Here comes Winter !!!

Discussion in 'Maples' started by ROEBUK, Jan 18, 2015.

  1. ROEBUK

    ROEBUK Generous Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    Here we go again!!! woke this morning to be greated with this quite atmospheric view in the garden.Must admit JM in the winter with freshly fallen snow which has then frozen is quite captivating to look at, hopefully this will be as bad has it gets.

    Mind you the forecast for tonight is going to be the lowest of the year so far -15c in some places in the UK , hopefully not where i live :) already moved some of the little guys to sheltered areas and for the large container trees well just hang on in there!! only two + months to go and you can all come back out again.Fingers and everything else crossed.
     

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  2. Houzi

    Houzi Active Member 10 Years

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    REally? I had no idea anyone was getting snow today...have to check the forcast.Looks very nice but always glad to see the back of it.Good luck with the plants :)
     
  3. ROEBUK

    ROEBUK Generous Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    You me and the little Coonara Pygmy in the foreground didn't know we were getting any snow either!! Saturday afternoon this started.

    Rember the old saying " It's grim up't north" we don't have it as easy has you southeners ;) Cheers Houzi
     

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    Last edited: Jan 18, 2015
  4. Schattenfreude

    Schattenfreude Active Member

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    Very pretty, Roebuk! I'm always thankful when it snows before getting so cold, as the snow acts as good insulation, at least for the trees in the ground.

    Here, we've had spring temps the past 4 days--- 15C on the plus side! I can recall temps this warm in February in the past, but never in January! Mother Nature seems a bit confused this year :-)

    Kevin in KC
     
  5. Jaybee63

    Jaybee63 Rising Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    We have had no snow down South, it's very unusual for snow down here.
    They are nice photos, the white background sets of the silhouette of the trees.
    Can't wait till spring now. I collected a lot of seed last year and have taken the advice given in this forum and have the seed in the fridge hoping for good germination come March/April.
     
  6. ROEBUK

    ROEBUK Generous Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    Strange less than 200 miles apart and we are really suffering with heavy snow at the moment,pic taken today at 13.00.Went round all the trees after shaking off all the snow don't want any breakages with weight of snow on the branches escpecially if it freezes.

    One good thing though we should be put back on an even kilter with regards to the spring bursting, and this should hopefully put a check on the insect population, which was horendous last year due to the mild winter we had.
     

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  7. emery

    emery Renowned Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    We had some heavy snow over the WE, and some more last night I'm told although not there to see it. At least the cold temps -- it's gotten down to around -5C at coldest, but there have been lots of freezes between -1 and -3 -- will kill off some aphids and other crawlies.

    Funny I cut off some very small crossing branches on an Acer opalus this past WE, and it bled like crazy... go figure.

    Roll on spring!
     
  8. Jaybee63

    Jaybee63 Rising Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    Emery, same here, I pruned some of my maples in pots and one of them was bleeding sap.
     
  9. ROEBUK

    ROEBUK Generous Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    Emery and Jaybee- same here cut an odd sticking out branch off my 30ltr 'Mizui Kiguri' not to thick though but the amount of sap it bled was quite unexpected.

    Kept wiping but still kept on weeping,ended up applying wound sealer to stop it.

    Finally stopped snowing at 18.30 10" deep in some parts of the garden :(
     
  10. Jaybee63

    Jaybee63 Rising Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    Roebuck, I'm glad I live down south. However my 11 year old son has just seen your pictures and is so jealous.
     
  11. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    You must be at a very high altitude! I'm even further 'up in the grim north' (Northumbs) but got no snow at all ;-)
     
  12. emery

    emery Renowned Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    10 inches of snow ugh. I'm on my way back in a couple of hours, to see what we got. Unfortunately we are at pretty high altitude, 435m, so we often get more than in the valleys.

    Ice storm forecast for tonight though, that's the worst for damage that we see usually. :( Roebuk have you had a chance to assess damage yet?
     
  13. ROEBUK

    ROEBUK Generous Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    emery Thankfully no damage to any of the trees, as stated i was out in the garden on three seperate occasions shaking off all the snow using a fantastic tool to shake the trees: 'Ping no 9 sand wedge' fantastic item for snow removal!!! the head of the club just wedges nicely between the branches and one good shake and its all off. Was asked though why i only removed the snow from my Acers and left everything else covered!!! (oops oh dear didn't see that one coming)

    My neighbours must think that iv'e lost the plot somewhat out in the dark removing snow but i don't care ,we all know how easily some of these branches can snap then endless years of work all gone.

    Where i live we are at 800 ft above sea level and only 3 miles away from one of the highest villages/towns in the UK "Queensbury" which is around 1200ft so yes we are very high up.Our area actually recorded some of the largest falls of snow in the Yorkshire region, strange though in neighbouring towns and other nearby cities they only had light coverings,everything just seems to have been dropped in our area?

    One good thing though it will soon melt, already seen light rain and it's quite mild out.
    Have a safe journey home and hope your trees are ok.
     
  14. johnnyjumpup

    johnnyjumpup Active Member

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    Hi,

    I live in the West Kootenay mountains in central southern British Columbia, a high snowfall area. We have two to four feet of snow, often more, every winter. I have 28 JM's in ground, some have been there 20 to 15 years. It usually goes down to minus 20 - 29C for a few days (maybe a week) every winter. More often only minus 15 - -19C with snow cover. (Skiing is great).

    Snow banks can be 4 to 8 feet high, heavy, compacted icy snow after a few months. I go out after each snowfall and make sure the snow is cleared around the branches of the cascading ones (Waterfall (2), and Beni Shidare. The thawing and freezing of the snow cover can trap the branches and pull them down splitting the trunk. This happened to my first Waterfall about 7 years ago. I zip tied the trunk together and then wrapped it in a bootlace and braced the branches together. It is still alive. I removed the zip tie after a year and adjusted the bootlace wrapping. I think the trunk is a little weak but the tree seems to be thriving. Three times as big as it was. Waterfall is very hardy.

    The year that we had 8 feet of snow in the yard. The mice girdled the trunk about 4 feet off the ground. It leafed out in the spring but everything above the girdle died later in the spring. I pruned that part off and the rest is just fine. It is an A. atropurpureum. The upright ones are all fine during the winter. The weight of freezing rain on the branches is a worry but luckily we rarely have that.

    Currently hoping a raft of tiny seedlings will overwinter successfully in my unheated garage. My larger potted ones do just fine in there.

    I too can't wait for spring.
     
  15. ROEBUK

    ROEBUK Generous Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    Beautiful part of the world, have spent many a happy vacation around northern Saskatchewan plus the Yukon and north western territories over the years great times:)

    Stunning scenery and epic snow falls!!! makes the snow in the UK look feeble.
    Your Acers certainly must be well hardened to stand the temps and snow fall, like yourself i can't wait either for spring now. Just around the corner !!
     
  16. johnnyjumpup

    johnnyjumpup Active Member

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    Hi, Roebuck,

    We think we have died and gone to climate heaven here in the West Kootenays- no wind to speak of(!), relatively mild winters, hot summers and lots of great skiing and, of course, absolutely spectacular scenery just outside the door. We are at 2100 feet (650 metres elevation).

    Spring for us is around a few corners - end of March before I'll see my first snowdrop or crocus in the bare patches - but better than the end of May. Used to live in Labrador. Still, there will be grumbling and whining about the weather, is that moaning and whingeing in British?

    Talking of spectacular scenery, really enjoyed the TV coverage of the Tour de France in Yorkshire last July. Fantastic weather and gorgeous villages and hills and valleys (moors?). Stunning.
     
  17. ROEBUK

    ROEBUK Generous Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    The picture from January the 21st is completly changed not a single drop of snow to be seen anywhere,the good thing about winter and snowfalls over here is that they go as quickly as they come, just left with a very soggy garden now.

    Saying that it's forecast for the same again on Thursday.Have just been watching the news though about the heavy blizzards that are heading for the eatern part of the US that doesn't look like good news for you guys out there.

    The Tour de France 'Yorkshire leg :)' was amazing to watch on the tv,we only live about 40 minutes drive from some of the main points where it went through and to say you live in an area you don't realise some of the beauty which is on your own doorstep.

    Will wait patiently for my snowdrops to appear, but the Aurbretia (one of my favourite ground covering plants) is looking like it's going to be well in blossom for this year.
     
  18. Jaybee63

    Jaybee63 Rising Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    Snowdrops are up here in Hampshire, a few crocuses as well. It's the thought of spring that makes winter bearable. Everything fresh and new, colours so vibrant, can't wait.
     
  19. maplesmagpie

    maplesmagpie Active Member

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    Snowdrops and crocuses! We still have two months of winter to slog through....
     
  20. Jaybee63

    Jaybee63 Rising Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    We are lucky down here on the south coast of the UK, very rare to have snow and a very different climate to Roebuk up in Yorkshire.
    However we don't'the have the same beatiful rugged countryside.
     
  21. emery

    emery Renowned Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    Yorkshire is a gorgeous area indeed, but I'm happy with our more southerly climate too! :) Snowdrops have been blooming since the first week of Jan, only a week or two from the early daffs.

    This is the one time of the year I get to gloat, my US friends will be experiencing glorious hot sunshine in the summer months where we suffer in the cold rain and mud. :)

    Roll on Spring!

    -E
     

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