Okanagan weather...

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 9:34 pm

Man oh man, they're predicting 90% chance of SNOW tonight and ALL DAY Friday.

After a 15C degree Monday, the last three days have been a cold north wind, barely made 7C (45F) yesterday.

Alchris · Post by **Alchris** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 10:19 pm

Brrr. I know the feeling. Another couple of days and we will have high temperatures of more than +1 C. At least we are not getting any snow of any consequence.

Allen

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 11:07 pm

I just stepped out (11:30 PM) and there's wet slushy snow/rain mix falling !!! I imagine higher elevations are experiencing a white out.

Cheers, Barrie.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 6:38 am

Yup, it's 6:30 a.m. and it snowed an inch.
It's +1C.
Supposed to get colder on Sunday. Poop.

Cleaned out garden beds yesterday, the only thing growing is weeds.

Barrie, if you've got rain/snow ... with your ocean influence, we'll stay cold.
I miss seeing the Kwanzan (sp?) cherry trees in bloom this time of year in Vancouver.
Allen, our moisture is heading your way (apparently it'll be very mild in Alberta).

Have a good weekend everybody. Barb

Post by **Jay-Admin** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 7:00 am

No snow here at my place just rain.

The forcast says it's supposed to be +13C here on Sunday.

Regards,
Jay

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 10:46 am

The wet snow / rain mix must have been a short lived event. I got up at 3 am for a glass of water, and rain was all I could see. Every day we're around the 10c -12c mark and today will be no exception. We're supposed to dodge the worst of the rain as the west coast of Vancouver Island is forecast for as much as 4" of rain with this system. A big winter storm is pushing through the east today. Man ... they can have it.

Cheers, Barrie.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 5:47 pm

Jay, you didn't get ANY snow! Man oh man, wouldn't think you were only 35 miles south. I'm switchin' to your weather station..

The weather banner above says Kelowna's 8C at 5pm...I doubt we made 5 or 6 today.
Just those few miles, what a difference. My husband works in Kelowna so I hear all about the rain you guys get in summer while we're parched, tongues hangin' out, nary a drop.

Guess that's why our place has cactus growing. But not wonderful gorgeous BIG cactus, just that small crappy stuff that only the dog's paws can find!

Barrie, your on the southeast side of Island...but those folks in Tofino will likely appreciate tons of rain after what they went through this summer. In every community it's the same thing: storage (not conservation...that's just BS). The buggers don't know how to build big reservoirs, that's all.

Have I got news for you guys...GUESS WHAT I DID TODAY? ----> Cold Hardy Palms forum.

Post by **Jay-Admin** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 6:15 pm

Barb, There was some snow way up in the hills but raining down below. We have the native cacti growing all around here also.

You can grow some nice size cacti where you are. Here's a post of my cacti that i grow at my place from last summer.

http://www.palmsnorth.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=557

Regards,
Jay

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 8:55 pm

Nice indeed, Jay.
Good idea, especially with the gravel, looks really good.
Do you dig them up in Fall to bring indoors? Or lay three tons of insulation over them?

(note to self) plant cactus outside this year.

Post by **Jay-Admin** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 9:06 pm

Thanks Barb.

I didn't do anything to protect them this winter. Thay are all looking good except for the third one from the top is dead.

Regards,
Jay

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 9:10 pm

You didn't do ANYTHING to protect them? Wow, you must have one helluva microclimate.

Zone denial aside, you must be at least two zones ahead of me (we're exposed on a southern slope). Away from our buildings and woodlands garden, there's nothing but "open" for 600 feet to the next house. Not much protection.

Barb

Post by **Jay-Admin** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 9:15 pm

You would be surprised how cold hardy some cacti are.

Have you seen the infamous yucca elatas growing in Oriville, Washington? I have two of these growing at my place but it will be about 40 years before they get as big as the ones in Oriville.

Here's a link to them.

http://www.palmsnorth.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=301

Regards,
Jay

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 9:22 pm

...and I thought I had to shave my legs

Those are the hairiest beasties I've ever seen!

I've had my yuccas for, oh, I bet 6 or 7 years...I think they've topped out!

And my cactus...well, doubt it would make it. It can't even stand up in the bloomin' pot...

Barb

Alchris · Post by **Alchris** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 6:45 am

Barb, I have been growing cacti here unprotected for 4 years. My opuntias do just fine (basilarias, polycantha and fragilis). They are all zone 2 to zone 4 and would do just fine in Vernon. I am planning to expand the cacti to include a couple of smaller chollas, O. Imbricata and an imbricata hybrid this year.

Allen

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 9:52 am

Talk about top heavy, I grew an Opuntia linguiformis from a one pad cutting to about 6' tall in 3 years. I was shocked at how fast it grew. It was top heavy and fell over which broke it at couple of points. I had to remove it. O. vulgaris is also a fast grower for me too it's slumped over at the moment. I'll have to size it up later this spring.

Cheers, Barrie.

Wes North Van · Post by **Wes North Van** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 11:04 am

Allen,
I am going to try the cactus pad you sent me out in the garden this spring. A true test for cactus is to survive in North Vancouver. Where I live it is only 6' above sea level and right by Ambleside beach so it is very mild (lowest temp this year -6.7C) but man does it rain. Just North of me is the Capilano rain forest full of Douglas firs, Western Red Cedars, White hemlock, Arbutus to name a few. I am probably in the driest area of the North Shore but that is like saying I am in the lightest shade of black.
It will be a true test of how a cactus can survive in a wet climate. I will put it in very gravelly soil and put a rain cover over it in the winter. But still the air is moist.
Wish me luck.

Alchris · Post by **Alchris** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 11:58 am

Good luck with it.

It will grow in moist conditions but the soil has to be very well drained. The canopy in the winter is a good idea. You will have to make sure that there is good air flow under the canopy.

Allen

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 3:15 pm

Cactus outdoors in Edmonton? Now I've heard everything. Good for you, Allen.
6 feet in 3 years, Barrie? Jeez, you guys have perfected gardening to an art.

BTW, does anybody know what mine is called? I doubt it had a label years ago when I bought it.
I think they look stupid with a pole to keep them upright.
I'll put rocks around the base when I plant it outside. That way the neighbour's cats aren't scratchin' in there either.

Wes, the gravel sounds like a good idea. Are you on sloping ground (down to the beach...Ambleside is lovely, you lucky fella). Then all the water would drain away versus if it's located on flat ground (where water tends to sit anyway), it'd have to be a big pit of gravel with all the rain on the North shore.
Yes, good luck with it...what will you plant with it?

And Jay, OK, although I haven't seen cactus planted around homes in Vernon...didn't have my glasses on obviously!
Barb.

Wes North Van · Post by **Wes North Van** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 3:30 pm

No I am on the flats. I have to build a mound to put it on. I probably will put ice plants around it or a drought tolerant annual in the summer and pansies in the winter.
I am also considering putting it on the south side of the house under neath the soffits right against the house. It is bone dry there most of the year. It means however moving a skimmia japonica and I am worried about killing it during transplanting. Does anyone know how well Skimmia transplant?

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 4:02 pm

Wes, iceplant will look good with cactus, so would portulaca (though I've never had any luck...they just "disappear" a year later). I think mice or birds must eat them.
Barb

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 6:32 pm

All I could find was a pic taken one year after planting of my O. linguiformis (Spring 2003). All the growth above the first pad was in one year, and three years after the initial planting it collapsed under the weight. Even at this point I had a bungee cord in place to support it. I wish these things would stand on their own.

Cheers, Barrie.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 10:12 am

Barrie, sheesh what a ton of growth...funny the ones down south don't need support.
Maybe we need more gravel so the roots don't tip.

I'm smilin today

got rain overnight.
Haven't got the raingauge out yet ('coz they always freeze and crack) so don't know how much, but any and all is welcome on this bone-dry slope.

I'm off to plant my cactus and other succulents outside! Grow or die...
Barb

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 1:38 pm

Didn't get the predicted -5 last nite.
It was 0 at 6 a.m., and then an hour later it SNOWED....SIDEWAYS for about 3 hours. The snowflakes must've landed in Winnipeg, it was so windy.

Today we're burning our prunings pile. An hour after pile was lit, wind changed direction and I had to hose down a row of pines at the fenceline. As soon as I stopped watering the branches, ice formed.

I thought we'd ignite the dry leaves under the pines at the fence...I was sweatin' buckets worrying. But seems OK, though pile is still burning (a couple of old Lombardy Poplar stumps...good riddance).

Man oh man, weird. Now it's sunny but colder than...

Barb

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 12:55 pm

It's back to longjohns again...

Cold, cold wind howling around the building.
Anything not nailed down is moving.
And it's all of 7 C...woopeeeee (NOT!)

I must be a lizard...I'm freezing!

Barb

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