Raising Eucalyptus deglupta in a cool frost-free (sub)tropical climate
9 years ago
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Favorite tree of California
Comments (78)kerrican2001(z9b CA), nonaberrie(sf bay area), sandylighthouse(7), fruithack, teajm_yahoo_com Can you tell me more about fig trees? Ive never noticed them up here in the SF Bay as much as I did in Venice/Santa Monica in LA. Which varieties do well here? Do they grow tall? Can they be pruned so that they grow tall and stay narrow? I have a small front yard that is mandated to have a tree and I just cut down our existing one and am considering putting in a fig tree on both sides of the driveway. ( I started a separate thread in this subforum for it as well)...See MoreBackyard Frost Protection by CRFG
Comments (11)Jose, Thanks for posting that information. I had seen it before when you posted it sometime back. It a good reminder and very applicable at certain times of the year. Some of these practices are indeed used by me the many Citrus growers in my area. They do work quite well. It is a well kept secret that Louisiana does indeed have a small (compared to Florida and California) Citrus Industry. The taste of Louisiana citrus rivals the fruit that is grown in Florida and California because it has a better sugar to acid ratio. Our farmers did a great job of protecting MANY citrus trees from the unusually cold winter that we had in our area this past season. I lost some but saved most of my citrus from the cold temperatures that we experienced. Fruitnut...... Wind chill is a function of both AIR temperature and its relative humidity level. And yes indeed, WIND CHILL CAN AFFECT PLANTS. Here is some technical information that I posted in another thread to help explain this multi variable phenomenon. [This is FYI only and for those other forum members who might want to know some "WHY's" behind potential leaf damage due to cold............it is not just about AIR TEMPERATURE. It is also about wind, leaf temperature, and air humidity level. On a windy night with clear or cloudy skies LEAF temperature will be nearly the same as AIR temperature. However, on a cold, clear night with little to no air movement.....leaf temperature can easily drop 3 to 4 degrees lower than the ambient air temperature. (It can drop as much as 8 degrees in my area.) This is because of the RADIATION heat loss of the fig leaves. The rate of heat loss of those leaves is a function of the air's humidity level. At higher humidity levels often frost will form on those leaves. So, while the ambient AIR temperature might only be 35 degrees F......the actual LEAF temperature might well be 31 to 32 degrees F. That temperature could affect tender new growth. In my area it is not uncommon for us to see frost form whenever the ambient air temperature is at 40 degrees F or below. This means that the actual leaf temperature reached 32 degrees F or below which froze the dew that condensed on the leaves as the dew point of the humid air was reached during the night. Late Spring frosts can kill fig trees in South Louisiana......especially if the outside air temperature has been cycling through several periods of warmth and cold. Yes, in my area, damaging frosts can form on fig leaves with ambient temperature as high as 40 degrees!! Ask me how I know and what I fear most at this time of year. Potential plant damage is really about leaf temperature and that is a bit harder to measure.] Dan...See MoreIdeal land size?
Comments (17)"Simplify, simplify, simplify!" as Thoreau wrote. Ask yourself "What do I really need?" Milk? Well why have a cow when a goat will do? You use less land that way, goats are browsers rather than grazers so they can be "pastured" on rougher land, take much less space for sheltering, easier to care for due to size and on and on. Making ones own clothing sounds like a good idea but if you are like me and anywhere near a city go thrifting! The V.O.A. here on Thursday has all clothing at $1 a piece. How much clothing do you really need? Heck $20 on a Thursday will keep you clothed for a season at least. So you save money not raising cotten, sheep or what have you. Think solar. We have a well on the land. Oh I wish I had gone with a solar pump but for now the expense of a conversion makes no sense. When this pump goes out (15 years old with no repairs so I can't complain) you bet I'll go solar. Remember too that the sun's energy can work against you. Here its the hot humid summers that are killer so we have a white painted metal roof on the house to reflect the heat. I'm building my own house. That is I'm using my own hands to drive nails. No nail guns but a hammer and nails. The only power tools I've used to build the house with are a skill saw, reciprocating saw, drill and a table saw. Power tools of the other sorts are most to save time. Use that grey water! And recycle your human waste by composting it on a pile or with a composting toilet. Waste not ... Look into alternatives for food storage (canning, drying, a root cellar) other than freezing or a fridge. Here in the south grains means corn. Forget the wheat here. Don't fight you enviroment rather make your life easy and go with what has historically been good producers in your area. We are lucky here in that we can grow produce of some sort all year round. Go with the seasons. For instance I don't plan on having a lettuce based salad in the summer here. Lettuce is a winter crop. If you can't grow it you don't need it! Coffee and tea are not essential. I grow various mints and other herbs that I make teas with. You would be amazed at the variety of herbs and other plants you can use this way. Our winters here are mild so I'm heating the house with a wood stove. I have an area of oaks that I'm developing into a coppice lot. Using large mature trees only for fuel is a waste! Think of all the effort needed to bring a large tree down (let alone the time for that tree to reach such a size), cut it into pieces you can handle, split and then you have to find yet another mature tree for more of the same. A coppice lot uses the same tree to produce wood over and over and you harvest the wood at the size you will use, no chainsaw needed and no splitting. This can be done by hand and will cost you nothing but your effort. Also think of how big of a family you have. Don't grow more than you need. That is also a waste of space, and your energy. Simplify, simplify, simplify! Think small and live large! :) Mike...See MoreThe perception of 'Tropical'
Comments (32)Sorry, can't add "and a dick" in there, don't have one (BIG BIG HA HA) (whew am I grateful for that!) However I can see it does apply to you. Very self descriptive there, it must be a gift you have. Hey, where've you been? Our landscape up here in the Arctic isn't brown at all! Far from it! Everythings still rocking and rolling up here. Nice and green, stuff blooming all over the place. We haven't been smitten so am still looking at a nice green, not brown, landscape, yessiree. And you misread me, I am not "smug". Truth is, I really don't care about the difference between the temperatures in No and So FL, or if we freeze and you don't, or if I get to grow in a greenhouse and not in the yard. I really don't care if you can grow a Sealing Wax palm outside. I have 2 in the greenhouse and they are very happy. And I am not overly fond of Medillina. I would like to have an Amherstia nobilis, but just don't have space...sigh...so many plants, so little time. The most fun part about this thread for me has been seeing the hair trigger defensive attitude you all have down there. The entertainment value here is, well, seemingly unlimited. You're like the little lap dog, blow on its ear and it snaps. Then you get to laff and jump back and do it again. And see, those "ha ha's" are contagious, aren't they? Just can't stop yourself can ya? (Who's really trying to act smug, here, you gotta ask that about now. Imitation is, well, you know...) Yeah, eggo, I lived in So Cal for an extended period of time. I actually liked it. Weather is generally great there on the West Coast. Lottsa great tattoo shops too. Ohhh and the RESTAURANTS! Ethnic food heaven! Everything you need for fun and games. I happily welcome you to the rogues gallery. We have all the real fun in here, without all the angst. Besides, you SO FL guys are moving up here to my neck of the woods in DROVES! All the homes going up around this area....anything from $300,000-900,000.....the largest percentage are being snatched up by people from South FL who "just can't take it any more" down yonder....too much crime, too much traffic, too crowded....willing to mortgage themselves into oblivion to GET AWAY from SO FL...THANKS! You all are fueling our local economy something fierce and ensuring we have lots of moola to spend on our landscaping! Keep it coming, I have 5 acres to do up!...See MoreRelated Professionals
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