Lots of damage this year... Not sure why!
Moderators: lucky1, Alchris, Kansas, Wes North Van, Laaz
- Paul Ont
- Large Palm
- Posts: 1384
- Joined: Thu Dec 13, 2007 10:58 am
- Location: zone 6a Downtown Toronto and zone 5a Kingston
Lots of damage this year... Not sure why!
Pics will follow later.
This winter saw a low of only ~ -26C or so, which is not bad for the Kingston area. However, I'm seeing more damage on my plants then in some colder years. Maybe it was the lack of snow or the late cold? As we all know plants peak in hardiness in late December/early January and I wonder if the prolonged cold into late March caused more damage?
The bamboo, despite snow cover, is nearly 100% top killed. The exceptions are F. rufa (complete leaf kill), and F. nitida (mostly leaf killed, but no stem kill even on seedlings).
My Southern magnolias have decided to drop all their leaves. There does not, however, seem to be any vascular tissue damage. Deciduous magnolias took a beating from drought last year so my M. tripetala are regrowing from secondary meristem tissue.
Hollies look ok. My I. aquipernyi which looked good earlier in the spring has some vascular tissue damage so despite having mostly green leaves through the winter it is now looking very dry and will have some stem kill. Ilex pendunculosa look 100% fine, they really are excellent BLEs for cold areas. I now have 1 remaining American holly. It's 1.5 feet tall and scraggly, but overwinter with 90% green leaves.
My Yucca which looked very good are mostly OK. Lots of seedlings came through OK. I lost my Y. pallida and the trunking Y. alofolia hybrid 'Southcoast Yucca" was top killed. Surprisingly, I had one larger seed grown Y. gloriosa that looks to have escaped with less damage than Y. filamentosa (which has leaf damage).
The cactus garden has been ravaged by rot. I did not fungicide in the fall nor the early spring. Mistake. Lesson learned. I've lost maybe 20% of the plants with ~25% having significant rot.
Other BLEs, including Rhodos and Kalmia seem fine. Should be an excellent year for blooms. Aucuba hymilaica had leaf kill and some stem kill but seems to recovering well. I wonder if this one might prove half-hardy? I also found another Aucuba that had overwintered inside one of my palm houses. I've moved it to a location beside the banana, might be able to get a few more winters... It's not ornamental, just interesting to get it through the winter in such a cold zone.
Musa basjoo overwintered 3 stems, the largest at about 1' tall. Not bad for zone 5!
Palms. I lost Sabal minor 'Brazoria' and S. 'Birmingham'. Just too cold for them I guess... Well that and I think a vole decided to hollow out the 'Brazoria' to make a 'nest'. Sabal minor seedlings in the same enclosure had leaf burn but are alive. I made another mistake with some of my other palms. I took the house covering my needle and another minor off in the middle of March. The temperature must have hit -10C at least some nights... Anyway the minor has some leaf damage, and the needle had 2-3 stems pull spears and lots of leaf burn. Whoops. I've treated with fungicide but in my experience needles do not tend to regrow when they pull a spear:(
Recently planted:
Yucca brevifolia (from Adam)
Yucca glauca 'turnking form' (from Adam)
Fargesia scabrida. Will it be tough enough?
Phyllostachys atrovaginata. hardy?
A huge Needle palm
Another S. minor. A 5 gallon plant this time...
Thanks, pics will follow later.
This winter saw a low of only ~ -26C or so, which is not bad for the Kingston area. However, I'm seeing more damage on my plants then in some colder years. Maybe it was the lack of snow or the late cold? As we all know plants peak in hardiness in late December/early January and I wonder if the prolonged cold into late March caused more damage?
The bamboo, despite snow cover, is nearly 100% top killed. The exceptions are F. rufa (complete leaf kill), and F. nitida (mostly leaf killed, but no stem kill even on seedlings).
My Southern magnolias have decided to drop all their leaves. There does not, however, seem to be any vascular tissue damage. Deciduous magnolias took a beating from drought last year so my M. tripetala are regrowing from secondary meristem tissue.
Hollies look ok. My I. aquipernyi which looked good earlier in the spring has some vascular tissue damage so despite having mostly green leaves through the winter it is now looking very dry and will have some stem kill. Ilex pendunculosa look 100% fine, they really are excellent BLEs for cold areas. I now have 1 remaining American holly. It's 1.5 feet tall and scraggly, but overwinter with 90% green leaves.
My Yucca which looked very good are mostly OK. Lots of seedlings came through OK. I lost my Y. pallida and the trunking Y. alofolia hybrid 'Southcoast Yucca" was top killed. Surprisingly, I had one larger seed grown Y. gloriosa that looks to have escaped with less damage than Y. filamentosa (which has leaf damage).
The cactus garden has been ravaged by rot. I did not fungicide in the fall nor the early spring. Mistake. Lesson learned. I've lost maybe 20% of the plants with ~25% having significant rot.
Other BLEs, including Rhodos and Kalmia seem fine. Should be an excellent year for blooms. Aucuba hymilaica had leaf kill and some stem kill but seems to recovering well. I wonder if this one might prove half-hardy? I also found another Aucuba that had overwintered inside one of my palm houses. I've moved it to a location beside the banana, might be able to get a few more winters... It's not ornamental, just interesting to get it through the winter in such a cold zone.
Musa basjoo overwintered 3 stems, the largest at about 1' tall. Not bad for zone 5!
Palms. I lost Sabal minor 'Brazoria' and S. 'Birmingham'. Just too cold for them I guess... Well that and I think a vole decided to hollow out the 'Brazoria' to make a 'nest'. Sabal minor seedlings in the same enclosure had leaf burn but are alive. I made another mistake with some of my other palms. I took the house covering my needle and another minor off in the middle of March. The temperature must have hit -10C at least some nights... Anyway the minor has some leaf damage, and the needle had 2-3 stems pull spears and lots of leaf burn. Whoops. I've treated with fungicide but in my experience needles do not tend to regrow when they pull a spear:(
Recently planted:
Yucca brevifolia (from Adam)
Yucca glauca 'turnking form' (from Adam)
Fargesia scabrida. Will it be tough enough?
Phyllostachys atrovaginata. hardy?
A huge Needle palm
Another S. minor. A 5 gallon plant this time...
Thanks, pics will follow later.
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... /71265.gif" />
-
- Large Palm
- Posts: 1181
- Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 1:33 am
- Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan, Zone 6a, 43°15′00″
Complete report... Wish your damaged plants will be regrowing this summer. Take care!
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... anguage=EN" alt="Find more about Weather in Almaty, KZ" width="300" />
-
- Arctic Palm Plantation
- Posts: 11325
- Joined: Sun Feb 18, 2007 7:31 pm
- Location: Vernon BC, Zone 5a or 5b (close to 6A!)
That sucks, Paul.
So sad to hear of more damage than other years.
My y.filamentosa had a lot of leaf damage a couple of years ago when we had very little snow.
Maybe your yuccas will send out suckers from the mother plant.
I hope your desert garden's losses surprise you and come back...they just might with your unexpected and sudden heat?
I hear you about March...we get so hopeful that the worst is over that we open stuff up.
And then April knocks 'em down.
Look forward to the pics.
Barb
So sad to hear of more damage than other years.
My y.filamentosa had a lot of leaf damage a couple of years ago when we had very little snow.
Maybe your yuccas will send out suckers from the mother plant.
I hope your desert garden's losses surprise you and come back...they just might with your unexpected and sudden heat?
I hear you about March...we get so hopeful that the worst is over that we open stuff up.
And then April knocks 'em down.
Look forward to the pics.
Barb
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... anguage=EN" alt="Find more about Weather in Vernon, CA" width="160" />
If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt.
If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt.
-
- Clumping Palm
- Posts: 2399
- Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2010 6:41 pm
It will be interesting to see what happens in a few weeks paul... I lost half my Rhodie helikkii buds, and a few on my northern lights azalea. I guess they tried to pop last fall when we went cold.
I would be really cautious with Scabrida. If you bend it down on the ground, or better yet, that and tarp it, it should be ok. I think the "proper" hardiness rating is around -18C... Too bad about the top kill.... Any bets that theyll reshoot?
We also just hot spring last week, then winter again for a few days.... You dont want to see my temps the last few months...... Im surprised anything of mine made it..
I would be really cautious with Scabrida. If you bend it down on the ground, or better yet, that and tarp it, it should be ok. I think the "proper" hardiness rating is around -18C... Too bad about the top kill.... Any bets that theyll reshoot?
We also just hot spring last week, then winter again for a few days.... You dont want to see my temps the last few months...... Im surprised anything of mine made it..
"The definition of insanity, is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results" - einstien
Check out my new Blog! http://canadianplant.wordpress.com/
<a href="http://www.wunderground.com/global/stat ... big2"><img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... /71749.gif" alt="Click for Thunder Bay, Ontario Forecast" border="0" height="60" width="468" /></a>
Check out my new Blog! http://canadianplant.wordpress.com/
<a href="http://www.wunderground.com/global/stat ... big2"><img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... /71749.gif" alt="Click for Thunder Bay, Ontario Forecast" border="0" height="60" width="468" /></a>
-
- Palm Grove
- Posts: 4416
- Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2004 5:40 pm
- Location: South Central Idaho 5b
- Contact:
Never looked that cold on your weather sticker, man that sucks! let's hope the new plants do better.
Shoshone Idaho weather
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... ooding.gif" alt="Click for Pearce, Arizona Forecast" border="0" height="50" width="150" /></a>
Here's to all the global warming pushers, may your winters be -30 below and four feet of snow in your driveway. Because I want you happy.
-Aaron-
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... ooding.gif" alt="Click for Pearce, Arizona Forecast" border="0" height="50" width="150" /></a>
Here's to all the global warming pushers, may your winters be -30 below and four feet of snow in your driveway. Because I want you happy.
-Aaron-
compliments of one of the coolest springs ever,right after the warmest..........
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... rfield.gif" alt="Click for Fairfield, Iowa Forecast" border="0" height="60" width="468" />
- TerdalFarm
- Palm Grove
- Posts: 2983
- Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:48 pm
- Location: Manzanita, OR & Sarasota, FL
- Contact:
- Paul Ont
- Large Palm
- Posts: 1384
- Joined: Thu Dec 13, 2007 10:58 am
- Location: zone 6a Downtown Toronto and zone 5a Kingston
Some pics:
Rhodo brachycarpum tigerstedtii
M. grandiflora 'Springgrove #19', leaf kill but little to no stem damage.
'Kay Parris' leaf damage but little to no stem damage:
Rot in the cactus bed was really bad this year:
MOre layter.
Rhodo brachycarpum tigerstedtii
M. grandiflora 'Springgrove #19', leaf kill but little to no stem damage.
'Kay Parris' leaf damage but little to no stem damage:
Rot in the cactus bed was really bad this year:
MOre layter.
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... /71265.gif" />
-
- Clumping Palm
- Posts: 2399
- Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2010 6:41 pm
Your Rhodies look pretty good Paul. Mine look in the same shape, still a bit "droopy"... Those mags dont look too bad concidering either....
I had the same problem with my cacti, one rotted away during the winter, and the one that looked fine a few weeks ago is toast......
I had the same problem with my cacti, one rotted away during the winter, and the one that looked fine a few weeks ago is toast......
"The definition of insanity, is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results" - einstien
Check out my new Blog! http://canadianplant.wordpress.com/
<a href="http://www.wunderground.com/global/stat ... big2"><img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... /71749.gif" alt="Click for Thunder Bay, Ontario Forecast" border="0" height="60" width="468" /></a>
Check out my new Blog! http://canadianplant.wordpress.com/
<a href="http://www.wunderground.com/global/stat ... big2"><img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... /71749.gif" alt="Click for Thunder Bay, Ontario Forecast" border="0" height="60" width="468" /></a>
- Paul Ont
- Large Palm
- Posts: 1384
- Joined: Thu Dec 13, 2007 10:58 am
- Location: zone 6a Downtown Toronto and zone 5a Kingston
Newly planted needle and minor out front. The banana is on the left:
First Rhody bloom of the season, Aneke Plazak:
Pediocactus in bloom:
Looking back at the woodlot:
The cold really took a toll on the Phyllostachys:
Some mixed cacti and Y. glauca:
First Rhody bloom of the season, Aneke Plazak:
Pediocactus in bloom:
Looking back at the woodlot:
The cold really took a toll on the Phyllostachys:
Some mixed cacti and Y. glauca:
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... /71265.gif" />
great shots. I'm glad to hear the Aucuba 'hima' appears to be a winner.....keep us updated on that one. Let us know how the Mags recover....it would be awesome if they get hardier with age and they survive in your area (long term).
<a href="http://www.wunderground.com/US/MA/Seeko ... igwx"><img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... eekonk.gif" alt="Click for Seekonk, Massachusetts Forecast" border="0" height="60" width="468" />
- Paul Ont
- Large Palm
- Posts: 1384
- Joined: Thu Dec 13, 2007 10:58 am
- Location: zone 6a Downtown Toronto and zone 5a Kingston
More Pedios:
More of the Cactus bed:
Yes, the leaves are that shiny and large:
One of the few 'common' Rhodies that I grow, Wyndach pink, it is not very tough in zone 4/5:
A hybrid made by my friend Dave:
Another, more bloom this time:
More of the Cactus bed:
Yes, the leaves are that shiny and large:
One of the few 'common' Rhodies that I grow, Wyndach pink, it is not very tough in zone 4/5:
A hybrid made by my friend Dave:
Another, more bloom this time:
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... /71265.gif" />
-
- Arctic Palm Plantation
- Posts: 11325
- Joined: Sun Feb 18, 2007 7:31 pm
- Location: Vernon BC, Zone 5a or 5b (close to 6A!)
Great to see the cactus and lovely rhodie blooms amid the carnage.
Barb
Barb
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... anguage=EN" alt="Find more about Weather in Vernon, CA" width="160" />
If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt.
If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt.
-
- Palm Grove
- Posts: 4416
- Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2004 5:40 pm
- Location: South Central Idaho 5b
- Contact:
Those pedios are awesome.
Shoshone Idaho weather
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... ooding.gif" alt="Click for Pearce, Arizona Forecast" border="0" height="50" width="150" /></a>
Here's to all the global warming pushers, may your winters be -30 below and four feet of snow in your driveway. Because I want you happy.
-Aaron-
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... ooding.gif" alt="Click for Pearce, Arizona Forecast" border="0" height="50" width="150" /></a>
Here's to all the global warming pushers, may your winters be -30 below and four feet of snow in your driveway. Because I want you happy.
-Aaron-
Flowers are looking nice!
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... rfield.gif" alt="Click for Fairfield, Iowa Forecast" border="0" height="60" width="468" />
gotta love Rhodos!
<a href="http://www.wunderground.com/US/MA/Seeko ... igwx"><img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... eekonk.gif" alt="Click for Seekonk, Massachusetts Forecast" border="0" height="60" width="468" />
-
- Large Palm
- Posts: 1269
- Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2008 8:30 am
- Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Paul, this is an interesting report. Halifax had an awful winter, and I also lost several plants (most likely including the S. minor "McCurtain" that you gave me). I've put this down to the fact that I just covered everything with hay this year rather than the usual mulch. The hay seems to have let more killing moisture reach the roots of plants. My P. bissetii was not protected, and was top-killed to maybe 6" tall.
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... /71601.gif" alt="Click for Shearwater, Nova Scotia Forecast" border="0" height="60" width="468" />
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests