This ain’t good

rockm

rockm

Spuds Moyogi
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If you’re on the east southeast and gulf coasts the coming warm up is not good if you’ve got overwintering trees. The temps will be warm enough long enough to get some trees started pushing new growth. Doesn’t mean they’ll push new green growth but will be able to advance to more advanced stages of breaking buds. That means you will have to keep a closer eye on them in the usual later winter warm ups and deep freeze plunges. If you e got your trees in covered enclosures open ventilation for as much air flow as possible. Keep your trees as cold as possible

 
In other words the coming warm up may not be enough to open buds but it could put some trees in the starting blocks for the NEXT Warm up.
 
I'm seeing it already. I have a cedar elm whose buds are showing color. Azaleas are starting to bloom. The next 4 days have highs in the low 70s. Luckily, early next week, temps are closer to normal. Highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s.
 
I just checked and since December 1 the temp in my back yard has averaged 40F and 46F in my greenhouse. The high is predicted to hit 67F on Friday which probably means 70. I already have little green pearls on my Chinese elms and am expecting others trees to start breaking dormancy—thank heavens from my heated green house to protect from the freezes to come.
 
Definitely a problem here in central Florida. We go down to high 30s for two days then right back up to 80. High 70s this week and back to mid 30s this coming weekend. I keep all the deciduous trees in full shade so they don’t get the full blast of the days in the high 70s and low 80s. The tropicals only get the cover on their greenhouse when the cold fronts move through. Sub tropical come inside.
 
We've been dealing with that here in the Denver area. We still have to see any significant amount of snow and the temps have been hovering just shy of 70 for weeks, with the occasional stray day in the 40s. For the first time, I am keeping my trees by my garage wall on the north side, trying to keep them in the shade all day long, protected from the wind. One piece of advice: with higher temps you may need to water them more often. Dont let them dry out
 
In my neck of the woods we are only supposed to get in the mid to upper 50"s this week. Saturday the hottest at 56° but then Sunday high is only 34°. I hope everything be ok
 
Here in East Tennessee I have some trees that just lost their green leaves a few weeks ago and are on the verge of leafing out again with the continued warm weather. Even the next freeze on Monday is just one night with highs next week in the 50s.

I'm really worried about my Japanese maples, but what can be done besides keeping them watered? I'm wondering if the future cold weather predicted in a couple of weeks will wipe out my cuttings. They may have to come in the unheated garage if a long cold spell finally arrives.
 
It’s worth saying the buds and roots are safe from freezing weather AS LONG AS THE LEAF EDGES ON THE BUDS HAVENT PULLED AWAY from the bud even if the bud shows some color Unfortunately the separation only has to be barely perceptible. Once the leaf edges become visible deciduous trees roots lose most of their ability to withstand stand freezing.

Stay frosty!
 
My Chinese Quinces been showing green buds for over a month now after dropping leaves. They were budding out when the weather was in the 50s and sunny.
 
rockm said:
It’s worth saying the buds and roots are safe from freezing weather AS LONG AS THE LEAF EDGES ON THE BUDS HAVENT PULLED AWAY from the bud even if the bud shows some color Unfortunately the separation only has to be barely perceptible. Once the leaf edges become visible deciduous trees roots lose most of their ability to withstand stand freezing.

Stay frosty!
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So, just for the record which species are more likely to pop buds early after a warm period and which will ignore the warmth and bud out in late spring once days are long enough? For example my Chinese elms will bud out if I breathe on them and my American beech are always the last to bud out.
 
Last week we had 7.5" of snow on Monday, high was about 40°. Overnight 20°, high Tuesday was 31°, overnight 22°. Wednesday high in the fifties. Snow was gone Thursday. We haven't been below 50° since Friday night. I still have green geraniums in my front yard. None of these temperatures are winter extremes, but the drastic and rapid changes are. I have a beautiful mulberry showing some swelling, even after being covered in snow for a couple days.
 
82 degrees today. Figs are opening their buds. Citrus trees are flowering (lime has already set fruit). Quince and cherries are flowering.

I put the tropicals back outside. We don’t have any lows below freezing in the forecast all the way through the 14 days that it shows.

All of my native deciduous are in mostly shade on the ground. They are behaving and aren’t showing signs of budding out. Being from the area, they must be used to our chaotic winters (although this Winter is certainly an anomaly).
 
WNC Bonsai said:
So, just for the record which species are more likely to pop buds early after a warm period and which will ignore the warmth and bud out in late spring once days are long enough? For example my Chinese elms will bud out if I breathe on them and my American beech are always the last to bud out.
Click to expand...
The short answer is none will most likely ignore the warmth. Exiting dormancy is driven by root temperatures. Unseasonable heat warms the earth and roots. All will advance into new growth stages but at different rates. The species that bud out earliest could bud out earlier if not now then at another warm up after this one but before spring arrives.
 
My quinces are trying to push growth (as I’m pulling off old leaves), and oddly a Korean Hornbeam is starting to show some purple bud swelling.
IMG_0518.jpeg
 
This winter is definitely the warmest I’ve experienced. It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out the next several months. Buds definitely swelling already on some.
 
PA_Penjing said:
I must be just north of all of this because this winter has been frigid. Below average temps nearly everyday til this week.
Click to expand...
Yeah Pennsylvania up into Maine we've been bellow normal till this week. Seams just this week P.A. going to be above leveling out next week
 
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