Who ordered the cold?

[galveston1602]

We've been lucky so far this year with only a day touching down to ~32 when others closer to houston were getting 30 and snow.

So today I heard the weatherman (on tv) say the coldest weather in 10 years is coming, I shuddered and immediately started making plans for the palms in my yard... Then I thought, Wait lets see what the weather sites have to say about this... Unfortunately they agreed, We havent been below 30 in my yard since 1996, I guess this is one of those zone jerking colds coming....I guess the cold that is currently hanging over FL is headed our way.

Ill be lucky if I have 1/2 a yard left after this one, IKE took 1/2 the yard, looks like the sunspots are going to reclaim the other half... My lgst foxtail 8'CT was just about to grow out of the saltwater death that was inflicted on it, if it lives through this (too lg to protect), Ill be waiting for the seeds in the near future as It obviously has superior genetics. Sadly though I am already writing its death warrant.

SUN 55-40

MON 55-36

TUE 53-40

WED 56-46

THUR 47-29

FRI 40-32

Palm Protecting Activities will begin tomorrow, and hopefully they make a little difference!

We shall see how this turns out but for now its not looking too good. Too all my neighbors, I hope you have good luck making it through this one

[Paul The Palm Doctor!]

Hi, Allen: I don't think that Florida is sending TX any cold but rather it's literally dropping right down from Minnesota, and Saskatchewan. The jet stream is plunging down from Canada to TX then across the northern Gulf across No. Fla. then up over the jet stream to the UK. Very few areas east of the Rockies are escaping the frigid air, if any at all.

I am dealing with the same crap and I sit at 26 degrees No. latitude & 82 degrees west longitude (or pretty far south!)

We will all take damage inventories after January (which won't fully manifest until April & May. Then, it's get the check book out time and do some nursery shopping. I'll replace with hardwoods and shrubbery rather than Zone 11 stuff (which fills the yard.) This winter will be my reality check (or my very cold...cold shower!)

We quickly forget these days as nature repairs itself somewhat in summer. I don't think I'll even palm shop until after March 15th because we have one other added problem here: a scarcity of rain, and very limited waterings (2 X per week) allowed.

Take care, Allen

Paul

[enigma99]

We've been lucky so far this year with only a day touching down to ~32 when others closer to houston were getting 30 and snow.

So today I heard the weatherman (on tv) say the coldest weather in 10 years is coming, I shuddered and immediately started making plans for the palms in my yard... Then I thought, Wait lets see what the weather sites have to say about this... Unfortunately they agreed, We havent been below 30 in my yard since 1996, I guess this is one of those zone jerking colds coming....I guess the cold that is currently hanging over FL is headed our way.

Ill be lucky if I have 1/2 a yard left after this one, IKE took 1/2 the yard, looks like the sunspots are going to reclaim the other half... My lgst foxtail 8'CT was just about to grow out of the saltwater death that was inflicted on it, if it lives through this (too lg to protect), Ill be waiting for the seeds in the near future as It obviously has superior genetics. Sadly though I am already writing its death warrant.

SUN 55-40

MON 55-36

TUE 53-40

WED 56-46

THUR 47-29

FRI 40-32

Palm Protecting Activities will begin tomorrow, and hopefully they make a little difference!

We shall see how this turns out but for now its not looking too good. Too all my neighbors, I hope you have good luck making it through this one

Welcome to the club. We got snow first time (trace) since 1977 and coldest it has been in years. (tied record lows)

Everything is roasted, and thankfully the nights have been mild lately, but I will lose some specimens..

Edited January 3, 2010 by enigma99

[SunnyFl]

I am dealing with the same crap and I sit at 26 degrees No. latitude & 82 degrees west longitude (or pretty far south!)

We will all take damage inventories after January (which won't fully manifest until April & May. Then, it's get the check book out time and do some nursery shopping. I'll replace with hardwoods and shrubbery rather than Zone 11 stuff (which fills the yard.) This winter will be my reality check (or my very cold...cold shower!).......

Paul

Oh lordy - being dyslexic, I first read the post as "I sit at 26 degrees No letup" and was going HUH? But then I saw it was 26 degrees north lattitude Yeah, you're right about the inventory - I think we'll need a FL DAMAGE thread after this miserable winter - we're just getting into it and it already sucks.

Still you're not consigned to filling your yard with hardwoods & shrubbery - there are some very nice palms that can take these conditions, and strelitzia, selloum etc. Though I gotta say, I would really miss - terribly - all the bottles, spindles, coconuts & adonidias that are grown around the neighborhood if they don't make it this winter - and no one around here ever protects anything.

Galveston wrote:

Ill be lucky if I have 1/2 a yard left after this one, IKE took 1/2 the yard, looks like the sunspots are going to reclaim the other half... My lgst foxtail 8'CT was just about to grow out of the saltwater death that was inflicted on it, if it lives through this (too lg to protect),

That is SO not fair - to have to go through a horrible hurricane - Ike was devastating - and then have to endure a freeze like that. How did you fare in Ike - was your house okay, do you live in the part that has the seawall?

I hope your foxie makes it - I thought they were okay down to about 28.

[Zeeth]

I believe that most people's coconuts should do fine if they have trunk on them. There is a grouping of 3 at a bank by me that have been there for years. They hurricane cut them (almost all fronds removed so they are at the 11 o'clock and 1 o'clock positions) right when winter was starting, so they may not make it. Sad thing is they will probably be replaced with queens

[galveston1602]

All In all I cant complain too much about Ike compared to most, I lost very little personal property, and insurance did a good job of making everything right except my palm deaths, I lost about 1/2 of my in ground palm collection and way too many potted plants & seedlings to count (no water for 2+ weeks)

Im worried about the foxtail since its so large, and ike literally took its twin out on the other side of my driveway.

Im going to attempt to protect most everything else in the yard, including something for my kings/royals that are only slightly smaller than the foxtail.

My yard will look like sock kingdom, at least thats what my family calls it when I have to drag out the cold protection!

I dont know how this will all turn out as weve been exceptionally cool this December (not freezing but cool) and now they're showing 3 nights of lows in the low 30's to high 20's, I havent seen this kind of cold in this yard ever. I was really looking forward to next years summer growing season being the first real season some of my palms that are recovering would get. to say they looked bad last year would be an understatement, its amazing what 4'+ of saltwater will do to anything thats living