Taking down Euc to help others.
The following thread was started by Roger in Olympa 8b on February 18, 2009 at 1:01 pm PST
This Butia yatay palm is now getting twice as much sunshine. Kooger's cage is also getting more sunshine. I'm really cleaning up the place, and doing a lot of overgrown pruning. Nice and sunny this week.
The above followup was added by Roger in Olympia 8b on February 18, 2009 at 1:05 pm PST.
That really opens things up Roger. Nice to let some sunshine on some of your sun loving palms.
The above followup was added by Brian in Bremerton on February 18, 2009 at 2:51 pm PST.
Big changes..I have to come over and check them out...and get the CR.
The above followup was added by BryceOlyWa on February 18, 2009 at 7:10 pm PST.
That's too bad you had to take that great looking tree down. Eucalyptus are one of my favorite exotic plants, but after this winter with the wet, concrete snow I had which damaged two of my large euc trees, I don't blame you. Luckily for me, they didn't damage any buildings or utility lines but yours was right next to your house.
I did notice this winter that tender plants growing in the shade of my euc's where not damaged while the same type growing out in the open sun were fried. I am wondering as to what type of protection you have planned for your Butia during our next Arctic outbreak with the protection from this tree gone?
The above followup was added by Issaquah John on February 19, 2009 at 8:59 am PST.
Hi John, I'm not worried about the B.Captita or the mule palm that is planted in front of the Butia. They will grow bigger and stronger now. I will protect them the same way I do with the rest, nothing or with a blanket & tarp. There still lots of protection there from the trachy, and being close to the house. I'm more worried about all my puya's that were planted under the Euc. So I will have to move them under the Brahea armata. BTW... the holly tree is getting a hair cut this spring but not taken out. That will give even more sunshine, but still blocks a good portion of cold wind.
The above followup was added by Roger in Olympia on February 19, 2009 at 9:36 am PST.
Roger, wow, that's too bad. I was going to ask you, are there still a couple of big E. nicholii in your neighborhood? Somebody a couple blocks south and east of you had some, I thought. Do you know the owners? I would like some seeds off them sometime, if they are still there. My tree might have made seeds but I can't even tell because they're 50' in the air.
John, I was wondering.... how did you survive the flood? I hope everything is ok.
The above followup was added by Ian on February 20, 2009 at 10:08 am PST.
Yes, it is still there. You should check out the euc's in the church parking lot on 4th ave. (westside) by Perry st.
The above followup was added by Roger on February 20, 2009 at 2:54 pm PST.
Ian,
Here is a low quality cell phone picture from the street toward my house. The brown portable car cover to the left of the hatchery building is mine. My house is to the left of the car cover, in the dark. It stayed dry, but not my house. Actually the upstairs was dry, but the basement filled up with water. The sand bags I put on the windows and door held, but the water came up through the dirt in the crawl spaces faster than the sump pump could handle. A basement in a flood plain isn't too bright, but in the ten years I have lived here I never had a problem until now. On a positive note, it forced me to down size, which I was planning on doing but not by throwing it away. I also got a lot of free dirt in my garden, which hopefully will enrich the soil.
This winter also was hard on my garden. I stayed a zone 8b garden, 16º F was the coldest, but I lost plants that survived much colder temperatures in the pass. I think it was the duration and the lack of snow cover, along with the wind. Then when the cold was leaving, I got wet concrete type snow that snaped and destroyed a couple of my hardy eucalyptus and other plants. My yard is a mess right now. I also was starting some seeds and had some small plants in my basement, including from Roger's acacia. They're gone now.
This has been the third winter in a row with each getting worst. I hope the old saying, "coming in threes" holds true and we will have some mild years ahead.
I took some pictures during his sunny spell and will post a little later on the damages.
John
The above followup was added by Issaquah John on February 21, 2009 at 9:38 am PST.
That does not look good. Any structural damage? Regarding the garden I know what you mean by 'wet concrete type snow". I had the same experience twice this winter. First in December and whatever sailed through undamaged got hit the second time on Feb. 10.
Hope you are just dealing with a clean up rather than having to rebuild. Good luck with it.
The above followup was added by Vlad Pomajzl, Saltspring on February 21, 2009 at 10:17 pm PST.
John, bummer - that looks pretty serious and must have been a nerve-wracking experience at the time. Shouldn't happen again for another 100 years, so that's good (didn't we say that after the last 4 floods... LOL)
I wouldn't mind a few mild winters.... especially as I look around Sequim and see dead Cistus, Magnolias, etc. ...Cordylines that survived winter 2006-07 now flopping... it was COLD.
The above followup was added by Ian on February 22, 2009 at 0:08 am PST.