First hint of Spring

[Sandyn]

It's been a pretty long miserable winter here in Scotland. It's been raining for months, dreich miserable weather. I hate the damp cold weather here. It goes straight through you. I cycle a lot, so weather is important, and I really am aware of it. The last week we have had a foot of snow, -7C, so that was cycling out the window for a while, but today, it was 9C!!! Tropical!!! beautiful sunny sky and you could feel the heat from the sun. I sat outside and soaked up a bit of heat. It didn't last long, but was enough to be the first spring like weather of the year. The days are already a lot longer, just over 5 weeks until the time changes. I was able to get out and do a bit of tidying in the garden, snowdrops are in flower, daffodils are well through, been vaccinated, lockdown restrictions start easing next week.
Hopefully this year will be a lot better than last year for everyone and we can see the way out of this mess.

 

[Fitzroy]

Felt the same change in Aberdeen. It was a lovely day.

 

[doctor Bob]

We have a half acre puddle in our field, been there for months, but I think it's finally going down.
Always good to see the daff's on the edge. Another 3 weeks I reckon.

 

[AES]

Well here (Switzerland - a "bit" further South than you two!) we've had a lovely day today, quite sunny, some cloud and about 9 deg. And tomorrow should be even nicer (so they say).

Spring flowers are pushing their heads up here, but no blooms yet. This is after quite a lot of snow this year (for us in the "lowlands" it was a lot anyway) and some pretty cold nights & days too - lowest here was around minus 15 nights, and around minus 3 days - that was just 3 days ago. Lowest recorded here this year ("up in the hills", not us thank gawd) was minus 29 (night) last week.

Looking forward to some nice spring flowers though - should be in time for when my missus comes out of hospital (NOT Covid), hopefully this Friday. Great.

 

[DennisCA]

Spring? It was -25 this morning

 

[donwatson]

It's 8 degrees at the moment here and brilliant, warm, sunshine.

 

[Sandyn]

Spring? It was -25 this morning

No need for a freezer!!!
That's cold for weather!!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Apple trees coming into bud, daffodils long gone and primroses have benn flowering since early December. Hens haven't even gone off lay.

 

[DennisCA]

Spring took something of a hit today, had been pretty nice weather last week. Wind was a lot worse than when I filmed earlier on.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

I'm going to keep very quiet. Nothing to see here.

 

[Doug B]

Managed a couple of days down the allotment this year so far which is less than usual, hopefully the weather will be picking up soon & I can get the early potatoes in by the end of the month.
I put a few sheets of plastic on the ground last weekend hopefully this sunshine & the plastic will help warm the ground up.

 

[Jelly]

The horrendously invasive bamboo that my neighbor and I have been collectively trying to kill off is now in full flourish again (I am honestly amazed how hardy it is, even my picea abies saplings have been chastened by this winter) which I'm taking as a sign of spring, albeit an unwelcome one.

On the other hand there's been a markedly longer and louder chorus of songbirds in the last week or two, which is thoroughly pleasant and welcome, more than making up for the bamboo's early resurgence.

 

[Yojevol]

Cut my lawn grass weeds this afternoon. I even got to take my gloves and jumper off!

 

[MARK.B.]

Here is one young lady that is enjoying the sunshine

 

[Trainee neophyte]

The horrendously invasive bamboo that my neighbor and I have been collectively trying to kill off is now in full flourish

I also have a bamboo problem: the trick is to use double strength roundup, but late in the summer when the bamboo is mature and mostly stopped growing. This should kill it completely, including the roots. If you do it in the spring bamboo just laughs in the face of roundup and keeps sprouting replacement shoots. If you don't want to use poison then I would imagine the only option is digging up the roots and soil and moving it somewhere else, to be someone else's problem.

 

[Sandyn]

I also have a bamboo problem

Ever thought of getting a giant panda as a pet?

 

[Jelly]

I also have a bamboo problem: the trick is to use double strength roundup, but late in the summer when the bamboo is mature and mostly stopped growing. This should kill it completely, including the roots. If you do it in the spring bamboo just laughs in the face of roundup and keeps sprouting replacement shoots. If you don't want to use poison then I would imagine the only option is digging up the roots and soil and moving it somewhere else, to be someone else's problem.

Roundup has helped (although I'm not sure I could get any more of the glyphosate based roundup, I think that's gone professional use only), but as you say it didn't do enough to get rid, just knock back it's vigour a bit.

The advice I had from an acquaintance who delt with the same problem was thst it might take years to get rid of it entirely, but if I was vigilant and kept letting it just start to sprout, then immediately attack the whole area with a hoe/spade to break up the rhisozomes until it has finally exhausted its energy reserves and dies off.

I would be tempted to use SBK or SBK stump killer, but it's quite close to two trees I'd like to keep and that would be too indiscriminate.

 

[MARK.B.]

Do a quick google on bamboo roots , the roots spread further than the plant is tall and each root produces more it's easy to see why they spread so quick

 

[francovendee]

The horrendously invasive bamboo that my neighbor and I have been collectively trying to kill off is now in full flourish again (I am honestly amazed how hardy it is, even my picea abies saplings have been chastened by this winter) which I'm taking as a sign of spring, albeit an unwelcome one.

On the other hand there's been a markedly longer and louder chorus of songbirds in the last week or two, which is thoroughly pleasant and welcome, more than making up for the bamboo's early resurgence.

It took me three years to finally get rid of all the bamboo panted by a previous owner.
I'd mention my war against so many times to friends who now always ask has the bamboo come back?
Horrible stuff in a garden.

 

[johnbaz]

Spring is my favourite season, It's when my deciduous little trees wake up from their winter slumber!!

John