Cocus winter , boxwood summer

Irish Flute
1

I’m rediscovering my boxwood Rudall as the humidity of the spring settles in.

It’s occurred to me that boxwood just doesn’t do very well in the dry winter. Way too much maintenance to keep it in top sounding condition. Oil it and store it is what I did last winter.

The cocus of course is terrific in winter, affected less so and requiring much less maintenance.

The true beauty of boxwood comes out with the humidity and the additional use. So much now that I’m relistening to old favorite recordings of Chris Norman (Man w/ Wooden Flute) and Jimmy Noonan’s Maple Leaf.

Gives a whole different sense to it.

2

“Dry” & “Winter” - oxymoron in GB! :smiley:

3

i live at 6,000 feet, Jem…so more so here!

4

GB winter = damp, especially in the west! Actually, we have had a relatively cold and not very wet (rainfall inches) winter, but it’s still always humid!

5

lucky you!
year-round boxwood playing!

6

Well, that’s a novel take on it - you know it’s why Brits all flock off to more reliably sunny climes whenever possible!

7

Delrin winter, boxwood summer. :laughing:

Actually, the little Humistat in the boxwood Murray’s case keeps it functional; the boxwood Olwell doesn’t seem to care as much and prefers a little drier clime. Funny, this stuff. I’ll be curious to see how the boxwood chanter fares.

I didn’t think I liked boxwood so much, but it keeps finding me!

8

I definitely do boxwood winter, boxwood summer, with a little rosewood thrown in. I just keep the flutes in a humidified container, 50-60% year round. Although I’m pretty casual about keeping them sealed up in the summer.

9

No choice for me at this point, it is Boxwood year round.

Loren

10

Winter? Summer? Humidity? What’s that?

11

In cooler climes, isn’t it the low humidity of interior heating in winter that’s more the issue than ambient conditions?

Here in Lotus Land, about 10 miles inland, my room hygrometer has read ~30% since mid-November. Low, but consistent.

12

yes, it is…but snowy/cold climates are actually drier times of the year than the summer, when rains and evaporative conditions are much different.
the interior of your home is much drier, too, in a forced-air heating system. Radiator systems are clearly better for humidity, but it’s just a drier time all around.

Oil that boxwood through the winter…than give it one coat at the start of spring and you’re ready for the summer!

13

Bingo.

Both K’s Murray and my Murray cracked over the winter - within two days of each other. These flutes were made ten years apart or so, and both decided to go at the same time :frowning: So we picked up a Dave C Delrin for the winter.

Living in the second story of an old carriage house, the humidity gets down below 10% for months at a time here, unless we tend the humidifier.

Fortunately Vermont has a high per-capita ratio of flute repairers to flute owners :slight_smile: