How seriously should we really take the first frost?

Was just reading NOAA's weather discussion for the coming weekend, and even though they are calling for a low of only 40F here Friday, they said the magic word... "frost" over some of the area.

I feel like every year this word typically triggers panic and mass movement of plants indoors only to find that the weather promptly returns to warmer days. I know it's later this year than the first frost for last year, but I also remember this happening last year - and then November was very warm.

Just curious how you all handle the first frosts. I figure with all the vegetation on the trees, most of my plants are probably protected well enough. But then knowing my luck, the one time I leave everything out it'll get burned.

Just feels like I do this every year, and then go, "Doh... it's warm again."

I feel the same way. Been there, done that. But from what I know, the first frost is usually not the killing frost. That's the one that signals the end of the growing season. But that's just my humble opinion. I still have quite a few of my plants out, but will bring in my most precious, if frost threatens. I also will cover my brugs, which are in bud and will bloom any day now, so that I can still enjoy the blooms.

I'm thinking of doing the same... just will bring in my largest/most special plants, but leave the others out until the first serious frost or freeze is forecast.

The ground is so warm I can't picture a frost.

We're further inland, a whole zone away. Today's weather is beautiful, a high of 88 so far. But that is due to change drastically by the weekend, according to the latest reports.

put the BOP in the garage today and will take Deeb's advice and cover my brug to try and save the "pods" so I can see at least one or two blooms this year on it...I'll drag the rest into the garage tomorrow as I just plain have no room inside...man the aloe alone takes up a 3' round section in the LR room it grew so much this summer... :)

I'm hauling in all houseplants that I still have outdoors. Hibs, BOP, & epiphyllums can stay under the tree with cover, if necessary. I was told today that if the frost threat is serious, we can take brug cuttings w/buds if they are far enough along, and bring them indoors to enjoy. Tonights low, 69; tomorrow nights low 44, that's drastic.

Guess I might be moving more stuff than I thought. They've now forecast us down to 37F. The low last night was 72F, so that's a insane drop in such a short period.

Though I keep thinking what more could possibly be damaged after the hail storm we had two weeks ago? That quarter sized hail destroyed my yard and shredded most of the plants to the point they look horrible already.

Oh, I am so sorry. That's a mess. It just shows how unpredictable the weather is. The weatherman keeps changing the low temps up and down. Tonight is supposed to be 70 degrees, 48 on Friday night and 37-38 on Sunday night. I won't be taking any chances. The tropicals will come in for the weekend. Did you notice that the forecasted temp for Wed. night is 60 degrees? It's going to warm up again just like we thought.

Hallelujah! Only dropped to 40 in my backyard this morning. So glad I didn't bring tons of stuff inside as I did last year.

I covered up most things, but will take my time and bring them in starting on Monday, as we're in for low temps again on Thursday night. I need a greenhouse.

I went ahead and moved most everything (90% or more) in Wed-Thurs, and naturally last night it only hit 39F with no frost that I could tell of. But the early part of next weekend is forecast for 39F and 37F again so perhaps it wasn't in vain. At least that's over for another year - now just gotta suck it up and pay the hefty electric bill. I added two additional halides this year too - ouch. I too could really use a Greenhouse. Maybe at my next home - unless I wise up and move to a warmer climate.

Good luck to everyone moving stuff in.

Well they are calling for the mid 30's here next Friday with highs in the low 60's .. I guess I'll be moving more and more stuff into the greenhouse this week .. I already have all the extra tropicals in there.

Yep, we'll all be doing the final moving in this week. Happy indoor gardening all!

I just saw 35F forecast for this coming Friday and Saturday, so now I'm glad I moved stuff in - means less work this week. Just a few last palms to move in and I'm ready for winter... well, as ready as I can be. Still hate watching the yard go from lush beautiful goodness to wilted decaying plant matter :(

I just came in from moving stuff in, I'm about 80% finished. Still wondering if I should keep the Super Dwarf Cavendish in the house or not. It has a big footprint and 3 other plants in smaller pots could fit in the space it takes. Are banana leaves poisonous? I have two plant grazing kitties.

I don't think any of the Musa's are poisonous... at least I don't recall seeing it any of the books I've had about which plants to keep away from pets.

Thanks .. In looking for info I actually came across some recipes for cooking food in banana leaves!

People have wrapped food in banana leaves and cooked it that way for ???? (ever)_.

Good point, how could I forget the Umu Oven in Hawaii...

Looks like our first frost is going to be a freeze... calling for 30F this Saturday.

Calling for 33 here .. every thing is in the greenhouse and already I have whiteflies on the Solanaceae Family plants. Gotta go dig out the DE machine.

38 Sat morning and 34 Sunday morning for Sumter...it'll be a close one...

They dropped us to 29 Saturday night now, so I grabbed every last thing and chopped off my sugar cane and Ti plants - figured I'd save them for next spring. Seems like every year the bottom just drops out one weekend. Brrr

I have a sugar cane cutting about 5 ft long BTW. When do you plant that in the spring and how deep etc?? I'm figuring after last frost around march for me and you just make a little trench covering the cane with an inch or so of dirt??? Any words of advice??

Was in full panic mode yesterday, frantically bringing in dozens of tropicals while cursing myself for being such a procrastinator. Also took many justicia radiant, gold shrimp,variegated tapioca, pineapple sage, and brug cuttings. 35f in my backyard this morn with frost on the rooftop - was surprised it was above freezing. My tallest variegated tapioca is over 8' tall and still looks undamaged. May cover it with frost cloth cloth tonight so I can enjoy until the first killing freeze. Looking forward to temps bouncing back into the 70's in a few days and wishing I hadn't cut the j. radiants yesterday - they were all in full bloom and so gorgeous! Next year I'll know better.

I know exactly how you feel .. this was the first year I wasn't stuffing stuff in the greenhouse in a panic. It was nice. On the other hand .. I'm starting my whitefly battle very early .. usually don't start it til January. Grrrrrr.

I am so envious that you can get the tapioca to grow that large. Wow, it must be stunning.

Corey, I picked up a piece of red sugarcane at the Bamboo Farm Fall Festival and I believe the man said I can plant it now. I will hedge my bets by cutting it in half and planting the other half next spring. I have read where you can also grow it in pot, maybe it will get cut in thirdsies. Anyway, he said several inches deep and regular watering. If you look at the rings you should see little bumpy nodes and they should be planted facing up.

That tapioca is beautiful!

Ditto the above on the sugar cane. I've always planted it just like I would a Ti log. Just put it horizontally in the soil in a little trench and it'll root and do its thing. I typically take cuttings for the winter and by spring have babies ready to go in the ground. I never realized until this year how BIG these sugar cane plants can get.

We only hit 34F last night, but they're saying a freeze tonight for sure. Surprisingly, my bananas usually handle the first freeze pretty well... we'll see.

This message was edited Nov 6, 2010 12:59 PM

I was at the Bamboo Farm Fall Festival and I have exactly the same cane. Think I'll just keep mine in the garage in the dark and wait for the spring. Couldn't resist for $2, not sure what I'll do with it but it will look different, bet people ask what kind of bamboo it is.

Did you get to taste the Dragon Fruit? It was this psychedelic hot pink color and tasted pretty good. They took us into the greenhouse where they were growing it. The plants look like orchid cacti on steroids.

When I got up this morning at 7:30 (did everyone remember to fall back?) it was 38 degrees outside and 42 in the greenhouse .. how did everyone else do?

43 here. :-)

32f this morning with light scattered frost. Everything still looks undamaged, including tropical hibiscus and v. tapioca. Tomorrow I'll be putting some plants back outside, since temps are supposed to warm up and remain mild for at least another 10 days. Contemplating digging up some heliconia before the next freeze, but leaving at least one stand in ground with several layers of heavy mulch and frost cloth - ya never know!

I'm also interested in growing sugar cane in a low lying area of my property. I remember sugar cane growing along area ditch banks many years ago. (The ditches were also full of crawfish back then, which my dad used for fish bait.) I wonder if sugar cane spreads like running bamboo.

I'm leaving my Ensete ventricosum in the ground. I'm trying to decide if whether I should let a freeze take it down and dump a few bags of top soil on it or cut it and dump a few bags of topsoil on it .. any suggestions would be welcome.

It didn't get anywhere near what they'd forecast at 29F... I think we hit 36F at best and I didn't see any frost when I got up. Weird forecasting, that's for sure. Tori and I both noticed last night the temperature was actually rising around 11pm - must have been the cloud cover. Still forecasting 31F for tonight though.

Hi X, hope your banana does well. I also have a few varieties that need protection. Insulation by covering them in dirt never occurred to me. Would you cover the dirt with plastic to keep it dry?

This is new to me .. the thing with plastic is that I'd be afraid it would heat up the ground too much and make whatever want to grow. I just don't know if it's better to chop it or let nature chop it .. it's about 4 feet tall.

I wouldn't cut it down myself... I'd just let it be. I let several of mine go last year and despite the cold and snow they came right back to life in the spring.

Thanks for the reassurance .. I'll do just that.

Am I the only one who had a hard freeze last night. I'm still not sure how cold it got, but my growing season is over. Even the water in the birdbath froze.