Weather messing with my trees?

We had a bit of a cold snap about a month ago, and it looked like the trees were dropping leaves. But since then, it's warmed up and we've even had a few fairly hot days. It appears that some of my native trees are going to leaf out again, as the buds that were going dormant are now swelling and turning green. I'm not sure what the consequences of this might be, or what I should do to fix it.

If your plants are from SW Florida, they're used to it. If they're from further north, nothing you get down there is going to bother them. They'll be fine.

JimLewis wrote:If your plants are from SW Florida, they're used to it. If they're from further north, nothing you get down there is going to bother them. They'll be fine.

Alright, thanks. This does make me wonder, though. Lets say you have a tree that is deciduous, but it never goes dormant due to the weather. Would that effect when you would collect it?

In SW Fla., you collect in December-January. Down there trees that lose their leaves in the fall up where I live may lose their leaves in January -- just before new ones come it. If the trees are growing naturally down there, or even if they've been planted in someone's yard, they've likely adapted to your environment.

Trees that need a long dormancy won't survive down there. Or not well. It is unlikely that you will find many/any of them to collect.

JimLewis wrote:In SW Fla., you collect in December-January. Down there trees that lose their leaves in the fall up where I live may lose their leaves in January -- just before new ones come it. If the trees are growing naturally down there, or even if they've been planted in someone's yard, they've likely adapted to your environment.

Trees that need a long dormancy won't survive down there. Or not well. It is unlikely that you will find many/any of them to collect.

Thanks a lot. I've heard a lot of people say to collect during the spring, but it didn't make a ton of sense for where I live. It never really drops below 70, and we don't really have a spring, just a less hot version of summer.

PeacefulAres wrote: ... we don't really have a spring, just a less hot version of summer.

Ah, you have no idea how much I dream of that.

fiona wrote:

PeacefulAres wrote: ... we don't really have a spring, just a less hot version of summer.

Ah, you have no idea how much I dream of that.

I think it's something that only certain people will enjoy. My family is all from Massachusetts and they hate it. However, being born and raised in Florida, I'm used to the heat. I can't really stand anything colder than about 50 degrees lol. I've been thinking about buying one of those plastic sheeting, pop up green houses, but then I realized, it will probably be the equivalent of the tropics in there. Might be fun for some tropicals, or speeding up the growth of the native plants, though.

Also, I thought I'd try to shoehorn one more question in here, for Jim. Do you think now would be a good time to hard prune a deciduous tree, or should I wait until January or February?

fiona wrote:

PeacefulAres wrote: ... we don't really have a spring, just a less hot version of summer.

Ah, you have no idea how much I dream of that.

fiona,

We have a tourist boom every year especially in our mediterranean coasts; most of tourists are especially from northern counties (UK, Germany, Netherland, Russia, Ireland, Austria, Sweden, Scottland, etc.).
They miss & love sun (just like you) so much that they sunbathe 15 hours a day & become tomato red (rather then suntanned) before they go home
I was a tourist guide when I was a teenage, & I had been advising them (everyday) not to sunbathe so much especially at noon, but they all say "mind your own business, boy! we have this sun just for one week & want to bask in the sun!!!"

So, I can understand your dream about it!

Taner

Do you think now would be a good time to hard prune a deciduous tree, or should I wait until January or February?

Cant really answer that. It probably depends on the species.