Gray Day, again...

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Tue May 03, 2011 8:50 am

Perhaps it's no surprise that we have another gray day here in Toronto. It's been a cool, wet, spring, and plants are far behind last spring... The weather, combined with recent events, have me feeling down and depressingly BLUE. However, I suppose that I, and my message board friends, who love to challenge the normal conservative gardening practices (ugh, another Mugo Pine... Is that Euonymous, again?!), can appreciate the brilliant ORANGE lining that accompanies the sunset at this time of year!

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weathe ... ef=homemap

Best,

Paul

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue May 03, 2011 1:43 pm

That was nicely said, Paul.

Agree...except I'm not depressingly BLUE...I'm madder than a snake in heat at losing a month of warmth and plants outside.
And if I see one more teenager wearing shorts and flip flops when it's 7C, I'm gonna scream.

But I'm fine...really...not going crazy.

Just naming my fungus gnats this afternoon.
I've lost track of their progeny, but I think they've moved upstairs.

So far we've had 7 months of "winter", leaving 5 months of "summer" (no spring).
Maybe.

Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Tue May 03, 2011 2:01 pm

Paul

It looks like things improve a little starting tomorrow there....
here too with temps back close to... then over 70 and 80s next week.

Hope it moves your way.

Barb

This is the first time I have seen your temp over 46F in a while!

Did I mention theres a freeze warning tonight

32F last night didn't seem to bother anything,hope it is not colder tonight!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue May 03, 2011 2:08 pm

Yup this is the next two weeks...more ka ka.

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/fourteenday/cabc0312

the first time I have seen your temp over 46F in a while

I'm guessing that was last September

70s, 80s F ...we can only dream of it apparently.

Barb

bananieru · Post by **bananieru** » Wed May 04, 2011 7:14 am

just look what's in the future for us:

http://thestar.blogs.com/weather360/201 ... ronto.html

We'll turn off the heating a day before we start the ac.

Tavi

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Wed May 04, 2011 7:50 am

Hope that works out!

Here is our forecast for the next(ahem) 15 days from(ahem)"accuweather"

All those 80s should finally get the tropicals moving!
My banana plants grow more in one summer day then they did all April!

http://www.accuweather.com/us/ia/fairfi ... -month.asp

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Wed May 04, 2011 11:37 am

Paul Ont wrote:who love to challenge the normal conservative gardening practices (ugh, another Mugo Pine... Is that Euonymous, again?!),

Best,

Paul

I agree,

wxman · Post by **wxman** » Wed May 04, 2011 6:06 pm

This spring has been a giant turd.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed May 04, 2011 6:34 pm

Finally getting warmer, cold wind has ended.

Only lost TWO months of normal nice weather

Barb

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Wed May 04, 2011 6:51 pm

the temps are normal here..........

<img src=http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/ ... 7DAY-1.jpg>

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Wed May 04, 2011 8:59 pm

8-15 days 80 or above in the 15 day forecast finally.

I think you mean a frozen turd - Wxman

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu May 05, 2011 3:14 pm

two weeks of 80+ coming for you Jim?
No wonder it's crappy here...you've got it all

...and another leaf pops on your Waggies

Barb

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Fri May 06, 2011 8:58 am

No worries, Barb... We had most of the days 80F plus up to 100 F once starting a second decade of April. And what? For the next night we were promised to have minus 2C (no snow by the way, but who knows). That's why I didn't pland my palms and banana into the soil.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri May 06, 2011 1:22 pm

You make a good point Igor.
A very warm spring in the North can lead to problems in early May with another cold blast.
I wouldn't know though...

It's just that Jim's Waggies have already put out 3 to 5 new leaves...
Good for Jim
But for the rest of us waiting....

Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Fri May 06, 2011 2:24 pm

I guess I could go look but I know that's not true

My Washys are working on opening leaf #3,that just means the spear is
expanding

My Waggies...

1.) trunk cut to the ground-I abused it by not
covering it early last winter

2.)This one has put out a leaf and is working on the next.

3.)This little piggy had it's leaf(that was in the shoot all winter)
totally roast out and dry up,I can't say it pulled because it disintegrated.
The next spear is visible and pushing up.

All the trunk cut Trachys from last year pulled again but are
not needing to be cut this year - it has been such a chilly spring
they are just now showing signs of filling in the black hole where they pulled

Oh btw

While I am picking on you Barb

-
we now have-just- a handful of 80s in the ten day.......

I'll take them!!!!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri May 06, 2011 2:56 pm

OK now I don't feel so bad....er.....late

totally roast out and dry up,I can't say it pulled because it disintegrated.
The next spear is visible and pushing up.

What causes it to roast and dry up/disintegrate?

I'm amazed every time at the success you have after spear pull and/or trunk cutting.
I wouldn't know what to do when, especially if a spear distintegrates

I'm expecting big things from the old Trachy this year...like maybe a flower

Dumped a whole lot of compost slime at its base last week and watered it well.
I want to HEAR that beggar grow this year

Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Fri May 06, 2011 3:05 pm

They don't all live,I threw away 3 Trachys already- from the Neem oil induced rot

The spear died inside the plant and pushed up dry,better then rotting I guess.

The problem is that they are fairly small palms,I am guessing either
this winter or next may be the last time they pull as they should be getting hardier/bigger.

You must have some kind of e-mail alert that tells you when you receive a reply/post???

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri May 06, 2011 3:25 pm

Yup agree with you on the Neem, it's like pouring syrup onto a plant.
Sticky yucky crappy stuff, whatever it's supposed to do.

some kind of e-mail alert that tells you

I meant I want to HEAR (audibly) my Trachy growing this year...as in creak, groan, stretch, pop...3 feet taller with flowers!

Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Fri May 06, 2011 7:16 pm

Like the corn here

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri May 06, 2011 7:23 pm

...and I know you'll be happy for me when my Trachy grows like it's on steroids.

Barb

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Fri May 06, 2011 7:51 pm

Jim,
you

devil.
OK, while we're picking on our friends to the north, check out my next few days:
http://www.accuweather.com/us/ok/bixby/ ... etails.asp

I'll be outside hauling flats of petunias in that heat--and loving it.

As for Waggies, both of mine survived the winter (plugged in and covered) but the new leaves show cold damage from when they were forming. January was so warm they were already turning on before the cold of early Feb.

Washies were all indoors, thank W. Still working on their first spear but I don't mind--they are alive.

--Erik

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sat May 07, 2011 8:29 am

What did I do???

Barb

Your weather sticker says 46F again...WTF!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat May 07, 2011 9:24 am

Yup, WTF is what I said too

A day or two of nice weather and then crash, back to crap.

But we did get some much needed rain overnight (weather channel always says rain/showers for BC...we get only 1% of that Vancouver weather).

Glad your stuff's looking good, Erik, and is ready to pop.

Holy cow, nice weather for you two guys!

Barb

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Sat May 07, 2011 9:28 am

Uh, Barb, maybe you didn't see my weather banner... That's right, 54F right now... Oh, wait. Never mind.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat May 07, 2011 10:31 am

Paul...man oh man, you too (again)?
I thought you had great weather recently?
So apart from Manitoba--where it's flooding--and Edmonton--where nothing at all grows--is there ANYWHERE warm in Canada?

And sorry for derailing your thread Paul.

Barb

PS--batteries are charging. BUT GOT GREAT PIC TO POST ... AHEM.... DRUMROLL....

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat May 07, 2011 12:27 pm

Jim, you're at 81F ???? wow, send some here.

Oh...drumroll.....
http://www.palmsnorth.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3706

Barb

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Sat May 07, 2011 8:56 pm

Jim,
sorry for being ambiguous.
I was thinking we were enjoying our warm weather at Paul's expense (this is his thread, after all).
My folks live in Oregon, where late winter/early spring is dragging on. They keep hoping to hit 60 F if only briefly.
Here, we're hoping to dip down into the 60s tonight as a little relief. --Erik

wxman · Post by **wxman** » Wed May 11, 2011 4:01 pm

The horrible weather continues. Reached 66F in this "warm spell" and here is the forecast for the next week.

Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 64. North wind between 5 and 10 mph.

Friday Night: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 46. North wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 54. North wind between 10 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Saturday Night: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a low around 45. North wind around 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Sunday: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 49. Breezy, with a north wind between 15 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Sunday Night: A 40 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41.

Monday: A 20 percent chance of rain. Mostly sunny and breezy, with a high near 51.

Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 39.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 55.

Tuesday Night: A 30 percent chance of rain. Partly cloudy, with a low around 41.

Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 55.

Normal high is almost 70. 40s on Sunday for HIGHS.

When will this crap break???

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Thu May 12, 2011 7:30 am

Ok- So normal is still just 19C (67f) for the high right now (thanks a lot Lake Ontario)... We've got 2 days in the 70's (f) then back down to mid 50's for a few days next week... I want summer!

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/fourte ... k_lt_14day

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Thu May 12, 2011 8:33 am

Paul,
finally we have a gray day so I can commiserate. Lows of 8 C and highs of 20 C for a few days. Feels like Spring, vs. the premature Summer we had recently. --Erik

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Thu May 12, 2011 8:49 am

Barb

Your weather sticker says 46 again...you need to fix that!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu May 12, 2011 11:49 am

And barely higher today...

Plants hate this cold...here's my BoP, Cycas spinulosum and PDP on the deck...shivering.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5713900664/" title="DSC04685 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2158/571 ... 6b4749.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04685"></a>

Next pic is some palm seedlings (princeps, chamaerops humilis, waggie) that are under a roof.
Last night's windstorm would have moved them a few acres away

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5713886168/" title="DSC04687 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3272/571 ... 4f0989.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04687"></a>

I think this two-headed yucca rostrata is dying...looks worse every day.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5713886152/" title="DSC04682 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2731/571 ... ba07a6.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04682"></a>

But the two Washingtonia filifera planted out are each pushing a healthy spear.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5713886096/" title="DSC04680 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3085/571 ... 98b638.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04680"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5713886140/" title="DSC04681 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2376/571 ... a79e2e.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04681"></a>

Off-topic...but driving to town this morning, a secondary road is about 6 inches away from being gone with the high creek levels.
Obviously our flooding is nowhere near the devastation in the US South and in Manitoba, but with our cold nights the mountain passes get snow each night.
A few warm days are melting it.
I won't be using that road when it's a hot sunny day!

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5713886060/" title="DSC04679 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3538/571 ... eebe91.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04679"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5713886036/" title="DSC04678 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3395/571 ... fd86e1.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04678"></a>

Barb

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Thu May 12, 2011 7:43 pm

Barb,
I'm sure summer will come, eventually.
I for one was happy to be able to turn off the AC and open the windows today.
Then a drenching rain storm soaked the floors of the house while I was at work today

Keep us updated on the W. filifera. If I thought I could ever replace my two I'd risk them in the ground some year.

Paul,
could be worse than merely "gray." On my way home from work my poor car was pelted with golf-ball sized hail. Didn't break the glass sun-roof but hood and roof are dented. --Erik

PalmsNorth.com

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