Spring or Winter?

What the heck is goin' on with this weather? Even nationwide, it seems that this was (or is) a crazy winter.

As far winters, ours in North Carolina was very mild, and often more Spring-like than wintry. Was it not forecast to be a cold Winter? It seems that all along the eastern half of the country, this cold season was not-so-cold. But that appears to be the case across the western states as well. Whereas the predictions for 110 inches of snow (for the season) in the California Sierra Nevada mountains, at this point in late February, they have had a total less than three feet. Has this goofy winter pattern held so across all of the west? From our limited knowledge, it looks as if the central states have had a more normal weather season.

When Punxsutawney Phil said there would be six more weeks of Winter, we were lifting trees in 60 degree sunny days. Normally the fast growing trees like the Weeping Willow and Quaking Aspen will swell their buds and often start sprouting in January, both are still tight and dormant. Yet in our lil' nursery world, this winter has been great for lifting and planting all sorts of trees, especially the larger ones we hold for our local market.

Just the other day we potted more of the evergreens, like the spruces and Southern Magnolias while it was in the low 60s, and last night we had freezing temperatures and several inches of snow. And today is sunny, still cold, but the snow is quickly melting. it would be a perfect day to go dig more trees, but with the dripping snow, its way too early for that cold shower... Perhaps after lunch, there is office work to get caught up on.

Whereas in past years, the Forsythia and the Daffodils would be in bloom in frozen January, but this year with our rather warm temps, they are still closed up and waiting. Winter is here as far as the calendar goes, but the temperature flux have really confused the plants...

We are obsessed with weather, hot, cold, wet, or dry, it pretty well sets 'our' schedules. So what about Winter, is it really Spring or not? How has it been for others this season?

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Written by Empire National Nursery, Your North Carolina Source for Fast Growing Trees.