February of a Mild Winter!

The plum blossoms have started to bloom!

　On February 18th (my 76th birthday), the temperature reached 20 degrees Celsius, and the plum blossoms began to bloom. While it is usual for plums to bloom around this time on the Pacific side, it seems more than a month earlier than usual in Niigata Prefecture. I have never experienced such a year before.
Right now, there are no insects or bees necessary for pollination, and soon we will return to the cold of winter. In such a year, it seems the fruit yield may be poor.
On the other hand, the nearby wild camellias remain entirely in tight buds. They should normally bloom earlier than the plum blossoms. Why is there this difference between the plum blossoms and the camellias? 　
I asked AI for an explanation.

The blooming of plum blossoms and camellias

• Plum trees are deciduous trees. They are susceptible to the effects of mild winters, and the earlier the temperature rises, the earlier the flowering period advances. However, if the cold returns after flowering, it may negatively affect fruit yield.
• Camellias are evergreen trees. They are more resistant to cold than plum trees, and their flowering period is relatively stable. They are susceptible to the influence of sunlight hours, and longer sunlight hours promote flowering.

Determination of the flowering period

Plants sense environmental changes such as temperature and sunlight hours to determine their flowering period.

• Temperature: Many plants flower when the temperature remains above a certain threshold for a certain period. This cumulative temperature is referred to as ‘growing degree days’.
• Sunlight Hours: Some plants flower when the daylight hours become longer. This phenomenon is called ‘long-day plants’.

It is believed that plum trees are influenced by cumulative temperature and sunlight hours, while camellias are more susceptible to the influence of sunlight hours.

The impact of a mild winter

In a mild winter, plants that are more influenced by cumulative temperature, like plum trees, tend to flower earlier since the cumulative temperature threshold is reached sooner. On the other hand, plants like camellias, which are more influenced by sunlight hours, may experience delayed flowering.

Traditional-style meals and snacks

　At this time of year, we still have leftover New Year’s rice cakes, so we enjoy them for lunch. We cook the remaining vegetables from the garden with miso in a pot over the wood stove, and we eat the rice cakes in it. It might look poor, but it feels rich in spirit.

　A snack during our drive is roasted soybeans roasted on the wood stove. It’s enjoyable to taste the different flavors depending on the type of soybean (black soybeans, green soybeans, brown soybeans). Not all are delicious, but the simple taste never gets old. It’s fascinating to think that this has been a source of protein for the Japanese people since ancient times.

　In the past, during my business trips to the United States, whenever I stayed at budget hotels, there would usually be packets of oatmeal provided. While not particularly delicious, I ate them while reflecting on how the pioneers, armed with such preserved and nutritious portable food, helped to build the USA.
Nowadays, roasted soybeans and oatmeal seem like health foods in an age of abundance.