This morning (at the coldest part of the day) was 70F, very very humid, and pouring rain. It was really comming down. You could barely see in front of you. Now its only 80F outside, but very very humid. It feels more like the 90s. The plants are absolutely loving this weather! It reminds me a lot of summer weather in florida. 80s in the forecast every day until saturday, then a cool down bringing temps 10 degrees below average for the weekend (60s) before comming back up to average (low to mid 70s).
Everything is growing fast. Now its getting cloudy and it looks like another brief rain shower will occur in the next half hour or so. I miss the warm days of summer a lot, but yesterday into this morning was very similar to a typical mid summer day (High if 88F, low of 70F and very humid).

Good luck, I hope your plants get some good growth!

It rained heavily for about 10 minutes about an hour ago. Now its sunny again and in the 70s, but still humid. I cleaned up the backyard a little and got everything organized, but some plants still have a long way before they look really good. Im going to post some May pics of the plants, but I want to wait for a few plants to look better. I think they can use all the heat they can get!

Good luck!
-Alex

Its really nice to have an early Spring or should I say prolonged summer preview. The heavy rain after that hot weather was sure nice... I heard the plants go ahhh...lol.

Last year I had a very poor grape and cherry crop because it took just too long to warm up. I think it was late June before we saws real temps in the 80s.

Last Spring and Summer were just downright depressing. Now you know the gardening challenge posed by areas that may be quite mild in the winter but lack sufficient summer heat. Many subtropicals for example can deal with some degree of frost and subarctic chill, but require long, hot summers for fruiting or proper ripening of their wood. PS., That's one reason why the winter hardiness zones--based on average minimums--are of limited usefullness.

Last summer was just terrilbe. It usually gets hot here in the summer and humid (just like monday) but june of 09 here didnt have a single day at average. I really hope that this summer is warm. My plants still did well last year but they were on stand still all of june.
And my cannas are finally pushing leaves now. Elephant ears are also pushing leaves as well as my plumerias. My ice cream banana plant pushed an entire leaf in the warm weather this week (I cant wait to see the growth rate on this in the summer), and my eastern prickly pear has about 10 buds on it all ready to flower. And the palms are also doing great. I now have 8 palm in the ground (thats 3 more than last year) and they are all growing very well now (except my sabal minor which has pushed its spear only maybe an inch since winter). So far my fastest palms in the ground have been my windmill palms which are already working on a 2nd new leaf.

Seems like a cool weekend on the way over here. Temps only in the 60s about 10F below average. Then temps get to about average on tuesday with temps at about 70F, but not very sunny. Still its only May and the year is already off to a great start.

Good luck!
-Alex

Isn't a nice warm rain a beautiful thing to fall on your plants? I love it!

They seem to thrive right after a storm, especially thunder, and just get so green and grow so fast..

I LOVE the warm rains that come, then the sun comes out. Everything just rejoices and shouts in praise..My palms love fresh rain!

Mike

Weather here all week as been cold and not very sunny either. Only in the 50s the past 2 days and right now its in the mid 50s with a light rain. It actually feels like March outside right now. At least low temps have managed not to drop below about 43F.
Finally getting back to average on Friday with a chance for some afternoon thunderstorms.

Good luck!
-Alex

The warm weather is back and warm rains predicted! Its sunny in Brooklyn NY and in the mid 70s.

I had the heat on a few times during the week as it was plain chilly some evenings in the 40s with a cold mist and light rain. It was classically gloomy New York, all we needed was some music.

It was very cold this week. Right now its sunny and about 80F over here. Its finally getting back to more may-like temps. Looks like average temperatures for the week with temps in the mid 70s. Some low 70s and high 70s are also predicted but it looks like no really warm weather is in the forecast for a while. I didnt have the heat on too much, but it was needed on some of those cold cloudy nights.

Good luck!!
-Alex

Good weather is coming back again. I heard two days in the 80s are coming up.

How are your staghorn ferns doing? The sun's angle changed so much I wonder if I need to move mine to a more filtered sun. Even though its growing, it is also drying out too much.

Yep some nice weather ahead! Looks like rain until Thursday but after that sun and temps in the low to mid 80s! The staghorn ferns got a ittle burnt but are pushing out new and healthy leaves (or maybe you would call them fronds??) One has a pup comming off the base. I have both mine under a tree now where it gets sun, but all filtered sun. I dont water it much but I mist it occasionally.

Good luck!!
-Alex

Hi Alex,

Glad to know your name.

My fern is doing well also, and I think these high winds we get these days can burn them too. If we do not have rain in 4 days I give mine a mini -warm tropical shower just so they do not dry out too much. With all the sun-heated concret here in the city our plants dry out faster. That's why native ferns had to be reintroduced into Central Park and Propect Park in Brooklyn. On damp years they do well, but we can have a 6-8 week stretch where T-stroms die-out before striking the city and the plants and even the insects are starved for moisture. If you pour out some water at nite you see thirsty bugs come running. Its sad.

PS. How's the butia palm doing? Mine in slow, but the tracky is growing fast. She needed this rain.

The same here, a lot of the thunderstorms die out before reaching the coast and most of the action is northwest of us. There are thunderstorms during the summer often, but not as sever as those away from the coast.
My butia is doing well but its also growing slowly. I have noticed some growth on it but nothing compared to my windmill palms which are pushing out their second leaf for the year and the real summer heat hasnt even arrived yet.
Today was a real soaker but friday is sunny with a high of 85F.

So far this month, we've been in the 90's and even broke 100* one day, lows have been in the 70's. Summer is basically here except for the daily thunderstorms and that's when things really take off!

That's a good point, moisture and good rainfall is needed as part of the warm weather for palms to do there best.

I know some palms like it a little dry but I do not find dry ground to be the problem, its often not enough rain. Most palms like a combination of warm and moist.

Looks like mostly 80s in the forecast for the next 10 days. Weds of next week is ALREADY predicted to be in the 90s so its going to be a warm one! I think that its well deserved after the cold spell this past week and a half. Today was very nice, sunny and temps right around 80. Its 72F right now (according to my thermometer its only 67F). Tommorrow 84F. Average high for this time of the year about 77F-80F (about 78F is considered average). Only one more full week in May and then its already June (spring went by pretty quick because now we only have about one month left before summer is offically here!). We still have to warm up a little bit more before its summer, but the humidity is really begining to get to that summer level.

Im expecting all my plants including my palms to really start picking up in growth. My hibiscus (which looked like sticks in March and saw a frost in late march) now have some flower buds on it and lots of leaves. With this warm weather they should be starting to open the first batch of flowers. My coconut palm is a little more than half way finished pushing its first outdoor leaf of the year. Im hoping that it begins to get some adult leaves soon and I definitely think its time to step up the pot size (I think its in a 5 gallon pot).

Good luck and enjoy some more summer heat!
-Alex