Eastern US cold wave for late January

[Alicehunter2000 754]

Damn!....just had spear pulls on Eric's mule, one B. clara, small A. wrightii, small Chinese, P. lourie, lots of Rhaphis stems and C. nana .......all smaller stuff but really sucks going into this big rain event.

[Xhoniwaters1 84]

Damn!....just had spear pulls on Eric's mule, one B. clara, small A. wrightii, small Chinese, P. lourie, lots of Rhaphis stems and C. nana .......all smaller stuff but really sucks going into this big rain event.

I just had spear pulls on a lot the supposedly hardy stuff with no folar damage and then no spear pulls and just folar damage on the not so hardy stuff....weird

[SubTropicRay 186]

I lost a bunch of Coccothrinax spears last year and the winter was relatively mild but cool. Copper was used once and then hydrogen peroxide a couple of times to disinfect the bud. The applications were about 7-10 weeks apart. By later in the summer/early fall, new stunted leaves were emerging. Bernie Petersen once told me there are as many good spears inside the bud as the plant has open leaves. Don't know if that's a scientific truth but it sounds plausible.

[Alicehunter2000 754]

I hear you Tyler.........no damage to small P. roeb but spear pull on a mule....go figure?

When you use copper...do you use it full strength right out of the bottle? Pour it right down in the hole?

[gsytch 31]

Still not seeing anything all that bad for next week atm.. suggested cold blast around the 3rd of next month seems to be backing off as well.. We'll see what happens. 80F today and likely tomorrow. Love it.

-Nathan

pay close attention! The nor'easter is bottoming out off the NE coast, which then pulls down even colder air our way. Local forecasts are now going even further downwards. I am seeing BayNews9 calling for 30-34F for areas N and E of Tampa now. This has me concerned, not worried, just watchful. Today's 8o0F almost guarantees the bottom falls out! Seems it works that way.

[Silas_Sancona 8,392]

Saw a similar change in the 18z/850mb model run, as well as this potential cool spell lingering a little longer.. Same run also continues to suggest another, possibly colder event around the 5/6th of next month. When I checked this morning, 06z/ run had -14/ -17 850mb temps plunging as far south as Jacksonville and the Gulf Coast.. Thank god that "thought" was tossed in later updates.

Still, AO is slightly negative and might try heading further south in a week or so. While currently near neutral, NAO basically stays in positive territory for now. Thinking this might be where the wild swings between model runs has been coming from. Just a few more weeks to go.. Heck, DST is only 6 weeks away.

-Nathan

[Jimbean 950]

My forecast has been revised upward to 47F. So far it looks like 42F is my seasonal low; I can live with that

[SubTropicRay 186]

When you use copper...do you use it full strength right out of the bottle? Pour it right down in the hole?

David, do not use full strength copper. Dilute per the specific instructions on the bottle and yes, pour right into the hole.

[Sandy Loam 342]

I am not clear on what "the hole" is. Could someone explain how I visually identify this? (possibly with close-up photos)

Thanks.

[Dakotafl 2]

I am not clear on what "the hole" is. Could someone explain how I visually identify this? (possibly with close-up photos)

Thanks.

The center of the palm where the newest leaf emerges...?

[SubTropicRay 186]

Don't have a photo but when a spear pulls out, a hole remains where the leaf spear typically emerges. You might see younger spears down in the bud by using a flashlight.

[Alicehunter2000 754]

Thanks, may stick with H2O2 for now ..... really don't want to lose these palms....not too easy to find a JxBxS ....especially with this ones history.

So many supposedly cold hardy palms that are first year in the ground , spear pulled...it's disheartening. Think it was the early year freeze we had in Nov. that did the damage. Was not in Florida during that event and things didn't get a sheet thrown on them.

[_Keith 775]

I am not clear on what "the hole" is. Could someone explain how I visually identify this? (possibly with close-up photos)

Thanks.

The center of the palm where the newest leaf emerges...?

The place you look into after the center of the palm pulls out, and then you get sick to your stomach thinking about possibly losing the palm.

[Zeeth 2,452]

It's weird that this was such a bad winter for northern Florida and the gulf states. We've only seen down to 40 F so far.

[Eric in Orlando 4,875]

I've been in Ft. Lauderdale the last few days and it has been warm, borderline humid. Went to the Kampong yesterday in Maimi and it was hot walking around and muggy. Until a great breeze came off the bay.

[SubTropicRay 186]

Love the Kampong! I went for the first time this past October.

[Eric in Orlando 4,875]

I hadn't been in over 10 years. It was very nice to get to visit there again.

[_Keith 775]

Love the Kampong! I went for the first time this past October.

After reading all of David Fairchilds books, going to the Kampong was like Mecca. I felt like I was there with him. It was the last week of their long time groundskeeper before he left. Gave my wife and me a personal tour

[Eric in Orlando 4,875]

Was it Dr. Schokman?

[_Keith 775]

Was it Dr. Schokman?

Yes. He was took us into every nook and cranny not only describing what was there but what had come and gone in those spots, too. took us through work areas and the contractor got all peeved whining about insurance, but he was in his element and blew them off. He spent and hour and a half with us. Let us dig through compost pile for stuff too, lol. Still got a couple of thing growing from that.

[Palm crazy 1,394]

Really surprise you have spear pull at 25F. Sorry to hear that.

It was 21F here in Nov and Dec and the only freeze in January 1 & 2 at 24F and 27F. I hope that it for me this winter. None of my palms were protected and no spear pull on any mules, but mine have overhead canopy. The only spear pull this winter has been on one gallon livistona nitida, brahea edulis and half my cordyline hybrids.

Yours should make a full recovery come late spring. My mules are no bigger than yours and have made it through 15F-16F several time in the pass with just a blanket over them..go figure.

Good new is yours will out live my in the long run.

Edited January 24, 2015 by Palm crazy

[palmsOrl 2,045]

We've had a mild winter here in Orlando, the lowest temperature so far having been 37F very briefly one morning. Plenty of mornings in the 40s with scarcely any days not making it to 60F (one or maybe two). Nothing below lower 40s in the 10-day forecast, I think we may be safe this year from a major freeze event. Not based on the climatology of February in general but more based on the lack of real cold with the fronts this winter in Central and South FL (N. Central FL being an exception as much of it has experienced a hard freeze).

[Sandy Loam 342]

The weather forecast is nothing devastating overthe next few days (colder than normal, but nothing that will kill plants). In northern Florida and along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast, we only one more month to worry about until March 1. Once we get to March 1, it's basically "summer" again and we're in the clear.

I really can't afford for a cold event to drop down this far south in February because my new neighbor has just removed a chunk of my overhead tree canopy this week. She has deforested much of her wooded lot, leaving many of my plants exposed to the open sky. (Her trees were hanging over into my lot and giving me free canopy to plant beneath) Until this week, I have been enjoying what I thought was going to be a long-term forest protecting my tender landscaping. The neighbor's canopy had been allowing me to plant zone 9b and 9a plants in a microclimate which otherwise might really be zone 8b (once every few years, at least)

I guess I'll have to pull up that PalmTalk thread on how to give yourself a quick overhead canopy.

How disappointing. The worst part is that now I can see my neighbors (and they can see me) and I can hear street noise which had always been blocked out by the forest. I will have to buy a couple of water features or something to block out the street noise. I welcome any other suggestions.

[SubTropicRay 186]

She has deforested much of her wooded lot

Sorry to hear that. I'm sure she' s interested in growing that very rare plant St Augustine sod . I love a nice patch of grass like anybody else but taking down part of a tree for it is ridiculous. I see it all the time here too but fortunately, live oaks (Quercus virginiana), are protected by the city. That said, Laurel oaks and any other good shade canopy trees are all getting taken down by over zealous developers wanting to fill a 7500 sq. foot lot with a 7400 sq. foot house.

[Jimbean 950]

45F here this morning.

[Palmaceae 2,566]

They are now forecasting 42 for Wednesday night/Thursday morning here on the Cape. We have had a great winter here so far and we just have a few more weeks to go!

[SubTropicRay 186]

51F here but Thursday morning looks coolish!

[Jimbean 950]

Those winds will be switching to a more NE direction, so the west coast will feel it in the next day or so.

[Jimbean 950]

They are now forecasting 42 for Wednesday night/Thursday morning here on the Cape. We have had a great winter here so far and we just have a few more weeks to go!

So far my low for the season is 42F, and with the warming trend for the next 10 day forecast, I may very well be looking at a zone 11A winter this year.

[Cindy Adair 3,367]

This is what my Virginia Backyard looked like early this morning. It was 82 degrees F and sunny in Puerto Rico when I left yesterday.

[Palmaceae 2,566]

They are now forecasting 42 for Wednesday night/Thursday morning here on the Cape. We have had a great winter here so far and we just have a few more weeks to go!

So far my low for the season is 42F, and with the warming trend for the next 10 day forecast, I may very well be looking at a zone 11A winter this year.

It would be great to have a 11A winter every year!

[Palm crazy 1,394]

Cindy that looks really cool but to cold…no snow here this year for me thank goodness. Been very mild here, we went from the 50’s to low 40’s at night this week. Days are also cooling back down into the mid 50’s. But lots of cool season plants are already starting to grow again.

Edited January 27, 2015 by Palm crazy

[Moose 1,506]

Was it Dr. Schokman?

Yes. He was took us into every nook and cranny not only describing what was there but what had come and gone in those spots, too. took us through work areas and the contractor got all peeved whining about insurance, but he was in his element and blew them off. He spent and hour and a half with us. Let us dig through compost pile for stuff too, lol. Still got a couple of thing growing from that.

Sounds like Larry Schokman to me, a very generous and passionate plant person, especially of flowering trees. The Kampong sits atop a limestone ridge that is extremely hard to dig. Did Schokman tell you how dynamite was utilized for most of Dr. Fairchild's original planting ?

[Silas_Sancona 8,392]

Some cool-ish evenings the next couple nights but nothing below 42F. Back to 70 by Fri or Sat. Aside from some flip flopping between model runs, still not seeing anything alarming on the horizon.

While still a few weeks away from calling it, id say that so far, this has been a pretty nice winter.. just enough warmth to keep the tropical stuff happy, with some cool nights, to keep overall growth slowed down.

Stuff that likes some extra chill this time of year to encourage flowers should bloom well come Spring. My Easter Lily Vine ( Beaumontia grandiflora) is already budded up, more so than last year.

-Nathan

[Jimbean 950]

The problem is that a lot of the stuff is already blooming over here. The mango where I live is one of them, and the mango next door already has mangoes on it.

[_Keith 775]

Was it Dr. Schokman?

Yes. He was took us into every nook and cranny not only describing what was there but what had come and gone in those spots, too. took us through work areas and the contractor got all peeved whining about insurance, but he was in his element and blew them off. He spent and hour and a half with us. Let us dig through compost pile for stuff too, lol. Still got a couple of thing growing from that.

Sounds like Larry Schokman to me, a very generous and passionate plant person, especially of flowering trees. The Kampong sits atop a limestone ridge that is extremely hard to dig. Did Schokman tell you how dynamite was utilized for most of Dr. Fairchild's original planting ?

I cannot say enough about Larry. He made a special trip extra extraordinary. I got an experience that few got to have. And it is what catapulted me into the palm realm. I am content in my zone, but I am determined to exploit that zone for all it is worth. In a way, that is exactly what David Fairchild was doing in his own zone.

[palmsOrl 2,045]

I am going to go out on a limb and say my area will escape a freeze this year (since it is so getting so late in the season and we no longer even average a freeze a year). We now average 10a winters, and this winter may end up 10b, wow! Most of the hundreds of transplanted palms and other tropicals look okay to good, despite being uprooted between September and November. There has been plenty of cool weather for comfort and to keep the temperate natives from retreating their natural ranges north.

[_Keith 775]

Well, thus far at least as the Gulf Coast is concerned this seems to be much ado about nothing.

[SubTropicRay 186]

I am content in my zone, but I am determined to exploit that zone for all it is worth. In a way, that is exactly what David Fairchild was doing in his own zone.

Nicely said Keith. I feel the same way. Reverting back to a 1980's type climate however, might make me feel differently.

[Jimbean 950]

48F this morning.