. One thing about Florida is, there is a cool season, so it's not totally monotonous. From about November to April, there are cool (sometimes actually COLD !)spells where it gets into the 30s at night. I used to look forward to the first cold front. Hurricanes also added to the excitement. When I moved away, I didn't think about palms or other plants for a long time. I think that, here in Denver, I started to think I wanted to live where it didn't snow so much. My wife wants to move to where it doesn't snow at all--so FL is our retirement destination. I really look forward to growing all those tropical plants and fruits as I did when I was a kid. Meanwhile, I'm learing about all the varieties, where they will grow, etc. here on Palmtalk. Nice to be here.

displaced_floridian

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Jason. I like your outlook on life so far...

Zone 10a at best after 2007 AND 2013, on SW facing hill, 1 1/2 miles from coast in Oceanside, CA. 30-98 degrees, and 45-80deg. about 95% of the time.

"The great workman of nature is time."   ,  "Genius is nothing but a great aptitude for patience."

-George-Louis Leclerc de Buffon-

I do some experiments and learning in my garden with palms so you don't have to experience the pain! Look at my old threads to find various observations and tips!

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