Anyone have predictions as to whether it will ever get cold lol? Anyone throwing caution to the wind and planting stuff you'd normally wait on?
I find it difficult to resist the temptation to plant... so many things are sprouting here that I'll already have to cover a lot outside should it freeze again, thus I feel that adding a few more to the need covering list wouldn't be that bad. Am I nuts, or not alone lol?
Weird winter weather
Makes me want to get out there and start my beets, radishes, and peas.. but I hope to keep the bugs down we are going to be seeing some more cold weather.
I will wait to plant. I have delayed trimming the roses as they are still blooming. My tropicals have been moved for the most part though.
Yeah, it's kind of like the first warm days in late Winter, when you're really tempted to go ahead and start planting - then a huge cold front comes through to kill everything off. I'm holding off on planting, just dealing with the things that are still blooming. Still watering those (but less than usual), but not fertilizing them. Like children, they need some rest, so I won't do anything to encourage new growth. I'll just wait and see what happens naturally. Besides, I could use a bit of a rest, too, lol!
I can not get my fall bulbs in because they keep coming up thinking it is spring. I am going to have to get a counselor out here to talk with my plants because they do not know if they should come up or go down.
I have had a lot of freezer burns on plant that should be just fine in the cold. If we have a hard freeze I am afraid I will lose a whole lot of plants. Joan
I am kind of worried because the 80 + degree weather here has lots of things budding out also. A fig plant that someone sent as a 4" cutting is now almost as tall as I am. It dropped all leaves during our brief cooler period but now has buds and one little fig growing on it. Hope the cold weather doesn't come in as an Artic blast in Feb. or I will have to stay outside with the little tree and keep it warm with hugs and a warm blanket, LOL. Barb (in Corpus Christi)
Same here..too dang hot! and stuff are growing and blooming....Wore shorts and tank top all day cleaning house..my daughter,hubby, and grandson will be here tomorrow..yeah!!!!
I was out today for a while in the front and back yards. I have tulips, daffs, narcissus, larkspur, dasies, and poppies all showing themselves. The fig bush is budding as are the bradford pears. All of the above will more than likely have a set back or total freeze out because it is way too hot for January. DH turned on the A/C yesterday!
It hit 87 degrees here today! Of course, our ac went out on us. DH called the air conditioner repair person, but just got a busy signal. Maybe no one was in because of the holiday though. Checked on the fig plant and the baby fig had fallen off.
Hsfrank2005, I used to live in Fort Worth and can really understand how you must feel. You could still get an ice storm or big freeze up there and lose a lot of things. Know we in the 9a zone can still get hit with a hard freeze down in the 20s, etc. because it has happened before. We lost some things (hibiscus in the landscape, for example) but it has never been this warm this time of year here before. This is looking like another freaky year after 4" of snow here last winter.
What is going on????? Realize Zeta is a tropical storm but still she formed way after the end of hurricane season.
I will also wait until later to plant although there is a great temptation. The past two weeks have been wonderful made more so by being able to share it with one of my sons who spent Christmas here with us. It's been so warm that I've had to turn the swamp cooler back on in my orchid greenhouse and open the side flaps on the bigger greenhouse. My plants in there can't decide whether it's winter or summer in there. There is no such thing as dormancy in there. I don't dare fertilize since the temperatures drop into the low 40's at night.
Yep, it has been very strange. I am afraid that later in January and through April may be much colder than we expect. My narcissus and paper whites are blooming and my dutch iris and tulips are starting to bud. The larkspur and bluebonnets are growing up a storm and my fig tree has budded back out after just losing all of its leaves. The hibiscus and bougainvilleas are still blooming as are a lot of other plants. My cool weather plants like the pansies, violas and calendulas are wondering where the cool weather has gone. Like in bettydee's greenhouse, the temperatures in the greenhouse are too hot the past few days; but just right during the nights. Guess we'll just have to wait and see. Pray for rain ... my grass needs watered every week and I am a bit worried about the trees. They haven't had a good drink in months.
Glad I'm not the only one wondering what in the world to do!! I noticed the other day that I have cannas, irises and lily of the nile all coming up. I thought about trying to dig them up and put in pots but figure I'll just buy a bunch of mulch to cover when it does freeze - we're bound to get hammered before it's over. Am praying for rain - we need some so badly. All these fires are awful.
Sharon
We broke records here yesterday and it's heading for 90 today! They're calling for a "cold front" with highs in the upper 70's later in the week.
The same cold front is going to give me one day of upper 60's and then back into the 70's.
As for what I am seeing growing/blooming that probably shouldn't be, an orchid that I left out in my makeshift greenhouse (back patio wrapped in plastic from walmart lol) is blooming, and I have larkspur, nasturtium, and poppy seedlings coming up everywhere. A brugmansia that dropped all of it's large leaves (it's outside and too big to move) the one night they say it froze here is putting out new leaves and has buds on it. I also still have a large dutchman's pipe vine that's gone up into a tree in my front yard still blooming, and the top tendrils waaay up in the tree haven't even been nipped. Several Passifloras that are outside are still blooming one or two flowers here and there, P. pura vida purple, P. nephrodes, P. violacea and one other one that's on the north side of the house no less. My rosebushes are putting out new growth already, and the dutch irises have all sprouted.
I think that about covers it.
Just saw on the news about more fires. What a strange year it has been ... snow on Easter Sunday and then the hurricanes but no rain here.. kinda spooky.
Well Texas has been known for weird weather...A/C and Heat all in one day's worth...or nite..But wouldn't leave Texas for that!