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Dullness and spring growth

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Nick

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Apr 11, 2013, 7:18:33 AM4/11/13
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Obviously cold has had an effect, but I'm just wondering how much
effect the persistent, near-continuous dull weather that has prevailed
in the south of England more or less all winter and into the spring,
has had on spring flowering? I ask as we seem to have lost the cold
but sadly not the dull and gloom, and the good weather of the weekend
seems to have been cancelled: seems to now be Monday before we see the
sun next.

Will the continuing gloomy weather continue to stall spring growth and
we'll have to wait for a spell of reasonably bright weather before
much happens? Maybe next week, after Monday will be better?

Nick

Richard Dixon

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Apr 11, 2013, 7:26:59 AM4/11/13
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On Thursday, 11 April 2013 12:18:33 UTC+1, Nick wrote:

> Will the continuing gloomy weather continue to stall spring growth and
> we'll have to wait for a spell of reasonably bright weather before
> much happens? Maybe next week, after Monday will be better?

I'm intrigued also in how this will play out for tree pollen hayfever sufferers. Will the lack of growth so far mean there'll be a bumper, very short, hayfever-ridden few days rather than a drawn-out month for those (like me) that suffer?

Richard

Martin Brown

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Apr 11, 2013, 8:39:05 AM4/11/13
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On 11/04/2013 12:18, Nick wrote:
>
> Obviously cold has had an effect, but I'm just wondering how much
> effect the persistent, near-continuous dull weather that has prevailed
> in the south of England more or less all winter and into the spring,
> has had on spring flowering? I ask as we seem to have lost the cold
> but sadly not the dull and gloom, and the good weather of the weekend
> seems to have been cancelled: seems to now be Monday before we see the
> sun next.

It makes the spring flowers last a lot longer and seems up here at least
to have perfectly synchronised vast swathes of naturalised crocus. We
still have a fair number of snowdrops in full flower too.
>
> Will the continuing gloomy weather continue to stall spring growth and
> we'll have to wait for a spell of reasonably bright weather before
> much happens? Maybe next week, after Monday will be better?
>
> Nick
>
I'd say the main effect was to prolong flowering since if the bees can't
fly the flowers don't get pollinated and stay open for longer. The lack
of strong sunshine prevents them drying out too.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

Kate Brown

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Apr 11, 2013, 11:25:56 AM4/11/13
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On Thu, 11 Apr 2013, Nick wrote
Here in Blackheath the roses began to sprout new leaves at about their
usual time, mid-March, and the very earliest rose (City of London;
admittedly in the warmest, least windy corner) already has a little
flower bud on it. Everything else is at least a month behind - the
magnolia is only just now shedding its little overcoats and showing
pink, the acers just thinking about opening their leaf buds, the
flowering cherry tight shut still. The snowdrops have finally gone, the
primulas and windflowers still rampant, camellias still going strong and
grape hyacinth popping up. Things are definitely stirring, and the birds
(who went very quiet during the cold spell last week) are now shouting
away very excitedly.



--
Kate B

PS nospam means nospam. But umra at cockaigne dot org dot uk will get through!

John Hall

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Apr 11, 2013, 1:44:29 PM4/11/13
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In article <df471a60-07dd-4f9a...@googlegroups.com>,
Richard Dixon <richsdi...@gmail.com> writes:
>I'm intrigued also in how this will play out for tree pollen hayfever
>sufferers. Will the lack of growth so far mean there'll be a bumper,
>very short, hayfever-ridden few days rather than a drawn-out
>month for those (like me) that suffer?

I've noticed myself having mild hay fever over the last week or so,
which surprised me as I'd thought it was too early given how far behind
everything is. It could have been a cold, but I don't think so. So I've
started taking my anti-hayfever medication.

I never used to suffer from hayfever, but something must have sensitised
me to pollen some 5-10 years ago, and it got gradually worse each year
until two years ago I had to give in and start taking tablets.
--
John Hall
"Madam, you have between your legs an instrument capable
of giving pleasure to thousands and all you can do is scratch it."
Sir Thomas Beecham (1879-1961) to a lady cellist

Alan White

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Apr 11, 2013, 2:03:15 PM4/11/13
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On Thu, 11 Apr 2013 18:44:29 +0100, John Hall <nospam...@jhall.co.uk>
wrote:

>I never used to suffer from hayfever, but something must have sensitised
>me to pollen some 5-10 years ago, and it got gradually worse each year
>until two years ago I had to give in and start taking tablets.

When I was a lot younger, I suffered very badly from hay fever. About
forty years ago I started taking a teaspoonful of honey first thing
every morning throughout the year. More or less fixed it. May not work
for you but it worked for me.

--
Alan White
Mozilla Firefox and Forte Agent.
By Loch Long, twenty-eight miles NW of Glasgow, Scotland.
Webcam and weather:- http://windycroft.co.uk/weather

Teignmouth

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Apr 11, 2013, 2:37:19 PM4/11/13
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Alan, I've been advised of that as well, best if you can find a local honey.

I have a problem with Birch tree pollen, which starts early in the season normally from late March here in Devon, but no problem so far this year yet.

John Hall

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Apr 11, 2013, 2:34:54 PM4/11/13
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In article <siudm85idtnjf1k1e...@4ax.com>,
Alan White <alan....@windycroft.co.uk> writes:
>On Thu, 11 Apr 2013 18:44:29 +0100, John Hall <nospam...@jhall.co.uk>
>wrote:
>
>>I never used to suffer from hayfever, but something must have sensitised
>>me to pollen some 5-10 years ago, and it got gradually worse each year
>>until two years ago I had to give in and start taking tablets.
>
>When I was a lot younger, I suffered very badly from hay fever. About
>forty years ago I started taking a teaspoonful of honey first thing
>every morning throughout the year. More or less fixed it. May not work
>for you but it worked for me.
>

Thanks. I used to eat honey occasionally, but haven't had any for some
years, so I'll give it a try.

Nick

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Apr 11, 2013, 3:15:08 PM4/11/13
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About three weeks to a month behind looks about right to me... maybe
we're getting the March we didn't get last month! Last Saturday on a
rare sunny day the landscape was very March-like, with primroses and
celandines (which were nice) but little blossom.

That's the one thing that April 2012 had over this month - it was
wetter (assuming current model runs correct and we don't get the
drenching from hell in the next two weeks!) but the vegetation was
more advanced so everything was greener. By contrast now - and
particularly in the towns - everything does look very sterile for the
middle third of April.

Next year can we have all our cold weather in Dec, Jan and early
Feb? ;-)

Nick

jbm

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Apr 11, 2013, 7:07:07 PM4/11/13
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On 11/04/2013 12:18, Nick wrote:
>
Our local forecaster has promised us some sun on Sunday. The stupid
woman didn't tell us which Sunday though.

Rained today, about 1mm this morning and over 8mm this evening. And
don't we know it!!! Once again, after the shower early on, the bank down
by the stream is once again inaccessible. And on this evening's jaunt
around the local park, massive puddles were shining with reflections of
the street lights. A good third of the park was under water, and it's
not very often that much is covered; normally takes over an inch in a
very short space of time to do that. Appears the CRAP (***) of the local
ground has taken a bit of a hit.

jim, Northampton

*** Coefficient of Rainwater Absorption Potential

Eskimo Will

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Apr 12, 2013, 3:31:20 AM4/12/13
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"Teignmouth" <teign...@tesco.net> wrote in message
news:00612868-8c94-4242...@googlegroups.com...
The only time I have problems is when I visit cities. Pollution and car
fumes tend to make me sneeze a lot, return to the country and it all goes
away! Worse in sunny conditions.

Will
--
http://www.lyneside.demon.co.uk/Haytor/automatic/Current_Vantage_Pro.htm
Will Hand (Haytor, Devon, 1017 feet asl)
---------------------------------------------

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