I mentioned already that all three of my fig trees and most of my pomegranates seem to be dead. Today I glimpsed a hint of green at the base of all three fig trees and although most of the pomegranates are indeed dead, a few of them sprouted fresh leaves from their trunks too.
There is still substantial and irreparable damage that nearly makes me cry, but if the roots are alive and strong, these buds can grow into a meter and half long and on the fig two centimeters thick sticks, so I might have figs again next year. Provided the winter will not be totally wacky again and will not finish what this one has started.
I think this is one of the personally visible consequences of global warming. Frost bellow -20°C would not be a problem for neither of these trees – all of them have survived multiple winters like that. But this year the frost came suddenly in February, after it was abnormally warm from November through to January. So it came when the trees were already preparing to wake up. I will have to think of something to shelter them from such abnormal weather in the future.
I was relieved to see that the grapevines survived without damage and are growing like mad. And a little surprised too – I expected the figs survive without problems and vines suffer damage..
Seems to me it easier each year to see how global warming is adversely affecting everyone and everything. I was shocked to see Goldfinches here in the first week of April, sporting summer plumage. Everything gets so mixed up and confused now, it’s difficult to know what to do from year to year, because the predictability of weather and seasonal events of yore are gone, anything can happen now.
I still have to check on the walnut, but I’m glad to see there is hope! Baby leaves are adorable, they always have such a perky shade of green.
rq, walnuts sprout usualy as last, so I think ther is hope for yours too. Ours began to blossom this week, and you are much further north so I think one-two weeks later should still be OK.
I’m shocked at how suddenly and violently global warming is affecting every cycle of nature, I think I was hoping for something more gradual. This is all very scary, actually. My trees are all alive, but the plums and peaches have almost no fruit because when they began to blossom the weather suddenly became unusually cold and rainy and there were no pollinators around. No pollinators, no fruit.
Well, at least this seems like a good year for loquats (they’re just beginning to ripen) and I think the persimmons enjoyed the rainy spring (we’ll see). I really need to remember to check the fig trees, they should have fruit by now.
Seeing a second variety of “bells” (shade tolerant flowers) with small sprouts. Need to step back and see what happens. Still feel 2/4 are dead after a brutal winter.
Are there things you could do to prevent damage the next time this happens? I’m also curious about whether Europe is experiencing a northerly migration of insects that can now withstand your winters. That is definitely happening in Canada and it’s been quick. We lost most of our ash trees in under 5 years.
Voyager. insects and fungal diseases both.
Charly, I feel your pain.
Though the damage here is nothing as valuable as figs and pomegranates I’m mourning lots of lavender and a few bushes.
My bougainvillea suffered a similar fate even though I kept it inside: Started to sprout in January and then lost the leaves on the twigs in February. Now there’s only green on the stems.