skip to main content

Gardening in Oz

Why is it so cold?

20 years ago

This year is so cold for spring. Whats the go?

Paul :)

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (16)

robyn5760
20 years ago
TURN THE AIRCONDITIONER OFF!! :-)

Robyn in Ballarat where most of the time it is cold, thank goodness...
Sparaxis
20 years ago
Paul .......it just IS .....OK?
Maybe it's because of global cooling?
Here in the central Vic highlands we have had cold, warm, cold again, wet, more wet, hot and humid, cold again, more wet. It's Mother Nature doing her best to confuse and irritate us.
Related Discussions
Winter Storms ForecasttPlanting Cool Season Crops
Q
Comments (8)
Jay, I always worry about that kind of weather-induced bolting and some years it is inevitable because onions are biennials. I am particularly worried about it this year, just because we've had such abnormally cool weather much of this winter. For anyone reading this who is new or fairly new to growing onions, the key is that onions which are less than the diameter of a No. 2 pencil (approx. 1/4") generally will not bolt even if exposed to temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit for a prolonged period of time. Once the onions have reached 1/4" in diameter, prolonged or repeated exposure to temps below 45 degrees push them into dormancy, and they 'think' that dormancy signals the end of their first year of growing. Then, when they warm up and start growing again, it is the second year and they do what biennials do in their second year.....they send up a flower stalk to set seed. I don't know any way to prevent that sort of bolting because it is a natural process. The best chance of preventing it likely would be to grow them under a low tunnel and hope the low tunnel keeps them warm enough during cold spells that they aren't pushed into dormancy. It might work even better with a frost blanket added inside the low tunnel Eliot Coleman-style during colder spells. I guess you could keep the low tunnel warmer by painting milk jugs or 2-liter or 3-liter bottles black, filling them with water and using them as solar collectors. With low tunnels, I'd be worried about excess humidity on sunny humid days though. (sigh) Jeff, I think we only have two kinds of growing seasons here....those that are too wet and those that are too dry. I am not sure which is worse. As much as I hate drought, I almost think I'd rather have drought than a rainy year. At least in a rainy year, you can irrigate, at least for as long as you can afford the water bill and as long as you are not under mandatory water rationing. In a wet, year, though, we can't vacuum up the excess moisture out of the ground. I've had the idea in my head for months that this would be "the year of the bean" because my beans didn't produce well last year, and of course, it is always the year of the tomato at our house. However, I'm starting to fear it will be "the year of mud and floods". Dawn
...See More
one cold room
Q
Comments (5)
Well, these rooms are on the second floor, so would the garage have a bearing on them? But actually, as I think about it, no they are not above the garage. The bedroom has always been colder than the rest of the rooms; I don't use that bathroom but my daughter is complaining about how cold it is. I don't remember her complaing in the past so it might be a new problem for that room. Please don't think I'm stupid but do these baseboard heaters have valves? If they are supposed to, I've never checked to see if they are on or off. There is some heat in the one radiator in the bedroom so I guess it's on. When I say no insides I mean that if you look at the room it looks like there are 2 baseboard heaters but when you look inside one of them there are no guts, no fins, empty.
...See More
Why is my bedroom so cold?
Q
Comments (6)
First off BUY and PLUG IN A CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR!! You should NEVER be smelling any fumes from the garage below at all. Yes usually rooms over garages are way colder and its cause of lack of or improper insulation and correct air sealing of the garage ceiling and the room's kneewalls. Fixing this with correct insulation/airsealing is simple but tedious for those type of rooms. But if you can smell fumes from below its all that plus something worse. Im sorry but IMHO i dont think you have a simple DIY job ahead of you on this. Dont ever let anyone warm up or let idle a car in your garage before you fix this. Call a professional house inspector/building engineer etc.
...See More
Love my New Front Door, But It's Still Cold in Entryway
Q
Comments (4)
Thanks for your input. I don't yet have a shot from outside (we just got snow, and it's March!), but here is a pic from the inside. Door is so pretty. WindowsonWashington - the entryway does not have a porch. There is a stoop and a few steps. And I do remember the installer saying something about the new door unit being slightly smaller than the old door's opening. I think he also said that the Timberframe is harder to adjust for that than a wood frame, but I am not certain.
...See More
User
20 years ago
Yes it has been a bit on the cool side, but nice for a change I like it this way with 26-27-28 degrees every day
You would not want to live anywhere else, Robyn the only time I put my A/C on is when it gets close to 40 degrees, and only at lunch time we dont need A/C here as we are used to it.. Cheers...MM.
Spearboy
Original Author
20 years ago
Yes, I do not use the air con unnessarilly but it has been very cold for this time of year. Around 24-26 degrees.. What the hell?

Paul
youngquinn_gw
20 years ago
Actually Paul I have to agree with you I am still wearing flannelette pjs!
aeor
20 years ago
I don't understand - how is 24-26 degrees cold? :)
I'm revelling in the warmth, even at 21-22 degrees.
I must say, though I am an ex-queenslander, and after 10 years, I have finally acclimatised to the cooler southern weather. I find it hard to tolerate the humid summer temps when I return home for Christmas. Or maybe its age....
Spearboy
Original Author
20 years ago
Cold for spring here.
kathy_nq
20 years ago
Stinking hot here. Every day is around 33deg. No rain but humid - around 65% most of the time. Even at 5.00am, temps are around 28deg with humidity at around 90%.
Kathy
Rose_Qld
20 years ago
Imagine how my old mum felt the other day when the batteries went on her a/c controller and she thought she was stuck on 19 degrees until the next visitor came. Worked through that trauma over the phone.
It's not cold in Mky but the a/c only runs in the bedroom; walk past some houses and the a/cs seem to run all the time.
goldhills
20 years ago
The last week or so has been very humid here but temps of only around 30 to 33C. I don't like humidity much, but I don't like it when temps get below 25C or so. I'm a born and bred Qlder except for a couple of years in Inverell, nice place but too cold.
garden_worm
20 years ago
Yep..... ! living in NQ seems to be the worst place on earth at the moment. The heat is just tooooo..... much . Must have a/c on all day and most nights. What's the heat going to be like in January ... ? I think we all had better head south with the raindeers . It is just sooo hot here today ... !!!
garden_worm from Rocky
marionc
20 years ago
Try 13 degrees like it was in Wellington today!!!! And this on top of last December beign the coldest in 45 years. Who said global warming?
Sparaxis
20 years ago
25 degrees? Hmmm - too hot for me.
User
20 years ago
If I had the choice of 30 degrees or 15 degrees, I would choose the latter every time! I think 20-22 is the ideal temp. You can work hard in the garden and enjoy it, and everything isn't frying and wilting as you watch.
Cheers,
Dee.
pos02
20 years ago
I think we've forgotten what spring weather really is like. Remember before the 4 years of drought? We had cool wet spring days amongst the odd hot day.
Sparaxis
20 years ago
Remember snow on Christmas day? Oh yeah - that was last year, but in Vic, not Qld.

Related Stories

ARCHITECTURE 15 Smart Design Choices for Cold Climates

By Laura Gaskill

Keep your home safe and comfortable in winter by choosing the right home features and systems

DECORATING GUIDES Cold-Weather Sports Gear Heats Up Interiors

By Lisa Frederick

Skis, snowshoes and other wintertime sports equipment pieces are sliding off the slopes and into the home

GREENHOUSES Greenhouses Bring Gardens in From the Cold

Get a jump start on summer plantings even if spring chills linger with a greenhouse or cold frames in your backyard

NURSERY IDEAS Room of the Day: An Ombré Nursery Inspired by a Cold-Weather ‘Babymoon’

By Erin Carlyle

A designer with a background in art paints a scene that her baby boy can grow up with

LIFE Houzz Call: How Are You Handling the Record-Breaking Cold?

By Mary Jo Bowling

Share your tales, strategies and photos for everything polar vortex

FEEL-GOOD HOME Simple Pleasures: Get Cozy on a Cold Day

By Laura Gaskill

Some things are best when the weather is bad. Heat up some cocoa and join the discussion

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Cold- and Heat-Tolerant Perennials and Shrubs for the Arid West

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

These flowering native plants shrug off the cold of winter and heat of summer while adding beauty to the drought-tolerant landscape

DECORATING GUIDES Rooms We Love: A Mountain Retreat Made for Cold Winter Nights

Ample linen and Ushak carpets put a contemporary twist on cozy Appalachian style in a North Carolina show house

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Cold-Hardy Succulents for Cool-Season Interest

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

These attractive plants shrug off colder temperatures, and many can be brought inside in containers in extra-chilly climates

MORE ROOMS Long, Cold Winter Days—Bring 'em On!

By Between Naps on the Porch

13 Inspiring Ways to Make Good Use of Nesting Season

Sponsored

J.Holderby - Renovations

4 Reviews

Franklin County's Leading General Contractors - 2X Best of Houzz!