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The season we all hate in the southern hemisphere 2014


Tyrone

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Yes, I'd be getting things in the ground if the max's are around 24,25C. Here that means summer.

After watering my nursery and whinging about no rain we got some last night.

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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After 2 days straight of highs around 8C (!!!!) today was the way winter should be. Clear blue skies, and warm. It's 10.16pm now and the temp has only dropped to 14.5C. It must be hard to live in a climate where 8C in winter seems warm!

Waimarama New Zealand (39.5S, 177E)

Oceanic temperate

summer 25C/15C

winter 15C/6C

No frost, no heat

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8C max feeling warm would be like France or southern England.

It's raining and pouring outside. We've got a slow moving front sliding down over the top of us so it should be like this all day today. Not a breath of wind out there, just steady rain. It's not that cold either. This should totally recharge all my water reservoirs today.

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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We got 11mm in the storm the other day (the first rainfall in months for my garden), but things are so dry it didn't really make much difference...all we can do is pray for more rain...everything has that dry 'yellow' look to it currently.

Daryl

Gold Coast, Queensland Latitude 28S. Mild, Humid Subtropical climate. Rainfall - not consistent enough!

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After 2 days straight of highs around 8C (!!!!) today was the way winter should be. Clear blue skies, and warm. It's 10.16pm now and the temp has only dropped to 14.5C. It must be hard to live in a climate where 8C in winter seems warm!

Not at all actually. Some, like myself, like the cooler/colder weather. But I do appreciate the hot weather for the benefits to my palms and other tropical plants. Surely a little chilly weather isn't that intolerable. You probably have winters like north FL.

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We got 11mm in the storm the other day (the first rainfall in months for my garden), but things are so dry it didn't really make much difference...all we can do is pray for more rain...everything has that dry 'yellow' look to it currently.

Daryl

I hope you get some good rain soon Daryl. Some of my stuff is going yellow from cold winds. :(

We had over 10mm today and all the reservoirs are full as well as the water tank for the house supply. The canary island dates the previous owner planted on the lake edge all have their feet firmly in water now.

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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Well as we approach August the weather gets a bit better. We're expecting a sunny max of 20C on Sunday which is good for down here. It's by no means the end of winter, but it's a step in the right direction.

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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Summed up my total rainfall for the last 12 months today...396mm...way too little for my liking!

Gold Coast, Queensland Latitude 28S. Mild, Humid Subtropical climate. Rainfall - not consistent enough!

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Summed up my total rainfall for the last 12 months today...396mm...way too little for my liking!

What the hell????? How's the rainforest doing in your area up in the hinterland? It must be stressed beyond belief.

For what its worth, the BOM has reduced it's chance of an El Nino from 70% to 50% this year. I hope we get a La Nina though looking at your figures.

My nursery is drying right out. Tomorrow I'm hooking the pump up again to start irrigating as we're getting about a week without rain and the plants are already stressed. I didn't foresee that one down here in winter.

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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Tyrone, I forgot to mention that 250mm of that fell in one day...a lot of plants in this area are stressed for sure, as well as a lot of plant collectors... :) Just seems to be very hit and miss with storms in this neck of the woods

Daryl

.

Gold Coast, Queensland Latitude 28S. Mild, Humid Subtropical climate. Rainfall - not consistent enough!

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This is the Qld rainfall picture for the past 12 months. Only looks good up top.

latest_qdyear_rain140801.gif

No rain here since early May, and that was just a light sprinkle. Meantime daily maximums have been 34 - 35 for a while, and windy. This morning's minimum was 18.4. Apart from the irrigated areas the place is a dust bowl. And total fire bans are on all the time. It's certainly taking this being equatorial savanna seriously.

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Tyrone, I forgot to mention that 250mm of that fell in one day...a lot of plants in this area are stressed for sure, as well as a lot of plant collectors... :) Just seems to be very hit and miss with storms in this neck of the woods

Daryl

.

That's a pain mate. I really hope you get some nice soaking stuff soon then. Not extreme rain, just consistent gentle stuff.

I remember coming over to QLD in 2005 and there were hose bans and everything in SE QLD. Then a couple of years later or so heaps of rain.

Do you have irrigation at all?

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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It's 8pm and 4.9C outside. :( Clear skies and no wind.

I also watered my under canopy nursery today because it was bone dry.

I've got the wood fire roaring at the moment. I hope the clouds come in soon or else it's going to be very cold in the morning.

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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Well as we approach August the weather gets a bit better. We're expecting a sunny max of 20C on Sunday which is good for down here. It's by no means the end of winter, but it's a step in the right direction.

How's that warm weather coming along Tyrone? Today is the second 22C day in a row, which is very pleasant for late winter at this latitude!

396mm rainfall in GC Hinterland? That just does not compute at all.

Waimarama New Zealand (39.5S, 177E)

Oceanic temperate

summer 25C/15C

winter 15C/6C

No frost, no heat

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Tyrone, I don't have drippers any more, and town water is way too expensive now...they keep raising the price of water to rip us all of unfortunately I'm mainly dependent on rainfall, but do put the sprinkler on my water lovers when it gets desperate. Had a look around the garden today and came back inside before I got too depressed! Some palms are really starting to suffer.

Zig, that rainfall map looks pretty accurate. I sit in the 400-600mm zone just as it displays....too bad I'm just below the lower end of it...another couple of inches would make all the difference...

Daryl

Gold Coast, Queensland Latitude 28S. Mild, Humid Subtropical climate. Rainfall - not consistent enough!

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Well as we approach August the weather gets a bit better. We're expecting a sunny max of 20C on Sunday which is good for down here. It's by no means the end of winter, but it's a step in the right direction.

How's that warm weather coming along Tyrone? Today is the second 22C day in a row, which is very pleasant for late winter at this latitude!

396mm rainfall in GC Hinterland? That just does not compute at all.

Wish I had 22C at the moment. Next week we are forecast to get to 20,21C for a couple of days. Perth is going for 23,24C at the same time, so I'm hopeful. The warm weather has been pushed out to Tuesday from Sunday as I originally stated. Interestingly the plants down here are starting to take on spring like traits at the moment. They know something.

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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Tyrone, I don't have drippers any more, and town water is way too expensive now...they keep raising the price of water to rip us all of unfortunately I'm mainly dependent on rainfall, but do put the sprinkler on my water lovers when it gets desperate. Had a look around the garden today and came back inside before I got too depressed! Some palms are really starting to suffer.

Zig, that rainfall map looks pretty accurate. I sit in the 400-600mm zone just as it displays....too bad I'm just below the lower end of it...another couple of inches would make all the difference...

Daryl

Daryl the rain has to come soon for you. That rainfall amount is so far out of the ordinary it can't hold for much longer. I know what you mean about water prices just escalating from when I was in Perth. I'm lucky here that I don't pay for any of it.

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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This is nice! 17.8C here at 6.00 am, now a couple hours later it's raining and warm. Should start to get some growth soon...

post-137-0-93784800-1407015131_thumb.gif

Waimarama New Zealand (39.5S, 177E)

Oceanic temperate

summer 25C/15C

winter 15C/6C

No frost, no heat

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Don't know if NZ gets Melbourne's weather but this morning would have been the coldest morning this year. Temp hovered around 0° for 3 hours. Really rough day last Friday too.

Climatic Zone: Vile..

Location: 37.765 (S) : 144.920 (E)

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This is nice! 17.8C here at 6.00 am, now a couple hours later it's raining and warm. Should start to get some growth soon...

I've been envious of the Gold Coast, northern QLD and look I'm even becoming envious of NZ. :)

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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Don't know if NZ gets Melbourne's weather but this morning would have been the coldest morning this year. Temp hovered around 0° for 3 hours. Really rough day last Friday too.

One more month of this thing called winter and then hopefully things will improve for all of us.

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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This is nice! 17.8C here at 6.00 am, now a couple hours later it's raining and warm. Should start to get some growth soon...

I've been envious of the Gold Coast, northern QLD and look I'm even becoming envious of NZ. :)

You'll get over it quick! It's nice to have some warm days, but your place will have higher annual air temp than anywhere in NZ. It was warm at dawn, then had dropped to 12c by midday. Not so enviable.

I'm envious of Gold Coast too, until I see Daryl posting about 400mm rainfall :badday: Also not so keen on those heatwaves.

I think an island climate still sounds best. Cold tropical island climate, say Rarotonga? Anywhere where the temps sit consistently in the 20-25C range. Perfect.

Waimarama New Zealand (39.5S, 177E)

Oceanic temperate

summer 25C/15C

winter 15C/6C

No frost, no heat

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Don't know if NZ gets Melbourne's weather but this morning would have been the coldest morning this year. Temp hovered around 0° for 3 hours. Really rough day last Friday too.

One more month of this thing called winter and then hopefully things will improve for all of us.

A month seems like long time at the moment! I'm hoping for an early spring and I agree with Daryl.... We need rain!!

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I woke up to 1C this morning. Areas without canopy are iced up. The lakes are steaming and keeping there surrounds frost free though. According to the locals this has been the driest and frostiest winter they can recall. Stupid winter.

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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Melbourne had its coldest morning in 16 years yesterday. Was 0C again this morning at the BOM weather station closest to my place. These really cold nights only occur when it is a clear and still.

Melbourne is also having a very dry winter - but I guess from a palm perspective this reduces the possibility of root problems in a cool climate.

Heres hoping it warms up soon.

Climatic Zone: Vile..

Location: 37.765 (S) : 144.920 (E)

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Hopefully the averages pull up a bit. We got to 19C today after a bone chilling 0.6C this morning. I desperately need fast canopy. I've been planting Eucalyptus diversicolor (Karri tree) around the property as wind breaks and canopy. I'm also after the Red Tingle (Eucalyptus jacksonii) and the Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) the tallest hard wood in the world. Canopy is king in cold winter climates.

We're going for 20C tomorrow (after another cold morning I think) and then 22C on Wed before we get a more normal cloudy period with higher mins and lower max's. The plants are thinking spring though. My little seedlings I started watering last week are throwing open new spears. They're very happy. :)

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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Another morning of a white lawn before sunrise. It must be down around 1C again. The lake water warmed up from yesterdays sunny day and it's steaming like crazy. Thankfully we're going for 20C today and warmer tomorrow before a bit of rain and warmer nights return again.

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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Actually it's worse than I thought. The frost was hard this morning in open areas. I went out for a walk this morning and I had light frost on the island under light canopy. My Roystonea borinquena on the island has frost on it for the first time and dark green blotches. I think it's toast. My Pritchardias around the lake also have dark green blotches. A bangalow sitting in the water at the edge of the lake has frost on the leaves and dark green blotches. I didn't think that was even possible. This may be extreme cold or it may be not. It's like I'm living in the wheatbelt 300kms from the ocean. I'm not very happy. This has blown my illusions that this property is frost free. I was swayed by the official "Albany" readings for long term max and min which I've just found out are only measured at 9am and 3pm!!!!! Good old accurate BOM. Anyway today is going to be a real eye opener and to be honest I'm a bit depressed about the whole blimmin thing.

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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Actually it's worse than I thought. The frost was hard this morning in open areas. I went out for a walk this morning and I had light frost on the island under light canopy. My Roystonea borinquena on the island has frost on it for the first time and dark green blotches. I think it's toast. My Pritchardias around the lake also have dark green blotches. A bangalow sitting in the water at the edge of the lake has frost on the leaves and dark green blotches. I didn't think that was even possible. This may be extreme cold or it may be not. It's like I'm living in the wheatbelt 300kms from the ocean. I'm not very happy. This has blown my illusions that this property is frost free. I was swayed by the official "Albany" readings for long term max and min which I've just found out are only measured at 9am and 3pm!!!!! Good old accurate BOM. Anyway today is going to be a real eye opener and to be honest I'm a bit depressed about the whole blimmin thing.

That's pretty grim all right Tyrone, but remember the locals say it's the frostiest winter they can remember. That says something. I know it doesn't help with the potential for losses this season though. How far from Albany are you? Are you in an unusual cold microclimate?

Are you saying the BOM 'min' is merely the 9.00am reading? I must be misreading that, that makes no sense at all. I know the Urbenville NSW records are recorded at the same time each day, but using an extreme min/max system. I know this because I've seen my bro-in-law taking the records!

I looked through the BOM monthly records for a heap of NSW towns last week and it appears July was a shocker for unusual on the East Coast too. I know most Aus. media put the unusual heat last summer down to Global Warming, but it has often appeared to me that an unusually hot or cold season is often balanced by an opposite one. Like a very wet season followed by an unusually dry one, and hot followed by cold. If this season you are experiencing is the coldest you are likely to experience maybe it will be ok?

And, just give it 6 months when you'll be sitting comfortable under your nikaus with Perth sweltering over 40C, you'll forget this unusual cold spell soon enough!

Waimarama New Zealand (39.5S, 177E)

Oceanic temperate

summer 25C/15C

winter 15C/6C

No frost, no heat

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Just looked at recent weather observations from Albany for July

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/dwo/201407/html/IDCJDW6001.201407.shtml

lowest temp 4.7C, mean monthly minimum (july 2014) 9.8C, mean max. 16.7C. Sounds pretty nice to me! and several degrees warmer than my temps. These low figures don't sound anything like what you've been saying on this thread. Is it microclimate?

Waimarama New Zealand (39.5S, 177E)

Oceanic temperate

summer 25C/15C

winter 15C/6C

No frost, no heat

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Hi Ben,

This is the closest to my situation.

http://www.weatherzone.com.au/wa/southern-coastal/millbrook

These readings are taken from the airport 6kms away to my west. The figures you have posted are from the main street of town about a km from the ocean, and about 9km to the south of me.

I actually think I went below zero this morning. The grass was white. When I walked on it for a bit I had ice crystals all over my boots. I think I've got cold air drainage issues, and with no shelter belt around me the cold air just drifts in off the hills.

One of my work mates said he had the scrape ice off his car this morning and he's closer to the coast than me. Yet last year he didn't see any frost at all.

I could be wrong about the BOM using the 9am, 3pm readings to tell max and min, but I can't find anywhere on the web where that site will give you hr by hr readings. Then another program comes along and reads the limited stats as being complete. I just can't understand why Albany itself didn't see below 5.2C last year if this is how it is. There was frost right into town itself this morning, yet it says the minimum was 5.2C. That simply can't be right.

Hopefully this is an extreme winter which we won't see for a long long time again.

It's early days but R borinquena looks OK. A couple of the Pritchardias show some blotches, but it is too early to tell yet.

I think it may be the same tomorrow morning. I've just set up a digital thermometer outside so we shall see.

I'll keep you posted on how it all unfolds tomorrow morning.

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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Tyrone, last time I was in Albany was around the middle of September (last year). It was 'freezing cold' but raining most of the time. So I guess not possible to be frosty. But the locals said it was much wetter than normal that year. I wonder if the options there are lot of rain, or frost. I'm in a colder microclimate here, on the coldest mornings it can get to 4 degrees lower at my place than only half a kilometre away. I've measured it with a thermometer. It's something I never anticipated when I bought the place, especially since I was living in a place further from the coast and usually a bit warmer than Darwin.

The weather here has become very wierd (or continues to be wierd?). Darwin got down to an RH of 6% yesterday afternoon. From my weather station it seems I only got down to around 20%. Could be I'm a bit more out of the wind. Temps are still getting up around the mid 30's and my Breadfruit was wilting despite giving it some extra water. Yesterday's minimum at my place was 18.9, this morning it's 17.7 with RH 22%. Don't like this dry air.

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I could be wrong about the BOM using the 9am, 3pm readings to tell max and min, but I can't find anywhere on the web where that site will give you hr by hr readings.

How about this?

http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDW60801/IDW60801.94802.shtml

Pretty cold around 5.30am...

Waimarama New Zealand (39.5S, 177E)

Oceanic temperate

summer 25C/15C

winter 15C/6C

No frost, no heat

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It was 'freezing cold' but raining most of the time.

You would say that in mid summer too Zig!

Waimarama New Zealand (39.5S, 177E)

Oceanic temperate

summer 25C/15C

winter 15C/6C

No frost, no heat

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Well this morning I had frost again all over the lawn. My new digital thermometer bottomed out at 0.6C. But today was slightly warmer than yesterday. Today I didn't have any ice crystals on the Roystonea borinquena on the island nor any ice under canopy on the island, whereas yesterday I had light frost on those areas. I still had a bit of frost on the bangalow sitting in water in the lake. The official reading was more like 4.2C. Yesterday I must have hit 0C or lower. :( Maybe even −1C. :(

Zig I know what you mean when you buy a property and do your "research" on the area and get it all wrong. I didn't know that this southern coastal area varies so wildly in a few kms or even a few 100m's. The Perth suburban area varied too but not by this much. I think I'm definitely in a cold drainage area. Most of my property is around 13-14m asl, yet the surrounding hills are at about 50m asl. I didn't even think of cold drainage. I'm 9 kms inland which doesn't sound much but varies this climate so much away from what Albany gets. What I've also discovered is rainfall drops off at 45mm annually per 10km. 100kms inland the rainfall is 450mm annually, yet on the coast it's more than 900mm. In the summer I'm 2-4C warmer than Albany and while the town may be cloaked in clouds by the time you get out to my place the sun is shining. But in these extreme dry times my area is in for a shock. Earlier in winter I was running warmer than Perth, and even warmer than Albany airport a lot of the time, now it's all reversed. If this place didn't have so much water, I'd seriously consider moving. I didn't want to live in a frosty hollow.

Last night I was talking to a friend who lives in town and had some cherry trees that never fruited because they didn't get cold enough. He used to bring in bags of ice to lay around the base to try and induce them to fruit. It didn't work, so he gave up and ripped them out. Anyway he's been getting frost on his car and wished he'd kept them as he'd probably have got a crop this year.

My nursery area under my pine trees doesn't get any frost because it's under thick canopy. The palms under there are going well opening new spears and everything. In my shadehouse one of my Keriodoxa is opening a new leaf in the middle of winter. I have a small storage shed in full sun where we store hay etc and that has become the temporary home for Pinanga coronata and dicksonii. (Yes I brought Pinanga down here-what an idiot) The Pinangas were doing OK, but they were tall and getting blown around and dicksonii didn't look happy. P coronata looked better. Well in that shed it's been getting to 30C in the sun and yesterday morning it bottomed out at 7C in there. That shed has become my seed germination room and I have my D baronii seed in there and a couple of Chamaedorea species in there too waiting to pop. Interestingly my P javana looks great in a protected spot, so it stays outside. I would never have thought it would be more cool hardy than coronata but there you go.

Well I think the only way I'm going to succeed here is to plant up thick canopy right to the waters edge. I've been madly planting Karri seedlings which I'll irrigate through summer for monster growth. Once my shelter belts go in, I may be able to block the cold drainage issues from my neighbours open properties. Certain open lawn areas will have to stay and they will always be cold yet sunny areas. Any plants in these areas must be able to take frost at some time. I'll plant palms and other things in amongst the Karri trees and try and give the place an east coast mountain look with big trees and Livistona's and Archontophoenix in amongst it all.

This whole experience has been a hard reality check. This frost thing is sort of new to me.

What I will install on the weekend is a full weather station on the roof that Wifi's the data back inside. I can get a kit that has a rain gauge, barometer, thermometer, wind speed and direction and I'll document my own weather here, because I can't rely on the forecast at all, and the official weather sites don't reflect my property at all.

The good news is this cold stuff is likely to end tonight as a front is coming through. It's not a big one but the high will shift east and the cloud should return.

But I think I can probably grow cherries here now. Gotta be positive. :)

Also I need to put in a conservatory but it needs to be tall.

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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Hi Tyrone,

I'd seriously reconsider the Eucs. They tend to be alleopathic, not so much the species you've got true, but still true to some extent. But the main reason I would avoid them is their aggressive water use and their habit of dropping limbs. I've got a stand of 23 yr old E. regnans here, I don't know the height but one I cut down at 16 years old was 35m tall. There is a vast amount of litter under the trees, and native rainforest is estbalishing there. Even some nikaus! However this is a sheltered gully with 1200mm rain, I've seen regnans of same age in drier sites with no understorey at all due to moisture competition.

How about an N-fixing tree instead? Still get the canopy, but the added bonus of free Nitrogen. Also they tend not to gets so totally out of hand huge. Its hard to imagine any palm breaking the canopy through a karri or mountain ash forest (except maybe Ceroxylon?). I've got nikaus growing under Acacia melanoxylon, very nice shelter and free N and mulch. Evergreen alders are surprisingly good, high N inputs and very friendly to surrounding plants, also fire resistant if that is an issue. Some species like Alnus formosana, nitida and cremastogyne have very large super-tropical looking foliage too, just make sure you find the evergreen forms as some of these have deciduous strains as well.

Waimarama New Zealand (39.5S, 177E)

Oceanic temperate

summer 25C/15C

winter 15C/6C

No frost, no heat

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Thanks Ben for that info. I had a look at the other trees you mentioned. They look good. I was originally looking for an Acacia to plant but could only find sand loving free draining ones. This one appears to not mind the wetter soils so I think it will do fine.

I won't have any problems with water use here. The odd falling limb I can live with. Karri once they get going don't have the first branch for a quite a few metres up the trunk. So I'm hoping that they'll eventually form a canopy but leave lots of head space for other things underneath. A lot say the Euc's are no good, but the best soil I had in my Perth garden was right under my E grandis where it left piles of leaf litter that turned into good old black humus after a while. I had about 60cm of black humus underneath that tree. When you're on pure sand that humus was gold.

Do you irrigate your gardens or do you wait for what comes from the sky?

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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Tyrone, you need to investigate how to funnel cold air away... :)

Re: E.grandis...this is a very co-operative species from what I have seen....others are not so nice to their neighbours.

RE: the microclimate thing...know all about that after 2007....but even on an average year my place is 2-3C cooler than surrounding areas due to the lay of the land and cold air drainage down my gully...the only advantage being I don't get battered by wind very often, and have water that flows through my property (if it ever rains properly again...although we did get 6mm 2 nights ago!)

Daryl

Gold Coast, Queensland Latitude 28S. Mild, Humid Subtropical climate. Rainfall - not consistent enough!

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Bad news about the frost Tyrone, that doesn't sound like much fun.

By the sounds of things a lot of species in your Perth garden would not succeed down south. Have you been to the Melbourne Botanical gardens, that is a great example of what can be achieved in a cooler climate, I was there about a week ago and was so excited to see what they had done there.

Have you checked on your coconut lately?

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