Minimum temperature in SE London?
Last post 30-05-2011 11:13 PM by Tim Alderman. 3 replies.
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27/05/2011 11:53 AM
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Just wondered if anyone knows how I can find the min temp for my part of SE London for last winter. I've found averages for each month, but want to see what the lowest temp was at any time. I have thought it didn't go below about minus 4C and have judged plant losses accordingly. Then I was speaking to someone about a palm that has died and they suggested that if that particular palm died, the temperature must have gone a lot lower than minus 4. For anyone interested, the palm that died was a Butia Capitata - grown from seed started about 16 years ago. It had overwintered outside in a pot for about 5 winters or more prior to this last winter. Last year I planted it in the ground for extra protection and stilll it gave up the ghost. It should take, so the literature suggests, down to minus 10, according to provenance. So, I'd like to work out what actually happened. It would have made a beautiful feather palms for the garden. Chris
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27/05/2011 01:12 PM
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Hi irreverentgardener, Last winter wasn't just seriously cold, it was also pretty dry. Cold air is drying in itself and we reckon the combination of the two was what did it for many plants. If the palm was recently transplanted, it would have been extra vulnerable, but I've seen plenty of damaged palms about the place that looked great last year. From memory, I recall the papers reporting -8 in London. This graph shows almost -10 in Heathrow last december. Best, Ed
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28/05/2011 10:06 AM
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Thanks for your thoughts and the link Ed - that was just what I was after for some guidance.Where I live in South East London, especially given the siting of the palm, will be a couple of degrees up on the Heathrow temperature, I'd estimate, giving close to -7 or -8 possibly. Still colder than I'd thought - for one night at least. The palm was planted mid summer with very little root disturbance, so I doubt it was stressed from this for the winter weather. Also, the palm is known to be very drought tolerant and the general thinking with hardy exotics, certainly where they are drought tolerant, is that dry winter cold is far preferable to wet. Thanks to your help this has got me to the place I wanted to be and given me a better idea of the situation. It was undoubtedly colder than I'd reckoned and I suspect the palm - though thought to take down to -10C may not be quite so hardy - unless older perhaps or subject to provenance? Its still speculation of course, but gives me a better insight which is great. Many thanks Chris
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30/05/2011 11:13 PM
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Hi. I lost a long standing tree fern that has squated in its pot for at least 12 years. I think we had some very cold blasts and these are the results. Tim SE London
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