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macario_gw

Is this good news or bad news?

Macario
18 years ago

Hello everyone I just came up on an article about global warming. Its a good site with good information. They say by 2030 chicago will be 2 zones warmer taking it to zone 7, and by 2095 it will be zone 8. I wonder if this applys for other states to. I guess thats good news for us palm growers here in the city. If your here in chicago you will have noticed that now we have wild monk parrots nesting over winter in flocks of 1,000's, I guess palm trees and next to be a normal site? What do you think?

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to the site

Comments (15)

  • username_5
    18 years ago

    I think the climate predictions are unreliable. To the extent that climate changes worldwide it will be good in localized areas and bad in other areas.

  • mrbrownthumb
    18 years ago

    Living in Zone 7 wouldn't be so bad. We could grow tons of new things around here. I wonder if I put myself in a paper bag full of peat and keep myself in a cool dry area if I'll be able to preserve myself 'til 2030 to see the change and enjoy the plant varieties.

    ;0)

  • Macario
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Well 25 years isnt so bad, and I have some palms that should real big by then and I guess ill be able to say I was kind of one of many pioneers to start growing them in my area

  • mrbrownthumb
    18 years ago

    What area are you in? I was just looking through someone's photo album here (maybe in the great lakes forum?) and they had a lot of palms in their yard. It was kind of weird and fun to look at.

  • Macario
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Well I live in chicago on the sw side of chicago near midway airport. on average I think its usually 5-10 degrees warmer here then the surrounding burbs. plus my yard is completely fenced no breezes and north and west blocked by brick walls and completely southern exposure with sun in my yard for more than 12 hours a day. My yard is so warm , when ever it does snow it never accumulates just melts and makes things wet.

  • mrbrownthumb
    18 years ago

    Oh you are kind of in the same area I am in. I live sort of close to midway on the SW side.

  • mrbrownthumb
    18 years ago

    Ok, I finally found the member page with the palm tree in their yard. Macario looks like you can get a palm in your yard sooner, before the polar caps melt and drown us all.

    Here is a link that might be useful: GWer with palm in yard

  • Bob_Zn5
    18 years ago

    The forecasts are unreliable but the evidence of rapid climate change is undeniable. Anyone who thinks this will be a good thing isn't paying attention. Obviously, those whos incomes are maximized by maintaining the status quo will continue to be in denial.

  • led_zep_rules
    18 years ago

    Obviously global warming is a bad thing overall (I think I feel worst about the coral reefs and associated life which are already suffering from increased water temps) but for me and my garden is it amazing. I have never before picked beans on Nov. 4, and I still have some tomatoes and tomatillos holding on. A few feeble morning glories bloom every day still, marigolds are holding on (barely) and so on. I live in Wisconsin! Yes, in the warmer part of the state if there is such a thing, but still this is freaky. Normally we get a light frost end of Sept./very early Oct. We have had a couple but light enough that my raised beds (just up about 8-10 inches) are still kicking. Still picking good apples, too.

    On the negative side, my forsythia has been blooming on and off for weeks now, and lots of things have started regrowing thinking it is spring.

    Marcia

  • Bob_Zn5
    18 years ago

    Its been a warm fall in SE WI for certain. I'll never forget the EL Nino year when I planted peas in a cold frame on Feb 1. I couldn't stand to look at unfrozen gound & not put something in it. The peas came up about a week earlier than normal.

  • birdsnblooms
    18 years ago

    Mr. Brown Thumb, I sometimes go to the Palm Forum..this is where ChiTown talks..He's posted his palm pics for months now..I'm really impressed. So, I too ordered 2 palms, Needle and Windmill to see if they'll overwinter..I also have 2 bananas, though inedible, and a Poncirus orange tree..All are young..so far the citrus and bananas made it last winter..the palms are newly planted..

    I always check Palm forum to see how Chitowns and another guy who grows palms in, get this, Ontario..Toni

  • chitown033
    18 years ago

    Hi Everyone,
    It's nice to see people referring to my page with my plants.... I should really update those pictures. The windmill palm is fairly easy to grow here, I only protect it for 1.5-2 months, in the worst of the cold. It only needs protection below 10F or so, which only makes up a few weeks of Chicago's coldest. On a bad winter, this might be much more of a feat, but the past two years have been great. This past decade has been quite suitable to more marginally hardy plants.

    Kyle

    Here is another link of this same post included for more opinions... where I also voiced my opinions.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Other post

  • chitown033
    18 years ago

    Wrong link, sorry guys I got them mixed up.

    Here is the other post:

    Here is a link that might be useful: Other post

  • mrbrownthumb
    18 years ago

    Toni,

    Thanks for the tip on that forum. I may go lurking there to see these aliens growing in our area.

    Chitown033,

    Very nice work. Keep it up. I'll defenitely be on the look out for pics and updates on your palms.

  • svachon
    10 years ago

    In the 70's these same climate "experts" said we were heading toward an ice age (cover of Time). These folks are political and only get govt. money if they find that the sky is falling.

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