Seasonal impact

Is it possible to predict with any certainty how the condtions of one season will impact another? It was pretty obvious last winter had a major impact on a variety of plants this spring (understatement of the year), but what might be expected down the road from conditions this spring & summer, which have been almost perfect?

Spring was late to arrive here, but once it did, this has been one of the most pleasant spring/summer season I can ever recall. Late summer/early fall has been cool, but we've yet to have a freeze. Some plant seem to shut down early (i.e. Yellowwood), while others seem to have forgotten that winter is looming (Cotinus obovatus 'Cotton Candy'). Anyone else concerned about late season growth not hardening off?

"Que sera sera"- Doris Day.
"Don't worry- be happy"- Bobby McFerrin.
"Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof"- Jesus, reportedly.
"If a tree dies, plant another in it's place"- Carolus Linnaeus

I found another quote I like while looking for the Linnaeus one (I was surprised it was Linnaeus!) this other one has little to do with gardening:

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."- Abraham Lincoln. Smart man.

Amen to that last one MLM! Wow...

I'm wondering what effect this unusually early cold wave will have on my deciduous shrubs and trees, some of which had barely begun to change color much less lose leaves.

Beyond being annoyed that I missed out on some fall color, I'm concerned that some of them won't make it, especially recently-planted ones.

I gave most of my trees and shrubs really good soakings throughout the fall, and I had everything mulched before the arctic blast arrived.

I'm planning to do more watering this weekend because it's supposed to be a lot warmer. Is there anything else that would help keep them healthy?

I'm not sure about your request but I am surprised at your remark that we had an early cold wave. Our fall seemed to have lasted forever and it wasn't until November 8th until we got our first freeze. Very odd, warm autumn IMO. Usually, I don't even water new deciduous plantings when planted post dormancy and they do fine. I don't think I'd worry about them too much.

Fall did last a long time, and that was part of the problem. Many of my new shrubs and trees hadn't gone dormant yet.

This is the first time I have ever seen green leaves freeze on trees and shrubs. It's got to be hard on them - they lose leaves before winter comes for very good reasons - and I was wondering whether there's anything I should do that I hadn't thought of.

Fortunately, my worrying made me remember something I had forgotten: to wrap young tree trunks. See, worry can be good : - )

Lol...Yeah that reminds me I have to get some wrap for one of our trees. Thanks!

A couple of our viburnums had their leaves freeze while green. Same thing with our Sweetgum, although they were starting to change when they froze. Surprisingly, our Sweetbay Mag still has its leaves and they aren't frozen. We were 17 this morning too.

I'm so glad we're going to get a break from the cold weather, even though I know it won't last.

I need to order some more tree wrap too. I ran out before I got to the back so those trees have burlap draped around them right now. I was surprised to find that none of the garden centers or Home Depot sold tree wrap.

Oh well that's a stinker because that's where I was going to look for it tomorrow. I don't ordinarily use it but our Katsura has a large and long wound on it that it's trying to close and I thought it could use some protection. I don't know though, last year it had it too and I didn't do anything and it was fine.

For me, I could care less about the warm up because I'll be at work..lol

You might find it in a store; it's worth looking. It was easier for me to order it than spend more time looking in stores.
I don't know whether it helped or not last year because I used it on all of my small trees.

Someone in my neighborhood has young trees with serious cases of sun scald. They obviously don't recognize it for what it is - they probably thought a rabbit did it - because they put bird netting around the trunks!

Well dang the fall color was not so great in my yard this year. Possibly predictable as Pseudo was saying. We had a very long and warm and dry summer, and a warm and dryish fall. That seemed good. Then last week it froze hard for several days. In one night the leaves of my Cotinus 'Golden Spirit' all fell off, never having turned color (last year that tree was a showstopper), same on my Japanese Snowbell (it is not gorgeous in fall, but is a nice yellow usually). The yellow of my Hamamelis 'Pallida" was wimpy, then the leaves all turned brown overnight, and are of course now dangling hideously from the branches.
I think crisp fall weather with frosts makes the best color here, after a warm dry summer.

I forgot to get some while I was out today. Maybe I'll just get it from Amazon.

The usual beautiful yellow display on my Hamamelis vernalis failed to materialize - same thing, some not spectacular yellow leaves, then everything turned brown.

One of my Japanese Maples still has all of its leaves, which shriveled during the freeze without having changed color.

That's what I did, Sequoia. Clark's tree wrap, 2-day free shipping with Amazon Prime.

We had a pretty good fall color on our Hamamelis Intermedia x Arnold's Promise, but we had crappy color on our 'Fire Charm' but that always has poor fall color. Come to think of it, it doesn't really have a good bloom either. I'm sure there's a reason I keep it around though.

I'll have to look for that stuff tonight.

Hmm...let's see Seq...oh I know why you keep 'Fire Charm' around: you don't need its space for another plant yet!

November has been ridicuously cold and it seems many people have already gone into their winter funk. We've basically had January weather for the past three weeks. This weekend was mild and our snow cover is pretty much gone. Not to worry, 1-3" of snow expected today with 35mph winds to provide some additional interest. Old man winter needs to find some warmth with mother nature...

Haha Muddy, maybe you're right but I really do like it for some reason.

Wow, I feel lucky. we had a really good show of fall color here, especially the trees. The shrubbery did not all make it to the color change before we got a few days in the low 20's last week but most of it did. It has been a glorious show of red and gold with everything in between as well.

Maybe it's my rose colored glasses, but I felt like I saw a lot of nice fall color for a long time. If individuals failed, I was too busy to notice.

Seem to recall last year had an early very deep cold snap, and then rest of winter just normal. A lot of comments about losing rosemary etc.

Most of my shrubs and trees showed much less fall color than normal. The difference between this year and last was really striking.

You know, I did miss the usual on the red maple out back. Most years it gets a red glow near the top, then more color overall..that did not happen.


Like Pseudo said, this spring and summer has been nearly perfect, or the best I remember yardwise.

Dry years the color doesnt show, leaves just dry up n fall off. Perhaps another tree stole their moisture, sun, or the cold - I always expect a tree to be different each year than the next

The sudden drop in temperature definitely did them in this year.

Before I got into plants, I really never paid that much attention to the weather. Now, every time there's the slightest abberation in the weather my mind immediately begins this worse case scenario speculation. I'm surprised any of my woody plants survive winter. ;)

haha Pseudo. By and large, they've done well without us for a long time.....

had great color here - wet snow on t-day eve caused some damage.