protecting plants from the cold???

[GingaNinja]

Cross posted at EB

Just wondering what methods everyone uses to grow tropicals in cold climates?

Initialy i had the few tropicals i have in my greenhouse but the last few weeks we have had temps down to -3 at night so have had to bring them inside until it warms up again.

im trying to stick to things more suited to my climate but so many interesting ethnos are tropicals

So how do you guys in cold climates go about it? greenhouses,indoors, under lights????

[ 17. August 2005, 15:28: Message edited by: Edith ]

[dracos6]

if they have to be inside, you can make growing boxes easily be taping some broccoli boxes together cutting out the insides and chucking some lights (i use energy saving fluros) in the top and some fans in the sides, works really well and is easy to extend/modify

[Rev]

Under lights

but frankly its so damn cold here that even that isnt saving them

i think im just going to give up

and retire my tropicals to somewhere near the coast and concentrate on the hardier inland species

[devance]

I have had very poor success and I haven't finally figured it out .

Its a combined cold/moisture problem, I tried the solution as in buying a plastic sheet, root rots the problem.

I haven't tried the gossimer type which allows air breathing and frost prevention. But it can't be any worse as no plant wants to be watered under winter conditions,..

[incognito]

seasol works great in protecting my few tropicals from the cold.its fookin cold here still, but ive managed to get them through winter by utilizing seasol and keeping em under cover,i may just be lucky!!

[Rev]

yeah they need to be strong and hardened off by winter

seasol is great as are higher potassium ferts

but the frost Fcks 'em

many of my plants wer just losing leaves but o/wise ok due to our uncanny mild winter and the late rains kept the fog going which lessens the frost potential - then firts week august we had out first real frost at -3

they recovers from that but then we had a fe wmore in succession and they are dead or nearly so

however some sensitive plants are untouched simply because they were under the grapefruit tree and the frost never settled on them

[drellion]

For strong root growth and therefore healthier plants Fulvic and Humic acid is a good start. They are not a fertilisers as such but soil conditioners and plant roots love these acids.

These acids are produced by the composting of brown coal commercially. they come as a very dark brown / black thick solution which has a very sweet smell.

its good shit.....

peace

[Rev]

where do you get yours from?

sounds good

these acids ceratainly do enhance soil quality and plant health

[Benzito]

I'm in the lower Blue Mountains, NSW. I'd say it gets to around 0°C or maybe 1 below, at the coldest.

I have all my tropicals in Bunnings-style, cheap, plastic greenhouses, that I get from my work. (which isn't Bunnings BTW)

The greenhouses are outside, where they get filtered light all day long, under several large trees. The greenhouses are right up against the exterior wall of the house, facing south-west, under an eave aswell as all the trees up above.

So, although we get frost, it doesn't seem to have bothered them at all this winter.

I mist the greenhouses once a day, but only water the plants about once a week, during winter. I have shallow trays underneath the greenhouses that I keep filled with water for evaporation too.

In summer I'll be watering daily, or every second day, and misting 2 or 3 times a day.

Hope that helps you somewhat, I'm new to tropicals, so I'm still learning myself.

Peace,

Ben

[waterdragon]

those tropicals which are too tender for here i'll allow someone else more northerly to grow. some success can be had by allowing some tropicals to grow as an understorey ie planting in thickets.

[dracos6]

Rev:

we had out first real frost at -3

they recovers from that but then we had a fe wmore in succession and they are dead or nearly so

sorry to hear that rev

dont know what your weather is like but its been freezin down here lately, as always. i have had wonderful results with my styrofoam boxes. with rare and endangered plants im going to always have one or two inside in a foam box in case of disaster

btw when i say "foam box" ive been making them out of 8 broccoli boxes so they end up being 600mmx600mmx1150mm

[Benzito]

Good idea Dracos!

Got any photo's of your 'styrofoam box'?

[GingaNinja]

Thanks for the help guys.

I like your idea dracos, ill have to try it out. Hope they will make it through whats left of winter

[bsm2wr]

Hola,

I use a purpose built mini-greenhouse. Thermostatic heating coil at bottom in wet sand plastic sides and lid and good ventilation. Lights above in winter too. Like humans who fail to thrive in adverse conditions: total pampering.

bsm

[incognito]

yep edith i recommend getting a hothouse, central west winters are rather unforgiving of even the toughest of ethno plants-we cant compete with those freakin frosts-just somethin small to house everything in over winter-beats trucking everything in and outside everyday as i had been-not hard to knock up, pm me if u would like some simple plans.

-jono

[GingaNinja]

I have a hot house made from polypipe and waterproof shadecloth. Everything was going good till we had some -3*

Most things were ok but P. viridis, Brugmansia and and a few others didnt like it at all.

Nothing died on me thankfully and everything seems to be starting to shoot again now that its warming up.

Thanks 4 the help