But what if... Winter returns?

seedscanada · Post by **seedscanada** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:07 pm

I always ask myself, "but what if" and I want to ask you all what you think. What if a week of sub-freezing temperatures were to come our way in, maybe the first week of april? You know, after all new leaves and flower buds have flushed out?
I know I'm being the devils advocate, but I'm not talking about our palms, we know what we all have to do if a freeze is predicted (I must wrap my bananas and bring in my spindle).
What I am concerned about is all the fruiting trees and deciduous trees... If for example all the Apple trees bloom then freeze... No apples in 2012??? Or cherries..
Just putting it out there.
What do you all think? Oh and grapes. No 2012 wine? Oh no. That's worst case scenario. I'm paranoid.
Adam

seedscanada · Post by **seedscanada** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:09 pm

Silly tablet sorry bout the double post

niagaraguy · Post by **niagaraguy** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:19 pm

hahah take some deep breaths! haha, i always wounder that in april/may......

my apricot is one month ahead as of today its starting to bloom and the gold plum just behind it.
your right tho.

seedscanada · Post by **seedscanada** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:21 pm

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/seedscanada/6858307088/" title="Mar 21 2012 14-day forecast by seedscanada, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6104/6858 ... 51c7_z.jpg" width="640" height="375" alt="Mar 21 2012 14-day forecast"></a>

That's a 20degree celcius difference between highest high and lowest low, what's another five or six degrees colder?
Hmm?
Adam

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 10:21 pm

Unfortunately, this is going to be a reality for me within the next few days. It hit 25 C (77 F) here today, which was unbelievable. However, in a few days, the temps are supposed to drop to -2 C with a few cm of snow

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 7:44 am

Oh you mean like this?

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/fourteenday/caon0688

Looks like its going to hit jsut as some tree buds break. Great

seedscanada · Post by **seedscanada** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 7:56 am

Yeah, Canadianplant.. like that. Would that maybe kill the 2012 early flowering fruit harvest (like cherries) or maybe even kill established trees due to stress??
Hope all your plants make it alright.
Adam

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 8:03 am

We used to have an orchard with 1,100 Mac (some Spartan) apple trees.
Cold weather during blossom can certainly reduce crops, as pollinators won't fly in severe cold.

We had the odd year of no fruit on the lower half of trees, where cold settles.

Cold hits soft fruits (peaches, apricots etc) the hardest.

Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 8:26 am

2007 was the last year this happened here.

Warm Feb/March left us in trouble come April.....

Low temp hit 18F and it stayed below freezing for almost/basically 2 days!

Everything was killed back,no fruit,no blooms.

Doesn't look to be in the cards this spring.

BTW

That flex of the negative A.O. in April 2007 was just the beginning of it's
dominance for almost 4 years,hopefully our current warm weather is just
a balance to this and doesn't need to be balanced itself!

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 10:12 am

THings that are native/naturalized im not worried about (lilac, carragana, ash, maple, even crab apples), its some things that im not sure how theyll handle it: Clamatis, azalea, russian olive, honegold apple etc.. Im not worried about a light frost, like 0C -1 or even -2C. -4C is pushing it. I kniow -7C will damage open buds on the apple. IF the buds dont pop, theyll be ok, just set back a few days, nothing major...

And yes, even in normal years, this sort of drop happens, cept its usually in april, NOT march...

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Fri Mar 23, 2012 8:02 am

The most awful cold back in my town was registered in May 13th-14th 1985. After heavy snow temperature dropped down to minus 4C. As a result all greens (leaves, fruits, grapes etc. fried and felt down. By the end of May all leaves have being appeared from sleeping buds. This was a summer with no fruits completely.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Fri Mar 23, 2012 8:58 am

Nice to see your temps coming up Igor!

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Fri Mar 23, 2012 9:19 am

Thanks Jim, there was plus 14C today! Had a chance checking my palms (perfect), aucuba (perfect), fatsia under hay protection (perfect), Fuchia megallanica started growing under hay plus snow protection. Still a lot of snow around here. Will try checking my Gunnera tomorrow.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Mar 23, 2012 9:32 am

plus 14C today

Oh thank goodness that your prized plants are fine, Igor.
Heavy snow definitely did its insulating job.

Barb

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Fri Mar 23, 2012 9:38 am

Barb, yes I like a lot of snow even it lets me get some additional excises shoveling it hardly. Now I do these exercise uncovering my plants... Stupid! Tomorrow I will do first-the season-BBQ. Apple-apricot wood smoke BBQ with the lamb ribs... Yammy!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Mar 23, 2012 10:52 am

Now I do these exercise uncovering my plants

Yup, my thought too as H and I were taking down the big palm hut.
Well, sort of my thoughts...
Especially since it took 4 men to install it last Fall.

first-the season-BBQ. Apple-apricot wood smoke BBQ with the lamb ribs... Yammy!

Enjoy! You sure deserve it after this winter.

Barb

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Fri Mar 23, 2012 11:04 am

igor.glukhovtsev wrote:Barb, yes I like a lot of snow even it lets me get some additional excises shoveling it hardly. Now I do these exercise uncovering my plants... Stupid! Tomorrow I will do first-the season-BBQ. Apple-apricot wood smoke BBQ with the lamb ribs... Yammy!

I figured youd be like Canadians and BBQ all winter

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Mar 23, 2012 11:06 am

Yeah, when the lid isn't frozen shut.

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Fri Mar 23, 2012 11:24 am

Jesse, I know the BBQ is a national sport in Canada right behind the Hockey. Once I'll get a gas BBQ I would be able do THAT in winter. A problem is no gas BBQ for reasonable price here in Kazakhstan. That's why I do it with nice smelling apple wood... And MEAT, there is no place in the World except of Australia where you can buy nice and fresh lamb meet for reasonable price. Sorry for off-topic but ...

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Mar 23, 2012 8:59 pm

Don't worry about the off topic, Igor.
We do it all the time.

So...no lamb for meat in Kazakhstan?
Maybe just look under the snow, you'll find them.

There are no BBQs for sale there?

You could build your own, and buy propane to run its burners.

no lamb...no BBQs...come back to Canada!
Barb

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Sat Mar 24, 2012 5:22 am

SO, as usual the weather network changed the temps. Nothing lower then -3C. So what you think? SHould I worry about the swelling buds on a few things, or just let them ride it out?

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/fourteenday/caon0688

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Sat Mar 24, 2012 6:41 am

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Sat Mar 24, 2012 6:42 am

[quote="canadianplant"] SHould I worry about the swelling buds on a few things, or just let them ride it out?[quote]

Do you have any other options?

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Sat Mar 24, 2012 7:00 am

Only thing I can do, is cover em in bags/blankets for the night. Im going to cover the bamboo for sure. Cold+wet+wind = leaf stress/death. I need a major upsize this year.

Im mainly worried about my small azalea, shooting bulbs, oragano and a few small things, whos buds arent as far along, that can be multched to protect them ( all theyll really need). Its My Blackberrys, raspberries, russian olive, clematis, and apple, whos buds are swollen, and just waiting to pop that im worried about. Im pretty sure I have nothing to worry about, unless I get like -10C, and if the buds have already opened (which none have, this cloudy weather has been great for slowing it down).

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Sat Mar 24, 2012 7:21 am

canadianplant wrote:Only thing I can do, is cover em in bags/blankets for the night. Im going to cover the bamboo for sure. Cold+wet+wind = leaf stress/death. I need a major upsize this year.

I wouldn't worry about bamboo in worse case scenario. They are pretty tough and were survived your winter. Forget about them. The spring bulbs wouldn't have troubles too. Keep your eyes on azalea. That's it.