Winter,again @#%&*!

[Fairview]

Gonna be in the 70s all next week. Gotta love that Texas weather.

[Meangreen94z]

Gonna be in the 70s all next week. Gotta love that Texas weather.

Yep, I’m going to take a risk and start putting things in the ground Sunday. Everything I plan on is extremely hardy, and I think we’re past the window of another February 2021 event. Based on current forecasts anyway.

[Fairview]

Gonna be in the 70s all next week. Gotta love that Texas weather.

Yep, I’m going to take a risk and start putting things in the ground Sunday. Everything I plan on is extremely hardy, and I think we’re past the window of another February 2021 event. Based on current forecasts anyway.

Everything I have that needs to go in the ground has been outside in containers all winter except for those 4 days during our winter blast. Just been waiting for temps to get out of the 50s so my hands don't hurt from the cold. I'm getting soft. Going fire up the auger this week and dig some planting holes for next week. I'm getting lazy. Spent 4 hours chasing leaves with the blower and then mulching them with the mower. Think I'll start the taro inside this week.

Getting my order from PD on Friday.

[Gafoto]

Gonna be in the 70s all next week. Gotta love that Texas weather.

Yep, I’m going to take a risk and start putting things in the ground Sunday. Everything I plan on is extremely hardy, and I think we’re past the window of another February 2021 event. Based on current forecasts anyway.

Bold! Spring comes early in Texas.

I’ve moved a few things outside. Seems like we’re unlikely to dip much below teens if even that at this point. We’re having a long stretch of mild weather so I can finally get a handle on the damage out there. I count at least 4 fully dead agave and a few others that will probably succumb but much much better results this winter.

[nsp88]

I count at least 4 fully dead agave and a few others that will probably succumb but much much better results this winter.

Which 4 didn't make it so far?

[Gafoto]

I count at least 4 fully dead agave and a few others that will probably succumb but much much better results this winter.

Which 4 didn't make it so far?

Lophantha x ‘Logan Calhoun’, stricta, striata ssp falcata, and simplex. The first one has immaculate leaves but a totally frozen core. The plant looks fine but you can wiggle the central spike all over

Some others that have pretty serious damage: montana, both lophanthas, the four parryi <6”, bracteosa and the Crown King chrysantha. Still too early to tell who might pull through or who’s got some fatally frozen parts I just can’t see yet.

[Meangreen94z]

I count at least 4 fully dead agave and a few others that will probably succumb but much much better results this winter.

Which 4 didn't make it so far?

Lophantha x ‘Logan Calhoun’, stricta, striata ssp falcata, and simplex. The first one has immaculate leaves but a totally frozen core. The plant looks fine but you can wiggle the central spike all over

Some others that have pretty serious damage: montana, both lophanthas, the four parryi <6”, bracteosa and the Crown King chrysantha. Still too early to tell who might pull through or who’s got some fatally frozen parts I just can’t see yet.

Yeah, my striata ssp falcata looked good after 12/22, but then collapsed once it warmed up. You should try the ‘Live Wires’ form from PDN. That one did fine this winter and last. I didn’t have it out for 2021 but similar striata at Zilker Park in Austin survived.

Where were your parryi sourced from?

[Gafoto]

Which 4 didn't make it so far?

Lophantha x ‘Logan Calhoun’, stricta, striata ssp falcata, and simplex. The first one has immaculate leaves but a totally frozen core. The plant looks fine but you can wiggle the central spike all over

Some others that have pretty serious damage: montana, both lophanthas, the four parryi <6”, bracteosa and the Crown King chrysantha. Still too early to tell who might pull through or who’s got some fatally frozen parts I just can’t see yet.

Yeah, my striata ssp falcata looked good after 12/22, but then collapsed once it warmed up. You should try the ‘Live Wires’ form from PDN. That one did fine this winter and last. I didn’t have it out for 2021 but similar striata at Zilker Park in Austin survived.

Where were your parryi sourced from?

One was a spare neomexicana pup, the other three are seed grown. The locations are Sierrita Mountains a var. huachucensis and Mt. Lemmon. All Mesa Garden.

The huachucensis and neomexicana had marginal spots that didn’t melt off as well. The other two were good. The Mt. Lemmon plant did best of all. I think they might have all survived if larger, I just had lots of seedlings and figured we might have a very mild winter.

As expected, utahensis, parryi and havardiana plants have taken the least damage so far. I have a couple of each that should survive (fingers crossed). The one parry var. couesii that survived 22/23 has zero damage. I’m most curious about some of the marginal plants that look decent so far. I think the die is cast, just have to wait for frost damage to run its course.

[mickthecactus]

Warm today. Could go as high as 18c. Very unseasonal.

[Stan]

The 10c/50f nights have returned..days touching the low 60's rain or not.

[nsp88]

My raised bed was getting filled up with Carolina geraniums so I took the hoop tunnel top off to weed it.

My crocus are popping up. First year with those, so those are fun.

I had a single Sedum/Hylotelephium spectabile in there that I transplanted late in the season and didn't die with first frosts uncovered. it is still alive after the big freeze but off-colored. It usually dies back in the cold and grows back in spring, but with a cover over it it didn't die.

I had the tiniest single leaf turks cap in there and it is somehow still alive. Looks rough though. Those usually die and come back, too.

Someone on reddit gave me some A. funkiana fatal attraction late in the season. Two look good, but one just rotted from the cold. The regular funkiana abborean gave me all did good, whether in ground or in raised bed.

Two tiny baby americanas did good in the raised bed. I thought they would be too small to make it.

A havardiana put out new growth in all this warm weather and it has long marginal teeth. Kinda funny looking.

The little vilmoriniana in the raised bed has some off colored leaf tips but feels solid. As a side note @Meangreen94z , The small one in the small pot on front porch that was more exposed looks fine but it sure wiggles a lot down in the roots. Maybe the soil just isn't packed? We had two big rain storms where it got flooded after the big freeze. The rains after freeze took out the delosperma right next to it, and I am wondering if it will take out this vilmoriniana. We will see.

Edit to add: I started California poppy seeds in the fall, not knowing if they would survived the winter. There are five that took off and just handled the winter perfectly (with a cover, of course), but they were too close together so I had to thin them down to two. I tried transplanting one because it was sad seeing them not make it, but I have always read that they don't handle that well so I doubt it'll make it.

[Gafoto]

Glad to see someone is warming up!

We’re not freezing frequently but the rain keeps coming from California so plants that has frost damage are now taking damage from fungus:

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Hoping a few plants will survive this weather and make it to spring. All the parryi are looking pretty good, havardiana decent and everything else is mixed. Had to trim a few plants right down to the bone and it still might not be enough. ‘Crazy Horse’ and asperrima have about 1.5 leaves left on them.

[nsp88]

the rain keeps coming from California so plants that has frost damage are now taking damage from fungus:

That fungus is wild looking. Have never seen that.

[Gafoto]

the rain keeps coming from California so plants that has frost damage are now taking damage from fungus:

That fungus is wild looking. Have never seen that.

It’s a side-effect of small frost damage on leaves. It happens more frequently on older, more horizontal leaves that get snow stacked up on them. A little freeze-thaw with heavy snow and then extreme cold does this to most partially hardy Agave. Once there’s a weakness in the leaves they usually start to decline with repeated freezing and moisture. Unfortunately if it happens to the core or too many leaves then it’s curtains for the plant. As most folks have noted, larger plants fare better since they have more leaves to spare.

It’s a race between fungus and warmer, drier weather right now.

[Paul S]

Same thing happens to mine here. Some species/clones/individuals get it worse than others - still not worked out the trend For example I have a few clones of Agave salmiana subsp. crassispina planted out and they vary between being completely blighted by it to having none at all.

[Stan]

IT poured thunder for about 15 minutes yesterday,then down to normal rains for awhile. Not as bad as predicted. Mild temps to mid 60's and lows about 50f. Still waiting for June.

[Merina22]

It started to warm up the past week, now WE"RE BACK IN THE WINTER COLD like why would earth do that?? I think it will mess up the blooming cycle of my plants AGAIN.....

[Fairview]

Have a cold front rolling in over weekend. Gonna drop temp to mid 70s then back to the low 80s for most of next week. Planting my agaves I've collected over the winter.

Gotta loveTexas weather.

[mickthecactus]

It has rained all day here and likely to do the same tomorrow. Very depressing.

[Stan]

Warming a bit the next few days with a high of 70f by Saturday. Pruning weather.

[Stan]

Ok,today felt like spring. Sun felt sunnier and the Bradford pears are in full bloom all over town. Same for saucer Magnolias.

[nsp88]

the rain keeps coming from California so plants that has frost damage are now taking damage from fungus:

That fungus is wild looking. Have never seen that.

I jinxed myself...

[Stan]

Warmest day of the year,a blistering 73f
Aloe vanbalenii in full bloom.

[Gafoto]

the rain keeps coming from California so plants that has frost damage are now taking damage from fungus:

That fungus is wild looking. Have never seen that.

I jinxed myself...

Get the trimmers! I just cut off really damaged leaves before they can rot into the core. Sometimes they drop on their own.

[Meangreen94z]

Spring seems to be here. 90°F(32.2°C) tomorrow. Intense sun the last few days, both me and some of my plants have already gotten sunburned in February(despite sunblock). My native Mahonia/Berberis trifoliolata has started to flower.

Mahonia trifoliolata

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Mahonia trifoliolata

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