I am talking about the spring. Normally, it would just be warming occasionally in the low 70s, with most days in the 50s and 60s, and the nights in the mid 30s. The winds would be very stiff. Because Oklahoma is generally windy anyway, and when the spring lions march in, they do it with 30 and 40 mph gusts.
But no.
Yesterday, and the day before it was in the high 80s. Every tree that makes a flower has either already bloomed or is blooming.
I already have my first flower on a tomato plant.
The perception of this warmth is not just that it's warmer. Intellectually I know that the this has more to do with the Jet stream, but perceptually, it feels like late spring, like the dicey, warm moist air of May.
What do I mean by that? Like the way the suns rays hit my skin, it feels later in the year, and more direct than usual. I am not accustomed to getting, even mild sunburns this time of year.
Normally, this time of year with it's chilly days and warming sun, the reptiles and frogs are still asleep. In the past, this is the time of year, when I would accidentally dig up a toad or skink.
But they are all out. As reported in earlier diaries, our usual contingent of Tree Toads are not only out, but singing loudly along with Woodhouse toads, Plains leopard Frogs, bullfrogs and peepers.
Large insects locally called Mayflies, but that I believe are actually some kind of cranefly are everywhere. Mosquitoes aren't too bad yet, but ticks are already thick.
I think what bothers me is that people are relaxed. The ground has warmed up a lot this spring already. It's warm enough that my tomatoes in the ground are growing and as stated before, one has a bloom.
Normally, you wouldn't be caught dead in these parts putting your tomatoes and peppers in the ground before April. Our Frost date in the normal reality, is April 15. In this alternate reality, it's anyone's guess if we will have a frost date.
I have kept some heavy plastic sheets and the like handy just in case.
I have Sunflowers that are already 10 inches tall near the bird feeder. Usually it so cold here, that they don't grow that fast this time of the year.
Maybe nothing will come of this. But I am skeptical that the weather will let us off that easily. I have one roll of shade cloth, and will be buying another so that I can construct a frame work to give my garden shade.
If the ground keeps warming [and it will] our plants will bake in the ground again, come May. Just like last year. The feeling I get with the blooms bursting out all over right now is that the plants are frantic to get their groove on before it gets so hot again this year. Like you can hear Ma-nature hollering "Smoke em if you got em!"
I haven't bothered with corn this year. I am sticking to root crops and plants in the solanum family like tomatoes and potatoes and onions. Last year I planted a large bed with corn and it all fell over dead as a door nail in June. By then the soil was so hot there was nothing that could grow in it but maybe cacti.
And it may come to that. I am thinking I should find some Yucca and a good variety of prickly pears. If it stays like this we may one day be able to grow Piquin pepper trees.
The bees have built up very fast this spring. With every kind of flower all but blooming at once and lots of warm weather, they are able to fly and really take advantage of the unusual circumstances. I will be putting a super on that box soon. They have already drawn the comb out on what was essentially an empty deep body box last fall.
last year I had just brought that nuc home. They drew out the rest of the frames in the deep body box, so I put another deep body box on top. The weather was so bad, they never filled it, even with us feeding them.
What many folks don't get about adaptation and what makes that quality so incredible, is that first the organism has to survive some adverse situations a few times to figure out how to adjust their behaviors.
Bees that are raised in a particular climate can and do become accustomed to the seasons. They know by scent and probably by other faculties which plants should be available of foraging.
When that cycle is disrupted, what do they do? When they cannot find anything at all to eat, bees will often congregate around garbage cans looking for syrup in old coke bottles and cans, or rob your hummingbird feeders. They will become territorial about those areas too. And why not? They are starving.
They might forage plants in greenhouses and box store garden centers [which are often pesticide laden]. But really, what else do they have? No flowers, no flowers--so they starve, and the cluster becomes small. If it is too small, they will not survive the winter. Starving bees are found dead in their boxes, head down in the honey comb looking desperately for food that should be in those empty cavities. It be like if you or I died of starvation with our head in the fridge wishing desperately for food that isn't there.
For people with free range birds, the increased hot weather, will mean buying more feed. The bug population will drop, so that means less bugs for chickens and turkeys to eat.
The drought will raise the price of feed for livestock as well. It costs more to irrigate, farms may loose some crops or have to choose which field to irrigate. Add that to the price of fuel, and a 50lb bag of feed that used to cost 10$ now costs 18$. It doesn't seem like much, but it all adds up quickly.
Last year I went through 15lb sugar bags to feed the bees, because there were no flowers. I had to buy pollen patties to supplement their protein because there were no flowers and other treatments to ward off diseases common to stressed bees.
I had to buy more chicken feed, because there were no bugs and the plant life was stunted.
I had to run a mister all day long for the birds, so they could have a patch under the shade of a barn that was only 88 degrees instead of 110 in the shade. Chicken down is rather warm. So you can just imagine how hot those poor birds can get.
The price of straw also went up. I only have to buy a bale or two, because I obviously keep my hen-house nice a clean. I use the soiled straw in my gardens as mulch or as compost. Last year, we had some small shortages of straw to boot. The price fluctuates between 6 to 8 dollars a bale.
Others I knew who had large livestock, said the price of hay skyrocketed. Between the drought, the wildfires, and the price of fuel, it was a triple threat.
For me, at the feed store, buying feed, and straw, it's easy for me to lay down 40$ without blinking. And all I have are some chickens. I am sure you could triple that if I had a horse, even more if I kept several large livestock animals like horses or cows. The price would just go up with another severe drought.
I would point out, that it's not just the lack of rain. It's the extreme heat during the day and the high temperatures at night. Others here on this site pointed out that Photosynthesis stops at 104 degrees. We hit that mark easily, many days last year.
High Temps at night ensure that plants Respiration Rates [how they use up the energy generated by photosynthesis] do not slow. So it literally wears the plant down. It would be as if you were forced to walk on a treadmill all night long. If the temps are over 95 degrees, then the plant uses more energy via Respiration, than it produces. And then once you hit 104, photosynthesis stops.
http://www.gardenguides.com/...
So I am nervous about this strange season, especially after last season. Continuous weather patterns like last years, will result in desertification over time in this region. Because many trees and plants will not be able to survive the higher day and night time temperatures, the extreme droughts in the summer and the short winters.
This will lead to many local species dying simply because they will not be able to adapt quickly enough to these changes. It will also affect our food security, our fuel usage and water security as well.
I am really hoping that this bizarre, hot spring is not a sign of things to come this summer.
5:40 AM PT: Here is a story from the Hufffpo about Global Climate Change, Natural Disasters, and Insurance Rates: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
""Few countries appear to have adopted a comprehensive approach - for example, by addressing projected changes in exposure, vulnerability, and extremes," the report said. Building this into national development planning is crucial."
Because denial is a river in Egypt where fossil fuels are concerned.
"Global reinsurer Munich Re says that since 1980, weather-related disasters worldwide have more than tripled."
I wonder when the larger, collective Duh moment will finally happen?
Fri Mar 30, 2012 at 8:34 PM PT: It's 10pm and we have seen two June Bugs outside.
That is nuts!
Here are Bloom-Dates for pollen and nectar Plants in Oklahoma
okrangelandswest.okstate.edu/files/wildlife%20pdfs/EPP-7155.pdf
The Vitex has not even budded leaves yet, but it's not due to start showing til May 15 thereabouts. Those usually bloom right up til late in July. Some last til the fall. Vitex is known as Chaste Berry.
June Bugs? I guess since it's so warm outside and in the soil, why not?
My bees are lightly bearding their box too.
Black Locusts are blooming, they normally bloom in Oklahoma from April 10 to May 20
Dandelions are for April 1 but since I have had property, I have seen Dandelions for the past 10 years as early as late February.