On Tuesday, August 19, 2014 12:04:06 AM UTC-7, josephkk wrote:
On Sun, 17 Aug 2014 14:05:24 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson

wrote:



On Sunday, August 17, 2014 11:31:50 AM UTC-7, David E. Ross wrote:

On 8/17/2014 11:18 AM, Higgs Boson wrote:



Curious whether other experienced home gardeners are observing same

phenomenon:



Last year or two -- most notable this year -- things are not happened

when they're 'posed to. Have not collected exact data, alas, with

20-20 hindsight. But generally plants bloom and bear later (I

think!!!) than usual per "normal" observations over decades.



First impulse is to blame it on global warming, and maybe that's

exactly where blame should fall. Just wanting to collect more data

in different zones as well as mine -- So.Calif.coastal

(Mediterranean).



I have noticed that flowering shrubs and trees are blooming EARLIER than normal. Also, many deciduous trees are failing to leaf out normally.
My peach tree had only two peaches. We had a much warmer than usual winter. In the 13 winters from 2000-2001 through 2012-2013, my area had an annual average of 366 hours of temperatures at or below 45F from 1 November through 31 March. This past winter, we had only 127 hours, less than half the average. This was less than the relatively warm winter of 2002-2003, when we had 153 hours.

You likely had even less chill than I since you live closer to the ocean

while the Santa Monica Mountains separate me from the moderating effect

of the ocean.



We also had very little (no?) chill.



And ONE little rain. (For NG members in other climes: Rainy season is technically November to March.} Hah!!! My already horrifying water bill is going through the roof! And I do not waste water! But neither do I want my ornamentals to suffer/die.



As to food plants, I have had such terrible luck this past year that I just don't see the point in planting. I'll just have to pay the prices at the Co-Op or farmer's markets for decent edibles.



Sigh!



HB



Insufficient chill will delay yield and ripening in many crops. Enough

(lack of chill) will completely inhibit setting fruit in some fruit trees..

fruit setting: I am a blueberry freak, and for decades yearned to grow them but they required far more winter chill than this area offers. Finally some varieties were developed that would work here. I tried a couple, but they didn't make it past the second year. Maybe it's just me; they keep on selling, but like other such experiments, I took the (tough) decision to let it be.

?-)

HB