End of Januray Update!

[Paul Ont]

Hi All!
FYI, I'm in a zone 4b/5a according to the USDA map from 1990. So far this winter has been 6a, with a few periods of extended freezing temperatures, but nothing too extreme (extreme for me = below -15F). With a brief warm up this week I thought I'd update on how plants are doing (those that I can see above the snow anyway!).
Magnolia virginiana v. australis: Still has all its leaves. Looks like it 'might' (fingers crossed) make it through the winter with all its leaves!
Phyllostachys nuda: Still 98% of foliage is in tact. Seems to be a winner for zone 5!
Phyllostachys aureosulcata: Small plant 100% burned. Will have to wait until spring to see if the culms will leaf out...
Tracycarpus fortunei: Seems okay. Damage can show up late though (i.e. like last May when the spear finally pulled!)
Rhapidophyllum hystrix: Seems fine. Will blast with fungicide in spring.

Cacti:
Most Opuntias seem fine, Opuntia vulgaris is definately dead though...

Yuccaceae (thompsoniana, gloris, recurvfolia, whipplei, neomexicana, harriamniae, baccata, elata, Dasylirion texanum, Herperaloe parviflora, Agave parryi): Seem fine other then herbivore damage... But desert plants can look fine until late May before finally turing to mush!

I think that's about all I could see... How are your plants doing thus far?

Cheers,
Paul

[Alchris]

So far our winter has been a zone 5b. That has changed this evening(-28*C and w/c -48*C right now) and will change further by Thursday when the forecast low of -35*C has come and gone. I am pleased to note that with the foam strip sealing the shelter and the second Heat Cable the temp in the shelter is -2.9*C and I may not need to use the heat lamp.

Everything in the heated shelter was doing fine yesterday when we watered the potted plants.

The Livistona in the unheated shelter have had their fronds frozen but the z 7 rhododendron was in good shape. The unheated shelter's inside temp of 0* to +3*C on Saturday should keep from dropping below -20*C through this storm.

The rhododendrons still had all of their leaves intact. With the 20 cm of snow we received today they are all buried under the snow. So is the Holly, butterfly bush, kolkwitzia, the cholla, cacti and yucca. The high for today was -7*C at midnight last night. Winds gusting to 143km/hr. pushed in this storm, which is supposed to dump another 15 cm of snow over night. The 3' snow drifts will be much worse in the morning.

The Dwarf Cavendish bananas that I am bringing out of dormancy are adding about 1 leaf/week. The Raja Puri bananas have shown no growth yet.

Allen

[Paul Ont]

Allen,
Wow.
Wow.
Keep us updated as (if) the cold comes.
Cheers,
Paul

[Barrie]

"Keep us updated as (if) the cold comes."

-24f (-31c) on the ticker from weather underground would cancel the "if". Yikes thats cold

Cheers, Barrie.

[Alchris]

Ch ch ch ch cheers Barrie;

I waited until the wind died back to about 30km and the sun was shining before I went out, started the Xtrail and shoveled the sidewalks again. The wind chill wasn't much over -40*C but the snow was packed in tight. We didn't get that much more snow over night, Maybe a couple of inches.

I am starting to get soft . Back when I was a lad and walked to school, 5 miles, uphill, both ways I could handle this kind of cold.

Allen

[Barrie]

Allen ... I couldn't do it ... I can't imagine that kind of cold.

Cheers and stay warm, Barrie.