What a winter/spring

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canadianplant
Clumping Palm
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What a winter/spring

Post by canadianplant » Tue May 14, 2013 5:23 am

First things first - Ill be posting pics in a few days when the yard gets cleaned up. It looks like a flood zone right now... lol


From February to mid april, we were slightly below average temps. This is the first time in more then a decade. The spring has also been insufferable, with wild temp swings, and somewhat late snow. Lately we have been cycling between warmer then average and slightly below average temps. When the temps drop we get rain. The low was -30C, and we had a high temp of 10C in January for a few days.

There isnt much growing either. Things are budding like mad, and there are a few tupils and spring bulbs up, but everything is behind. Last year my apple tree was starting to flower. The only thing worth mentioning are my strawberries.

I havnt been able to get outside to do much due to this, plus work. Most things actually look ok. I lost some Rhodie/azalea buds because they tried to pop in the fall or mid winter when the temps rebounded for a week. My "blue girl" Holly did quite well. The growth that was exposed the longest dropped leaves, but the buds and stems survived no problem.

My Yucca filamentosa finally died, after declining over the last 2 years. It was just outcompeted and placed a bit too low (I expanded the bed since planting it). My Himrod and Vanessa grapes made it too (under the snow). They are thought to be hardy to the warmest end of zone 4, and not reliable here. Ill have to protect these. The hardy Kiwi vines made it too ( A Kolkomikta and arguta "issai"), as well as my seedling trees. My toka plum did seem to loose some buds during the freezing rain event we had a week or 2 ago.

My bamboos did quite well. My rufa got a bit fried, but most of those culms look great and it should re leaf. My P alata did even better. The lowest branches that were at the "top" of the mound it was under got hit, but 95% of the plant is intact and alive. Im expecting this thing to shoot well. I hope to be getting some Fargesia Nitida seedlings this year.

One surprising thing; It seems like one of my fig trees survived. I dont see any buds above ground, but half of the plant is rock solid, and it is stuck in the ground. The other one is a bit more soft, and I am able to wiggle the plant around. It would be interesting if it came back from the roots!

I am finally going to put My basjoo in the ground this year, for good or bad. The bottom of the pseudostem is 2 or 3 inches across and has 2 pups. Its just taking up way too much room indoors. It seems my pawpaw seedlings survived as well, so some of those are going into the ground. I have some stuttgart canna this year, as well as 2 types I grew from seed (Canna Flaccidia (native US canna), and Canna Jaegeriana (cannot be allowed to die back, needs to be dug up alive, or grown in pots, much like a tropical musa). There are also many pots of Dahlia and Caladium, and I managed to find 2 more Alocasia Corms (making the number 4) and some more colocasia.

There is hope that my Passiflora incarnata survived as well. Its planted right up against a southern wall and was buried under a foot of leaves, plus 2 feet of snow. My "Sunrise" Brug will be planted, as well as 2 pots of white. I have 40 Nausturtum plugs to plant this year and even a few plugs of 4 oclock. Lots of tropical stuff going on on top of the houseplants that will be going outside. On top of that, veggies, new grapes (Niagra, beta and Flame (Vinifera hybrid.... its going to be tricky) and some new haskap shrubs...


"The definition of insanity, is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results" - einstien

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lucky1
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Post by lucky1 » Tue May 14, 2013 11:57 am

If / when the Y.filamentosa suckers ever get cleaned up in my bed, I'll throw a couple in the mail to you.

Glad you're finally about to get outdoors, Jesse, after what you went through recently.

Look forward to seeing that fig survive.
That'd be great! :D

Barb
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TimMAz6
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Post by TimMAz6 » Tue May 14, 2013 6:43 pm

that's incredible that your fig and bamboo survived your brutal temps. Please keep the updates coming! :D
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canadianplant
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Post by canadianplant » Wed May 15, 2013 4:37 am

Thanks guys.

Barb that would be cool. Ive probably spent 50 bucs on Y filamentosa seed and nothing.. The variegated types are supposedly less hardy..... Oh, 3 days of decent weather, then 6 days straight of rain........... i just cant catch a break lol

Tim - To be fair, I bend the bamboo to the ground and mulch/tarp it. Since I get reliable snow, that helps as well. This year I didnt bury the Rufa very well and half got fried :(

As for the Fig...... I wont know till it really warms up, probably sometime in June. Ill call its death sometime in July if I dont see shoots. If it doesnt, I hope I can find more to try lol. Im determined to at least get a fig to make it here
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hardyjim
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Post by hardyjim » Wed May 15, 2013 8:14 am

I remember you posting a few weeks(?) back that there was
like 3' of snow on the ground,I looked at your temp stckr and it said 12F !

Yeeeouch!

Looks like it is warming up finally-I am sure there will still be cold/cool spells though....
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canadianplant
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Post by canadianplant » Wed May 15, 2013 11:34 am

We got a foot no more then 2 weeks ago. A month before that we had roughly 2 or 3 feet..... Its still going to dip a bit here, but id take 5 days of 10C and a night at 3C, then what I had 2 weeks ago. Things change here really fast sometimes!
"The definition of insanity, is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results" - einstien

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canadianplant
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Post by canadianplant » Thu May 16, 2013 5:20 pm

Some pics...

Fargesia Rufa... a bit fried, but the culm are all alive. Im expecting this to releaf

Image

Blueboy/girl Holly, looks pretty good. Even the parts that defoliated are budding

Image
Image

Looks like my Fig survived! Look at the scratches, the bottom one is green..

Image

Toka Plum Flower buds

Image

Phyllostachys areosulcata alata, is almost flawless. I hope for some massive shoots

Image

Rhodo "Helikkii" no die back, just lost a couple flower buds (probably tried to flower last fall)

Image

Mini Greenhouse

Image

Pear with some nice fat flower buds (grafts didnt take barb :( )

Image

All my grapes, cherries apples and pears are budding. Only thing is, rain ALL week... no palms going outside, or tropicals going in the ground till after the deluge.
"The definition of insanity, is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results" - einstien

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Cameron_z6a_N.S.
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Post by Cameron_z6a_N.S. » Thu May 16, 2013 5:42 pm

Nice work, Canadianplant! It's great to see the survival of that fig.
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lucky1
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Post by lucky1 » Thu May 16, 2013 7:17 pm

grafts didnt take barb
Poop.
Will send you a third lot in February. :wink:
When did you graft them?
Seems you still had snow and cold 3 weeks ago...maybe wait a little longer to see if the Flemish Beauty pops.
Did you use the proper rubber band method? or some people use tape, which isn't recommended.

Nice to see your place respond to sunshine and spring, Jesse.
Barb
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canadianplant
Clumping Palm
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Post by canadianplant » Fri May 17, 2013 4:51 am

I think ive been grafting way too soon is all. I did it at the end of march, but as you seen we really didnt have the weather for it :( According to this year I shoudnt have started till end of april or beginning of may :( Maybe some bud grafting ? LOL
"The definition of insanity, is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results" - einstien

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igor.glukhovtsev
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Post by igor.glukhovtsev » Fri May 17, 2013 7:50 am

Jesse, I like how your plants look like! Happy growing!
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canadianplant
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Post by canadianplant » Fri May 17, 2013 3:33 pm

Thanks Igor! This time last year it looked completely different..... Crazy..
"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/

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