Garden Update: January 5, 2007
Plant Late in Warm Temperatures
In this unusually warm winter we see the first
tulip gardens emerging.
is filling up with tulip gardens! Over the past month another 50 gardens
were planted, bringing our total to 394 gardens this year. Keep
your eyes on the map in the weeks ahead!
Can you see some green on the map? Yes, 2 gardens were reported emerged.
This is the earliest we have received reports that tulips have emerged
in the Midwest. Are you having a mild winter in your hometown? Will springtime
come early in 2007?
Predict in your Tulip Garden Journals: What
affect will the unusually warm weather from the Midwest to the Northeast
have on our tulip gardens?
Weather Maps Tell Stories
Weather maps are like
pictures that tell a story. If you study them carefully they will reveal
lots of information. Study weather maps often. If you
keep your eyes open you can begin to make more accurate predictions about
spring’s arrival. Think about the patterns you see.
from Average Temperatures:Dec. 24-30, 2006
from Average Temperatures: Nov. 2006
garden on these maps. Were your temperatures above or below normal?
Will our temperatures today affect future seasonal change? Will
spring come on time in 2007?
did your tulips emerge last year? You can find your own historic
records reported to Journey North from past years here:
Maps and Data
in MI had a pre-Christmas surprise in their garden. They sent this
in Midland, Michigan we have had an unseasonably warm December.
Our local newspaper reported that many people had
called in to say that their
tulips are emerging (yes, that's headline news here in small town
America!). I checked our Journey North Tulips at Cook School, and
there are 2 that
tulips emerging in December in this MI garden? Students here have planted
Journey North tulip gardens since 2004. Each year the tulips
have emerged in March, not December. Where can you find more information
that might explain this phenomenon? (Hint: Search the Web to find
temperature and climate
records for this location.)
YOUR Tulips Doing?
have discovered that some of YOUR tulips have broken dormancy already
this year. If you see tulips beginning to emerge in your garden report to Journey North that your garden has EMERGED. Be sure to note
this event in your Tulip Garden Journal.
If a plant isn't dormant, the growing tissues can be damaged with freezing
temperatures. Water in the plants tissues can burst, permanently cutting
off water and nutrient flow to the bloom or leaves, causing them to die.
This could mean fewer tulips blooming this spring.
Applying a layer (4-6”) of mulch over the garden area will protect
delicate tissues from freezing temperatures.
“Hello from Mr. Gullickson’s
6th grade sciences classes at Seven Oak Middle School in Lebanon, Oregon.
This is the third year our school has participated
in the Journey North International Tulip Study... This year we will be monitoring
soil temperatures and moisture conditions in our garden using LEGO robots.
Our robots will be traveling along a raised track system we our installing
more about Seven Oak Middle School’s
innovative monitoring project >>
the Owl button on every page.
forgotten to report your garden planted? There is still time to get
your data into
the experiment! Simply press the "Owl" button
to report from your site. Wait 5 minutes then refresh the map page to see
your site pop up on the map. (From the same button, you can also "Go
to the Sightings Database" and read comments from all gardeners.)
your Tulips PLANTED:>>
is the FINAL Tulip Garden Update for Fall 2006.
Join us for Spring 2007!
Our first Update is February 2, 2007.
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