The heat is on!

[goueber]

45 degrees closer to the centre of Sydney on Thursday. I managed to water a couple of times but the genghos had quite a few leaves burnt when I looked the next day. I left most of the trees out in the full sun but a couple of small olives in black pots repotted a few days before had burnt leaves. The figs seem to have loved the heat as they have shot out well with no burning, just the one large fig which I had defoliated I covered up. The crepe myrtle is loving the hot sunny days and sending up lots of flowers as opposed to last year. The frogs which normally sit under a few of the pots have gone quiet and into hiding.

[Jb1]

Hello to the forum from the south west slopes of NSW. This is my first post.
I have had a number of casualties from the extreme summer conditions. The high temperatures are one thing and have been documented, however, the blow torch effect of the wind has been the destructive element. I have lost a number of Chinese elms, a metasequoia, a birch, crape myrtle and eucalypts. The leaves were burnt to a crisp. On the plus side, the figs have exploded with growth. Being on the land, the credo "if you have livestock, expect to have dead stock" is equally applicable to bonsai.
Regards,
John

[kcpoole]

Bummer John about your trees, and Welcome to AusBonsai

yes the wind is the killer of many trees and the only way to deal with it is to try and shield the trees while keeping the humidity up around them
Unless you are around the trees all day it is impossible task sometimes.

Ken

[Jb1]

Thanks Ken. It's interesting to find out how other enthusiasts have fared. I'm sure that this season will make us all reassess how our collections are sited, and possibly make changes to minimise a repeat. Funnily enough, for me, it is all part of the learning process that makes this hobby so dynamic and fascinating, and frustrating......
Regards
John

[Jason.S]

Greetings Jb1 and welcome to Ausbonsai.

I remember when I first started, in the first year or two, I lost a couple of trees as I'm sure many of us have. Those long heatwaves can be a killer here in Adelaide. I guess its all part of the learning curve we go through like you said. Keep at it though and I'm sure the by next summer your knowledge would have grown and your trees will be much better for it.

Reddragon