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North Yorkshire, United Kingdom Gb

I think this may be a question for bamboo with her horticultural/botanical background. With my rudimentary knowledge of botany I want to ask more about the affect of this warm weather on perennials. I know that for some it is the daylight lengthening that stimulates growth whereas with others they have to have cold during the winter. If this weather continues are we likely to have peony roses next spring?




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There are a few others with similar knowledge on here, Barbarak, I'm not the only one, I hasten to point out! Anyway, if this mildness continues, paeonies are not likely to flower at all, never mind well - they need at least a month of below zero nights and chilly days for bud initiation. That's one of the reasons you don't see paeonies in warmer countries. But I wouldn't worry too much yet - in a previous year (the first year records of weather were kept) when December was like this, it was followed by a cruelly cold January and early February...

This is being called an 'El Nino' winter, which apparently means tropical air being wafted up to the north, which may, or may not, change to arctic air in January. The trouble is, the UK may be used, to some extent, to chaotic weather, but this warmth is affecting the whole of Europe, which certainly would give more credence to the global warming theory. The thing that worries me is the daffodils - they're already out in parts of Surrey, so I'm wondering whether they'll be able to indulge in enough photosynthesis whilst the leaves are present to store food and flower the following year (2017), after all the, sun's really not very strong and the days are so short.

19 Dec, 2015

 

Up here the daffs and crocus are through but not flowering like down south. I have had one hyacinth in flower buried in the leaves but no stalk.
what about snowdrops?

19 Dec, 2015

 

Snowdrops are up, but not showing flowers. Hellebores are just beginning which is a bit early. Exochorda The Bride has flowers on it and Cornus mas has ready to open buds.
Paeonies are definitely going to suffer from a lack of cold ripening.

20 Dec, 2015

How do I say thanks?

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