A low of 13F Friday?

It happened, we had SNOW! It only lasted about 45 seconds but we really did have a few falling flakes. It is hard to see it in this photo but the white blotches are snowflakes. Honest injun.

Had a nice snow fall in L-town too and in Columbia when driving in to work. Stuck more in Lexington than Cola, but it was nice to see. We seem to be on the literal "once year" trend lately. As much as I love the tropics, I do miss those occasional 6-10" snows. Looks like there are still a few flakes coming down over here near the stadium in Cola.

I see it !
Wow! Snow on Saint Helena!!
Still nuttin' here. Radar shows a big blob that just might catch us along the edge.
Deb

I see another wave coming on the radar, a little high for me. The kids would get a kick out of some snow flakes.

Well, looks like Deb n I missed it. I was really looking forward to it.

X

X, so was I! I was hoping for at least 6 inches of that wonderful white stuff and we got about 2. Not even enough to close court!

Yeah not as much snow as any of us had hoped for. Pretty cool some folks at the beach/coast got snow though - if only flurries.

Here's hoping tonight's the last real cold night of the winter, 19F forecast here. I'm hoping we stick to the high 20's for the bad lows here on out - though at this point I suspect damage is done to what was left out anyway - will know come the next warm up. All this weird cold weather the last few mild winters drives me crazy. Overall it's nice and mild - but we've had two late spring freezes in '07 (Easter Day), - April 8 and in '08, April 15th. And now this unusually cold week '09 (even for January it was cold!).

This message was edited Jan 21, 2009 12:08 AM

Uncovered everything today finally - looks like there wasn't as much damage as I thought. Two of the larger bananas apparently were so snug with the Christmas lights and frost blanket they'd kept growing their newest leaf under neath their hood. Today's was finally back where I like it to be temp wise during winter - felt like a nice spring day.

Three days ago we had snow. In fact, as early as this morning there was still snow on the ground, but today's temps in the low 60s melted it all away. That's what I love about the South!

It's been a wild ride. Looks like we won't even hit the freeze mark here again for over a week.

Amen to that!

X

Let's hope! I've found a little more damage. My Walking Iris, which are normally evergreen are now a pasty, pale mess, but will probably recover. A large alpinia, which is normally fine w/just a sheet tossed over it, is now singed.

There were alot of buds on some Iris, which are now mush.

Otherwise, whew!

Hoping that's it. A frost here or there, or even an occasional freeze probably won't be so bad, but if we get another run of freezing nights, could be bad.

X, I don't know if you are familiar with the house that has the two giant tulip magnolias, on Central just beyond the light at the Baptist Church? They were in full bloom last week. Now just covered with brown blobs. Such a shame.
Deb

Oh shoot I forgot about our Walking Iris. I am betting they bit the dust :(

I'm thinking my crinum bit the dust too. I haven't had the heart to go look .. some of them were pushing up side shoots.

Deb, I didn't see the tree on Central but I have seen other flowering trees that are now just brown blobs.

X

Deb and X, how did the camellias fare in Summerville? Are the new buds opening OK or were they frozen too? A friend wants to go to a camellia show in Walterboro this weekend and wonders if they can still have it. She thinks the cold may have ruined all the flowers.

I haven't really noticed .. I'll let you know tomorrow .. going to my aunts house and she has camellias.

The buds on mine are fine. The ones that had fully opened before the freeze are toasty, but the buds are looking good.

Thanks, that is good to know. Looks like we are in for another bout of cold; wht's up with that?????

Ditto on what Deb said.

I'm still waiting on that above normal winter temperatures that are suppose to be happening.

X

Picked this one this evening on my way in the door when I got home from work.

I really hope the cold that's coming this weekend is not AS cold and gets the heck outtahere quick!

Yum .. I love that red.. to bad camellias are next to impossible to root.

X

...and I thought I was the only one having trouble. The growers tell me they just stick a twig in the ground and it roots. Ha!

Ardesia, I had a bunch of cuttings in my bubbler for over 8 months and nothing except the cuttings looked great .. I then tried the rooting hormone, with and without bottom heat and they promptly up and croaked .. I then tried serpentine layering and said to heck with it after a year. I finally said never mind.

If anyone here knows the secret ... please pass it on!

X

Well, X and Ardesia, I checked my `Plants a Plenty' reference for rooting camellia cuttings and here's what it says:

Stem cuttings, at end of growing period. Use bottom heat. (May take 3 months to strike roots) Division. Seed

Sounds like you've already tried this, Ardesia, so I can't offer anything new.

Angie

This message was edited Jan 28, 2009 8:36 AM

Angie that's what my book, The Plant Propagators Bible said as well. The thing is .. being evergreen .. when is end of growing period? I was trying old wood and new wood.

X

X: that's a question I have as well. Someone in another thread asked for a cutting of camellia japonica which is blooming now, so I'm assuming summer cuttings (both old and new wood) will be the time. I'm open to correction on that.

Angie

Here's a follow-up to my last posting. My `Plants a Plenty' book says to take cuttings in mid summer. "Use dormant stock and cover with soil up to the leaves of the scion."

Hope this clarifies the question of when to take cuttings for rooting. The book also says these are difficult to root. An interesting side note: it says if green bushes are your aim, seeds are satisfactory. For flowers, use layering, cuttings, grafting. Why would the seeds not produce flowering shrubs? Hmmm. A puzzle inside an enigma inside a mystery or whatever that phrase is.

I'm still confused. :) I didn't know camellias were ever dormant.
I just bought a new camellia that I found on sale at Home Depot. "Ave Maria".
Looks pretty healthy, but it's sitting in it's nursery pot in the garage until the weather gets a bit more "reliable". ;->
Deb

I think it must mean that the plants are not actively growing at that moment. Maybe?

Seeds don't come true but you will get a flowering plant. Problem is a lot of the newer camellias don't seed.

Air layering seems to be the easy way to progate camellias, I've tried and it worked.

I've tried from cutting with no luck. People who have (supposely) rooted camellias have told me to use new growth in a soiless medium. Think I'll try again this year. No reason it's a I just have to do it sort of thing. LOL>

[quote]I think it must mean that the plants are not actively growing at that moment. Maybe?[quote]

Think you're right on that. My camellias have grown durning the winter.

Core, when you air layered, how long did it take for roots to start showing?

X

I didn't bother to keep track. Months until I even looked. 3-4 months???

Hmm .. I'm thinking I might air layer one at the end of February. Might speed things up a bit being the start of the growing season.

X

Now, I'm thinking of trying it, too - you talked me into it. :)

Darn forecast keeps changing, for the worst. I do so hope this weekend is it for the 20's for a while.