question about our winters

[palm lad]

just wondering and theres probably an obvious answer to this but i want to know how if we say that winter 09-10 was really cold howcome mostly all palms survived the harsh weather when we had pretty much the same harsh weather last winter but everything died completely? so why did everything die last winter but not the winter before? and when people or weather forcasters says that last year or year before last winters were 'really cold' do we mean it was colder than normal for the whole season or just referring to a spell of really bad weather we had during anytime of the season however long it lasted for?

[GoggleboxUK]

Cumulative effect.

Imagine catching Man Flu and suffering noisily for 10 months. Just as you're on the road to recovery, and you've stopped watching Cbeebies all days and asking for soup, you get struck down with another bout of Man Flu.

You'd just die right?

[Ste]

Cumulative effect.

Imagine catching Man Flu and suffering noisily for 10 months. Just as you're on the road to recovery, and you've stopped watching Cbeebies all days and asking for soup, you get struck down with another bout of Man Flu.

You'd just die right?

Man flu would kill a man long before a bad winter would kill off palms. I mean man flu is the worst thing in the world right? Women reckon giving birth is bad but they want to try getting man flu

[Darlo Mark]

Right here in darlington we had -10 in January 2010 but we had -15 in December 2010 ( the next winter). Also even though winter 09-10 was longer winter 2010-11 had 2 weeks where it didn't rise above zero and many plants froze through especially anything in pots.

[GREVILLE]

I think one reason, PL, is that last winter hit very early at the end of November and many plants hadn't gone into full dormancy. I experienced identical lows for the last two winters and yet my 20 year old Washingtonia had minor leaf damage in 2010, but was killed outright last winter.

In 1982, exceptionally low temperatures in early December killed outright Roses that were still blooming from an exceptionally mild November

[Nigel Fear]

Right here in darlington we had -10 in January 2010 but we had -15 in December 2010 ( the next winter). Also even though winter 09-10 was longer winter 2010-11 had 2 weeks where it didn't rise above zero and many plants froze through especially anything in pots.

Thats pretty much the jist of it I reckon, early[ish] onset of harsh weather catching many plants in mid-growth too.

[kata]

Who can understand nature PL?

[kata]

Women reckon giving birth is bad but they want to try getting man flu

Don't be like most men Ste......softies when a little sick.

A man would never cope with the pain of childbirth.

..BOT.

[Tom2006]

Winter 09 had very cold temps and overall was cold BUT last winters cold spell was very cold and prolonged with many places zub zero day and night meaning plants literally froze solid! That's why the south had less loses because although they had lots of snow and cold the daytime temps weren't quite as cold.

[palm lad]

ahh right!

[billdango]

Winter 09 had very cold temps and overall was cold BUT last winters cold spell was very cold and prolonged with many places zub zero day and night meaning plants literally froze solid! That's why the south had less loses because although they had lots of snow and cold the daytime temps weren't quite as cold.

Thats quite correct Tom,again i can only speak for Southampton but last December was a killer to some plants.
We did have some cold nights to -7c which although not a record was unusually cold for this City.
At least during the daylight hours the temperature did rise above freezing for a few hours to about +3c which helped a little.Most damage to plants happened in the suburbs and very few plants were lost nearer the City Center.
basjoos were cut to the ground and a few cordylines were damaged but the worst damage was to the Citys cidps.
Dozens were defoliated completly or killed outright but a few large specimens did make it through.
All eucalyptus trees were totally undamaged and most other hardy exotics seem okay as well.
And in most cases dicksonia antartica survived well even with leaf scorch.
lets hope this winter gives us a break.
rgds Billdango.

[Nigel]

As most people pointed out there is 3 reasons.
1.Cumulative effect where plants were damaged the winter before.
2. Cold hitting very early in November so plant had to survive a long time before it saw warmth to recover and fungus had more time to take hold.
3. Main reason was prolonged cold of 6 weeks is too much, anything over 2 weeks pushes the plant beyond the limit of survival as it penetrates to all parts and deep into the ground as well.

[The Codfather]

Cumulative effect.

Imagine catching Man Flu and suffering noisily for 10 months. Just as you're on the road to recovery, and you've stopped watching Cbeebies all days and asking for soup, you get struck down with another bout of Man Flu.

You'd just die right?

man flu & stuck with Cbeebies........great, it aint just me then.........PC Plum......what a botter

[flounder]

Women reckon giving birth is bad but they want to try getting man flu

Don't be like most men Ste......softies when a little sick.

A man would never cope with the pain of childbirth.

..BOT.

hah, childbirth. Quick squeeze a grunt and out it pops. You try being kicked in the nuts, you don't know if to stick or twist!!!!
winter09 was like childbirth
winter10 a kick in the nuts

[The Codfather]