Spring has Sprung in southern hemi.

[Miccles]

Been warm down in Melbourne the last few days too...went from humid, stormy mid 20's.. to 32C-35C.... and it's not summer yet.

10.30pm and still 28C... phew....

These boys have got it worked out.....

[Tyrone]

100% humidity this morning. Going for a humid 29C today. Great growing weather.

Miccles what did it finally get too yesetrday in your part of Melbourne. How are your palms going?

Best regards

Tyrone

[Miccles]

100% humidity this morning. Going for a humid 29C today. Great growing weather.

Miccles what did it finally get too yesetrday in your part of Melbourne. How are your palms going?

Best regards

Tyrone

Hi Tyrone,

It got to 37C (98F) in Melbourne yesterday.....the last 4 days have been 32,34,35 and 37...going for 31 today. Melbourne has not had a run of hot weather like that in Spring since 1902 ! All the grasslands have dried out and there have been small bushfires in the state already. It is shaping as a terrible fire season, and it appears with the government that no lessons were learnt after the terrible fire season we had just 9 months ago.

The humidity we had last week has disappeared, it's now a "flat, dry heat". As such, many of the palms I brought down from Brisbane (which were grown either under shadecloth or with the benefit of humidity), have had a hard time adjusting..many browned/burnt leaves. Consequently, I have had to put some shadecloth up over sections of my newly planted garden...something I didn't anticipate doing for another month or so.

Good news: The Sabals, Phoenix, Queens and Foxtail's are loving it. New leaf on Foxtail about to open.

Bad news: I am sure that the big Pritchardia Hillebrandii I posted on in the main forum has died The new spears that WERE green have opened prematurely and are a faded yellow/white colour. I just dont get it...all the existing leaves are perfect. I am still hitting it with Seasol and Miracle-gro........ one very disappointed bloke here. I didn't dig up this palm and transplant it...I just planted a palm that had been growing in a large pot..... and it died on me !!!

Thanks

Michael.

Edited November 10, 2009 by Miccles

[Tyrone]

Sorry to hear that your Pritchardia has died. It may not be over yet. Cut the dead parts away and hit with a copper fungicide or mancozeb.

Boy was it humid today. I was only a km from the ocean and it was so humid I couldn't even see the blue of the sea. It got to 31C with dewpoints around 16C in Perth but out near the ocean much higher. Sticky sticky sticky. This morning the clouds were at 50ft level. You couldn't even see the Darling Ranges from 500m away.

Best regards

Tyrone

[ariscott]

So.. got almost 100mm in 2 days and nothing yesterday... so hopefully we get something again tonight!! I love this time of the year... everything is so green!!

Regards, Ari

[Tyrone]

I'm glad you're getting rain and humidity Ari. So are we down here. Not really meant too on the west coast at this time of year. After a hot humid day yesterday the clouds built up the typical cumulonimbus style and sat inland a bit. We had a warm 21C overnight with very high humidity, and around 5am the rain started and though not heavy it has been consistently raining since then with a few breaks. ( the official weather station reports 0mm Something going on there I reckon ) Everything in the garden is wet and palms are opening spears everywhere. It's happy days in the tropical garden at the moment. The radar is showing a lot more rain coming.

Here's the forecast for the next few days. Warmth, moisture and humidity. No complaints here.

Forecast for Thursday

A few showers, with the chance of a thunderstorm. Light SE/NE winds, becoming

NW'ly in the afternoon.

Precis: Few showers, possible storm.

City: Max 30

Mandurah: Max 26

UV Alert: 8:10 am to 3:50 pm, UV Index predicted to reach 11 [Extreme]

Fire Danger: Coastal Plain: LOW-MODERATE

Hills: LOW-MODERATE

Friday A few showers, easing. Min 18 Max 25

Saturday Morning shower. Min 15 Max 23

Sunday Mostly sunny. Min 13 Max 27

Monday Humid, cloudy. Min 17 Max 25

Tuesday Shower or two developing. Min 14 Max 23

Wednesday A few showers. Min 14 Max 23

Best regards

Tyrone

[Miccles]

Hot and dry down here in Melbourne at the moment....

Good for some palms I am growing, the dry heat is not so good for others. Great Brahea and Butia growing weather ! Let's hope these predicted storms/showers eventuate and bring back some much needed humidity to the south, if only for a little while !

Forecast for Friday

Morning cloud then sunny.Min16Max31

Forecast for Saturday

Sunny.Min17Max34

Forecast for Sunday

The chance of thunderstorms in the late afternoon and evening.

Becoming cloudy.Min16Max32

Forecast for Monday

Partly cloudy. Isolated showers.

Shower or two.Min19Max27

Forecast for Tuesday

Partly cloudy. Isolated showers.

Shower or two.Min15Max26

Forecast for Wednesday

Mostly sunny.Min13Max32

Forecast for Thursday

Partly cloudy.Min21Max36

Regards

Michael

Edited November 12, 2009 by Miccles

[peachy]

No rain today, quite cold last night and cool again tonight. After all the rain the palms are going off like rockets. My little Livistona rotundifolia normally has to have the bottom leaves lifted up so I can water. In only a week it has shot up by 8 or 9 cms and I can hose under it without lifting anything. Amazing !! New spears on everything and older spears opening by the handful. Even the tiny Licuala seedlings (mapu, dasyantha) have suddenly send up little spears, 3 cms or so and their straps have grown a tiny bit longer. The Clinostigma samoense is on its second spear already this spring. It just seems like things that have just sat there for years or grew very slowly have had a sudden boot up the A and are finally doing their stuff. More rain forecast for tomorrow arvo. Michael, if I ever get to go back to house in Elwood, (not a palm in sight) your place will look like paradise !! Keep up the hopes, Pritchardias can come back.

Peachy

[Tyrone]

Well today we had some healthy rain for Nov. It was warm and sticky with humidity sky high and temps around 30C and dewpoints around 18C. It's now about 23C after 10pm with 80% humidity. Expecting some thunderstorms tonight and more rain tomorrow and a mild 25C. Just beautiful.

Here are some rain pics I took during the middle of a beautiful rain period this morning. You can't see the drops but you can see the wet palms.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Tyrone]

some more

Best regards

Tyrone

[ariscott]

We got 35mm again yesterday... The wet is here.. yay... no more dry wind!!!

Regards, Ari

[peachy]

Muggy and overcast today with a wet weekend being predicted. I only only have to water the carport, deck and porch plants......bliss !! Might attack some of the weed patches later while I am energetic, but digging the hole for my huge Pinanga speciosa can wait till more rain has softened up the ground a bit. I got 3 more in the ground yesterday. Thats 8 in a week, must be some kind of record. (for me that is)

Peachy

[ariscott]

You are good, Peachy... I like doing planting as long as someone else is doing the digging..

Regards, Ari

[Tyrone]

A bit of cooler weather coming through for this week after our summery few weeks. Low to mid twenties with nights in the mid teens with rain every couple of days. Nice and mild. So far I've had no burning on my young H indica's which in the past in hot spells in Oct have burnt. Must be all the cloud and humidity we've had.

I think it might be a bit on the dry side when the heat comes back.

Best regards

Tyrone

[ariscott]

It has been a very productive weekend. I have my giant licualas in the ground under temporary shade.... but no rain!!! We just missed out on the rain big time yesterday... but at least it is still humid.

Regards, Ari

[peachy]

Well I dont know what the temp reached today but it was up there near forty around here. This kind of heat just puts me on the deck and nothing gets done. I would have ended up sleeping all day when I get this sick but a huge box of palms arrived in the mail, so I had to pot them up do all that goes with it while remaining conscious. As soon as it cools a bit and I start feeling better I will be out there admiring the new babies. (courtesy of the lovely and very kind Jonathan). Ari what kind of Licualas are they ?

Peachy

[ariscott]

Nothing too exotic, Peachy. I just have them forever and they are in 300, 400 & 500's, so they need to go in. I think we planted 2 lauterbachii, 2 peltata, 1 ramsayi (apparently this one is the Cape York one??) and 1 grandis. The more unusual ones are still too small to go in...

Be careful with the heat... Take it easy...

Regards, Ari

Edited November 16, 2009 by ariscott

[Tyrone]

Woke up to heavy rain this morning, and the back patio flooded out. A cutoff low has approached the SW of Oz. Cooler all this week then back up again for early next week as we run up to Summer.

The cooler weather is quite nice. Nothing is slowing down. It's good for all my Rhopies, Hedyscepes and New Caledonian stuff. One of my D sp fineleaf's is pushing out a flower spathe at 2 inches a night.

Best regards

Tyrone

[philinsydney]

The heat is building through inland NSW- most centres west of the Great Divide will be in the mid-forties on Thursday and Friday. Hopefully some showers will come through on the weekend.

[peachy]

Yesterday was a complete write off. 41.1 under the big macaranga tree. Late afternoon storm that lasted 3 hours, damaging winds, nasty lighting and not a drop of rain out of it. This sort of thing I dont need. Hot and windy today too but the plants will have to take their chances. After yesterdays heat I am not capable of doing anything. Quit e a few big old fronds scattered around, but what ever they are squashing can stay squashed. I just cant manage those really big royal and queen fronds. Some rain would be good about now.

Peachy

[Miccles]

Tomorrow doesn't look so special right across Victoria:

"Severe Fire Danger is forecast for the following forecast districts:

North Central, Northern Country, Wimmera, Mallee, Central, Northeast

Maximum temperatures around 43 degrees C (109F), relative humidity down to 6% and winds

averaging 30 km/h are expected. CFA and DSE advise that some fires will be

uncontrollable and fast moving....."

That's palm-killing weather.......And technically it's still Spring.... Hopefully thunderstorms and decent downpours to follow over the weekend.

(I think S.Aust may be even worse tomorrow...)

[Tyrone]

That's horrible weather Michael.

Well overnight and yesterday we got more than the average Nov rainfall. Still raining here with heavy showers every now and again. It looks like we'll double Nov's average this year, which isn't hard actually cos it's only 20mm on average. Still, with this soaking, when the heat comes back by the weekend everything will be happy as pigs in mud.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Caryota_gigas]

I think November will be one of the coldest and probably wettest for many a year.

We are not getting over 20°C yet. Though the last few nights have warmed a bit with temps around 15°C.

A prediction of 22°C on Saturday... heatwave...

[philinsydney]

Some inland centres had November records today, such as Tibooburra 46c and White Cliffs with a minimum of 33c.

[peachy]

Stinking hot here again today. I was up with the sparrows, watered everything fragile then hibernated in the house with the a/c set to arctic. If this heats stays around I think this may become the pattern of my days.

Peachy

[ariscott]

I hope you will get some rain this summer, peachy... it is not fun when you have the heat without any relief.

Regards, Ari

[Daryl]

Nice palm growing weather here...dewpoint has not dropped below 19C in a few days and last night it stayed above 23C all night...leaves popping everywhere...summer has arrived!

Daryl

[Tyrone]

Nice palm growing weather here...dewpoint has not dropped below 19C in a few days and last night it stayed above 23C all night...leaves popping everywhere...summer has arrived!

Daryl

Sounds like awesome weather. Enjoy it.

[amazondk]

Here in my part of the southern hemisphere the rainy season is slowly kicking in. But, it is still hot, well it is always hot, but I guess mildly real hot, 37 to 38 in the daytime. But, the rains are starting to hit which cools things down. In spite of El Niño the rainy season still comes.

dk

[ariscott]

I don't think El nino has any effect on you, Don.. being so close to the equator...

Regards, Ari

[Tyrone]

I don't think El nino has any effect on you, Don.. being so close to the equator...

Regards, Ari

Don is like the palm sitting closest to the sprinkler.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Tyrone]

Michael, are your tanks full yet? I saw that Melbourne got dumped on really nice and heavy. Your garden will be going off. Good temps later in the week too, and maybe humidity to boot. Your foxtail and H indica along with everything else will be going berserk.

Best regards

Tyrone

[peachy]

Really weird weather still. Usually a very hot day brings a late storm and good rain. So far we have had a whole week of extreme heat, only one storm and not a drop of rain. With a few good soakings now my garden would really take off, but instead its all getting a bit heat stressed. I might have to bend the restrictions today and put a sprinkler on as it is far too hot to be outside watering by hand.

Peachy

[Tyrone]

I think El Nino is really kicking in now Peachy. What you are describing is a typical Perth summer. You get boiling hot weather after a morning of strong dry easterlies, convection forms and goes inland, and you're left with no rainfall to be repeated the next day and again the next day, and again the next day for weeks until one day, some convection forms off the coast and you get a good dumping as it heads inland over you.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Miccles]

Michael, are your tanks full yet? I saw that Melbourne got dumped on really nice and heavy. Your garden will be going off. Good temps later in the week too, and maybe humidity to boot. Your foxtail and H indica along with everything else will be going berserk.

Best regards

Tyrone

G'day Tyrone,

Yes, Victoria got some great rain over the weekend. Some places got over 100mm, and many parts of Melbourne got 60-85mm.

That may be a yawn for our friends in the tropics, but for us, that's a big deal, especially when you consider the average rainfall for the month of November here is around 58mm.

My side tanks were overflowing this morning, however, their capacity is not large (only 6,000L or so), so it's easy to fill them up. The larger tanks at the back filled up a lot, and are about 60% full now. With more rain forcast for Thurs/Fri, lets hope peoples tanks fill further before summer hits....

The palms love it... walking out through the backyard this morning, after a night of steady rain (and continued until after lunch today), the plants have such a healthy look to them. A good drenching from the heavens can't be understated. With some warmish weather (25C-30C) for Mon-Thurs and then follow-up rain, the plants should be loving it.

Regards

Michael

[philinsydney]

40c here yesterday but cooler today with hopefully a few showers

[Tyrone]

40C is way too hot.

The heat is back today, a nice mild 31C.

Coconut weather.

[Tyrone]

The BOM has just put out it's long range forecast for the Aussie summer. It seems that the warmer than average Indian ocean will negate the warmer than average Pacific Ocean and soften if not eliminate the typical El Nino effect that comes from a warmer Pacific. That basically means that rainfall for summer should be close to average for the entire continent except for an inland section of north QLD which will be slightly below average. As far as temps are concerned, max's and min's will be above average for nearly all of West Australia, with the chance being around 75% in the SW and also above average from the NSW/QLD border up into the NT. SE Oz will be close to normal or slightly below average temp.

Best regards

Tyrone

[peachy]

Overcast, cool by recent standards and very muggy. Could be signs of rain, I hope so. After recent shopping benders and a couple of boxes en route from a late night internet aberration, rain softened ground is going to be essential very soon. Pots, pots and more bloody pots and with more arriving, somethings have to start going in the ground. Most inground palms have spears about to open/just opened and more to come so the good soaking rain is really needed. If everything looks this good just from being hand watered its going to be a knockout with good rain. Even the house plants seem to be growing extraordinaryly well this year. One of the big Philodendron cannifolium is flowering.....a real surprise as I never knew they could. Lovely flowers too, white with deep carmine red inside sort of like an anthurium flower but with an enormous middle thing that sticks up. (I cant remember what they are called) Tyrone, I hope that forecast is accurate for once. After 20 years of basically being in drought in one for or another, this state could do with a return to normality.

Peachy

[Caryota_gigas]

Had our warmest day so far this Spring/Summer... wait for it... it was a whopping 23.8°C