Gah! It snowed! *Minor complaining inside*

[Ryan820]

Yesterday, I was diligently sawing away on a box I'm making for my beehive (needed a new box!) when the wind picked up along with heavy clouds. Here in Colorado, you can see a front coming in 100+ miles away-- honestly, it's the best weather forecasting method available out here. So I knew something big was coming. The few trees I do have are quince, j maples, a trident and an seiju elm, all outside and of course all in leaf because these trees don't believe me when I say Colorado will try to kill your spring growth! The wind was wicked-- wind-burned leaves on my trident and my newest quince-- both trees have plenty of good leaves but it's always a disappointment to see new tender growth that was once a beauty now limp and dead-- but then again, I think this is why so many of the trees here in colorado take on that aged look so well-- the constant growing and subsequent harsh pruning.

anyway, I was so busy with my box that I failed to move my trees inside in time-- some damage done. But after the storms had passed I went to put them outside again because they need to be in nature... and even though the patter on the roof suggested it was still raining I figured they'd like it. But it wasn't rain! It was the heaviest, wettest snow I have ever witnessed! I kept the trees inside as a result because the temps were dropping and a hard freeze was possible.

In the time that it took me to go from my house to my chicken coop (we have new peeps this year and they needed checked on), I was drenched head to toe.

4 inches of snow last night.... end of april... BTW, it turned in to 4 inches of pure ice, too... last night's low.... 25F, which I believe is considered a hard freeze.

Who else lives in a place like this? With such dramatic climate swings? How does everyone deal with these things if you even do? I need a greenhouse...

 

[KennedyMarx]

I live in southern Indiana and we have to deal with those kind of weather mood shifts. Spring is the worst. Temperatures here went from high 60s and lower 70s during the last few days back down to 39 degrees at night. I have all my tropical prebonsai out on my back porch and decided to let them tough it out (it was only 39 for about an hour before sunrise).

 

[Ryan820]

I live in southern Indiana and we have to deal with those kind of weather mood shifts. Spring is the worst. Temperatures here went from high 60s and lower 70s during the last few days back down to 39 degrees at night. I have all my tropical prebonsai out on my back porch and decided to let them tough it out (it was only 39 for about an hour before sunrise).

Totally agree about the tough it out bit.... trees need and like that-- makes them stronger. But I have to admit, the multiple climatic disorder this State has is insane. I'm glad I was home to move the buggers inside in time. The wind did more damage than I think the temps would have caused.

 

[dick benbow]

I can relate. I babied a bunch of special trees all winter under my patio. The day before I decided to put them outside, Because of all the time I've been volunteering at the Pacific Rim Collection has cut into keeping them all hydrated every day. So It's been sun bursting and alternating between showers. Perfect time to get them out!
Thought, now that effort would buy me some time. Finished up and went inside to relax and then a hail storm of great intensity torn the living H*** out of everything I just put outside. I Waited till it quit and then went out and surveyed the damage.
I could see clearly now, why I might want to keep a few bonsai around the olde koi pond for laughs and giggles and get seriously into our suiseki club where your not subserviant to the needs of living things.
As that old christmas song reminds us...."let it snow, let it snow, let it snow..." Yee Haa!

 

[dkraft81]

It was windy as all get out last night and we only got a few drops of rain. I have been moving trees back and forth from the benches to the garage for a month now. I have a austrian pine that has at least 1/2" needles already. I got brave the other night and let them stay out, but if its forcasted anywhere near the 30's they come in.

 

[Ryan820]

It was windy as all get out last night and we only got a few drops of rain. I have been moving trees back and forth from the benches to the garage for a month now. I have a austrian pine that has at least 1/2" needles already. I got brave the other night and let them stay out, but if its forcasted anywhere near the 30's they come in.

Dusty where in CO are you? I'm in Parker-- just above 6800'. We got roughly .75 inches of rain and then 4 inches of heavy wet snow. Crazy! The wind is BRUTAL on my maples. I seriously need a better way to grow these guys.

 

[dkraft81]

Dusty where in CO are you? I'm in Parker-- just above 6800'. We got roughly .75 inches of rain and then 4 inches of heavy wet snow. Crazy! The wind is BRUTAL on my maples. I seriously need a better way to grow these guys.

Im up in greeley. We literally got enough rain to make things wet. I was hoping for some more to water the grass.

 

[jkd2572]

My biggest fear here every spring is hail. I can't move my collection every time a storm is forecasted. We find out the storm is producing hail in very short time before it hits us. If I'm at work and a bad one comes through, and a bad one here totals out cars, I would probably lose everything. It would destroy the trees and the pots would be destroyed. I have seen hail storms here that have not only knocked out every window on a car but also bent the support portions of a car that protect you if a roll over occurs. Scary stuff. While we are blessed with warm weather, but we can get some wicked tornado/hail producing super storms without a whole lot of warning. I remember coming home one day when I was in high school. It was 90 degrees. The ground was covered in three inches of hail and it there was fog everywhere from the ice. It had punched holes through the roof. Any cars outside were totaled out. Temperature forecasts while might be a pain are easier to deal with. With that being said it's so warm here I have already defoliated a trident maple and the leaves are already growing back.