On 12/29/2015 12:43 PM, Frank wrote:
On 12/29/2015 12:03 PM, David E. Ross wrote:
On 12/29/2015 8:00 AM, songbird wrote:
David E. Ross wrote:
...
December is not completely over yet, but we have had more winter chill
November-December (113 hours) than we had entire last winter
November-March (102 hours). By Friday (New Year Day), we might even
exceed the winter two years ago (127 hours).

Yes, I know that winter does not start in November and is over before
the end of March. But my garden responds to chill that occurs from the
start of November until the end of March.

how much of the rains of the past few weeks
have been getting to you?

here it has been warmer than normal up until the past
few days when it has started to be winter again.


songbird


With a rain-year that runs 1 October through 30 September, we have had
1.02 inches so far. Last rain-year, we already had 5.03 inches by this
date.


Looking at records, I see here in Delaware we average 43 inches per
year. Averages about the same over the seasons with slightly more in
the summer. I don't think I watered the lawn once this past season.
With a well I have unlimited water but hear of people similar to me
paying maybe $60/month for municipal water which I think is excessive.
Every now and then we have a dry period and those on city water are
asked to conserve and not to water lawns.


Where I live, the soils and subsoils are so highly mineralized that well
water is not suitable even for cattle let alone humans. My monthly
water bill from an independent government water and sewage agency (not a
for-profit water company) averages $99.66.

In this community, housing tracts are too dense for septic systems.
Sewage fees are added to our property tax bill: $534.24 per year.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary