RayC's Connecticut outdoors 2012

[RayC]

Not to much going on here of course, few more months to go. 2011 Was an all time record here for precipitation. The record 66 inches was obtained Dec 8 (average 46 inches or so). I don't know what the final total was. While we've had a few nights in the single digits, overall it has been a pretty warm winter so far, without much snow cover at all. As of now it looks like this:


As always quite different the June:
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[RichR]

At least your echinocereus is still standing up straight. My opuntias often droop over like that when we get below 15F or so, but they usually perk back up eventually.

We haven't gotten any snow but we have gotten 14" of rain since November, and this was supposed to be a La Nina winter. Glad I put roofs up over my cactus gardens.

[daiv]

Interesting. We are short on snow cover, but the fall was very dry and so I think that is going to help our outdoor things a lot. Did you have heavy rains right up through the fall over there?

[RayC]

Hhmm Don't know if its official numbers but it appears we had 9.6 in in Sept (may have included the tropical storm precip), 6.5 in Oct, 3.8 in Nov, and 5.9 in Dec. Certainly not dry weather and mostly rain on unfrozen ground.

[Peterthecactusguy]

Ray, you will find it funny but my O. humifusa is confused in AZ because it dehydrated itself in October when it flirted with 35F. It's till dehydrated and it's been flirting with 80F day and around 40F at night.

Nice garden you got, as always

[RayC]

Ray, you will find it funny but my O. humifusa is confused in AZ because it dehydrated itself in October when it flirted with 35F. It's till dehydrated and it's been flirting with 80F day and around 40F at night.

Ha, it doesn't take much of a trigger for humifusa to go dormant, mine is always the first to show visible signs in fall. It is also not the quickest to break dormancy.

[Peterthecactusguy]

Ray apparently not. haha. Mine is still shrunken. It's still been in the 40s at night so.. it must not like the cold very much (sort of like me)

[RayC]

Starting to get warmth here, I think a couple of the flat padded ones are beginning to curl up towards the sky. These pics are from Sunday but the last 3 days have been warm (70+ on Monday) and a couple more weeks and the sun angle will be gigh enough to give them a couple more hours of strong light possible.

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[Andy_CT]

Same here, pretty much everything is perking up! Even earlier than 2010.

[Peterthecactusguy]

lol mine still aren't quite ready to perk up, although they are turning green instead of purplish!

[hoteidoc]

Andy, 1st couple of pads on my 3 plants started to "sit-up & look around" yesterday -- and I'm betting several more today!
Peter

[RayC]

Have continued warmth in the forcast at least for this week, lots of sun also. Top dressed the garden with some compost yesterday and we will see what begins to awaken from winter. ( I suspect I have some losses, but we will see what happens)

[daiv]

Same here, pretty much everything is perking up! Even earlier than 2010.

Yes, and we are way ahead - probably on par with you guys this year. Just hoping we don't get an upcoming blast of cold or things will be in trouble.

Ray, I know how that goes - in a couple weeks you wouldn't even think they are the same plants in these pictures vs. how they will look.

[RayC]

Couple more pics, The Cylindropuntia's I have always seem to struggle a bit, but still surviving.
C. imbricata seems to be most sensitive

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C. kleiniae isn't quite so bad

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Also have a C.whipplei that has one section that will be falling off.

This one is really fattening up and fruit appearing ( I usually don't get pics of the fruit as some critter eats them as soon as they turn red)

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[Andy_CT]

I have largely had no luck whatsoever when it comes to Cylindropuntia's. My miniature whipplei has fared best so far