The Cool Weather Continues.....

15 years ago

I think the cool weather we continue to have in Oklahoma, is either holding a lot of butterflies back, or forcing another pattern flow toward the north. I have seen few. Just one here and one there.

I do have about 10 BST eggs now, but I am just not seeing the droves I saw last year, despite the rains we had. For instance, it was in the 40s here this morning - very cold for this time of year in Oklahoma, and the winds have been cold out of the north - that would certainly "stay" their progression into Oklahoma!

What is your opinion?

Susan

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Comments (9)

MissSherry
15 years ago
I agree!
We're having the same cold fronts down here, they're just not as strong as they are up your way, Susan - it was 61F degrees, I think, when I got up this morning, very cool for this time of year, also. I'm seeing fewer butterflies than usual, plus I think it's affecting the growth of the caterpillars, who aren't faring as well as they usually do. Two American lady cats have died on me, and I noticed that their frass had some liquid around it, which occurs almost exclusively during cool weather here.
Sherry
mssunflower
15 years ago
We had a very cool 48 degrees Sunday morning and this morning. Only difference was the gentle breeze (alright, the big blow) on Sunday morning that was doing the "Harry Potter" Swish and Flick with the big trees around the pasture. I kept waiting to hear Wingardium Leviosa and see the barn levitate. This cool weather has certainly inhibited my plants from doing any substantial growth to speak of. I put gomphocarpus seedlings out the last of March and they are only just now starting to put leaves other than the cotyledons on. They look healthy and nice shade of green. I have had the same problem with other seedlings that I have put out through April.

Well, looking out my window here at work, it looks like wind is picking up again. Hope we don't all blow away here.

And they call this "Global Warming"???? (LOL)

Ms. Faith
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bernergrrl
15 years ago
It's frustrating up here too! A couple of weeks back we had beautiful weather: 60-70's. Now it's in the 50-60's. I've only seen one MC flapping across a road, and one American Lady, a very raggedy looking one. Some yellows and whites. That's it.

I'm grateful for the caterpillars I've seen recently. I hope the spring weather returns after this week.
butterflymomok
15 years ago
I have been out in the garden planting. I will be planting, planting, and planting some more for the next 2 weeks. For some reason, I bought lots of plants and started tons more. I think I now have a host plant for every BF that might possibly wander into my yard. LOL Yes, it is cooler today, but I'm seeing the BFs. I had a Cloudless in the gardens yesterday leaving eggs on every single Partridge Pea that self-seeded, that I had intended to pull out! Today a BST came and adorned the self-seeded dill. A gorgeous bright orange Am Lady is finding every cudweed in the lawn and laying eggs--not smart--I'll have to dig them up before I mow again. And, I have a Red Admiral hanging around. I thought I saw Gulf Frits--seems really early. But, if so, I may find their eggs. And there was a Cabbage White. I don't know if it found the nasturtiums. I can't complain. I'm feeling BF blessed! I have 2 weeks to enjoy this, then I leave for my last visit to Laos. The kids are coming back to the states in September!!!!! Yay!!!

Sandy
susanlynne48
Original Author
15 years ago
Oh, Sandy, I'm so happy that your kids are going to come back in September - permanently? Or just vacation?

I've seen butterflies, but not in numbers yet, like I did last year at this time. I was raising PVS, BST, QM, you name it, by this time last year.

If you have cleome, the CWs will use it, too. Well, almost anything in the Brassicaceae family. They sure did love my cleome last year.

I've got bicapsularis, partridge pea, and Wild Senna seedlings coming up everywhere.

I am about to cry, though. My mower man got all my sunflower seedlings, my two hibiscus (cocinneus and 'Fantasia'), my nice huge stand of Liatris that I was so hoping would flower for the butterflies this year, and my Vernonia(Ironweed). The perennials will come back, but they're gonna look pitiful this year.

Susan
MissSherry
15 years ago
It's supposed to go down to 55F degrees tonight - cool again!
Sherry
butterflymomok
15 years ago
Susan,

I'm so sorry that your plants got mown down. That's hard. Your liatris may go ahead and bloom if it hadn't put on buds yet. Mine doesn't have buds on it. Everything may surprise you and come up fuller. I hope so.

I'm getting the beds in. Tomorrow is supposed to be warm and then stormy. It's the stormy that I'm having problems with. The winds dry everything out so quickly. And I lost a lot of my little seedlings to hail last week. I didn't know it was going to hail during the night, and I didn't even wake up. But, the plants were literally beaten up and washed away.

Sherry, sounds like the weather is crazy everywhere. It will be nice when the temps get consistent--if they do this year.

Sandy
larry_gene
15 years ago
Yup, cool in Portland, Oregon this spring also. My quince tree was 2 weeks late in blooming.

One advantage with the cool weather is having to look at cabbage whites only once every two weeks.

Hopefully it will warm up in time for the swallowtails in June.
murray_2008
15 years ago
I'm having the same thing out here in central CA. I thought maybe I was alone. I guess not. It has been very very cool and very very windy. I hate it because it is not only bad for the butterflies but it makes nasty walking weather also. I have seen very few butterflies compared to last year too. Someone said it is supposed to warm up over the next couple of days but we'll have to see. I have heard all that before.

Susan, I am so sorry to hear about what your mowing man did. I had one for years who routinely did things like that. I was so relieved when I retired and could no longer afford him. He did everything from weed-whack pipevines to chop down butterfly bushes in mid-summer or hard-water plants so they never stood up again. Drove me crazy but he had done the yard for so many years when I wasn't gardening at all and when my folks were alive so I just didn't have the heart to let him go. Oh well, they did grow back - eventually. Murray

The Cool Weather Continues.....

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