darkmoondreamer, did you strip the leaves from your brugs? Most of mine are past the eaves of my house. I sure would need large bubble bags! :o)
Freeze coming what to do
hehe, those are only the size that I aspire to now htop! The first time I wrapped I tried so hard to tenderly save the little leaves, but they didn't fare well. The bubble wrap crushed them around badly and I lost the leaves. This time I was braver and just left every inch of the length of the plant of course, but cut back the stalks directly to where every tender "Y" started and took all the new leaves off. They are going to be lost anyway, and it will grow many more in the coming summer. As I said, the main big stalk is really the only concern about keeping healthy when they are planted in the ground I think. Course, when you cut back like that, no more blooms for the season, but, I wouldn't get them anyway due to the cold.
Thanks for the info. Several of my brugs have blooms that are blowin' in the wind right now which just riuins them. I have buds on all but 3 of the smallest ones that are in containers. I think I'll try your bubble bags on the one that is in a large container and barely fits in my greenhouse.
They predicted 35 here last night and it only got down to 41. I had the heater on in the greenhouse just in case. Now tonight is supposed to be even colder. So the heater will be on again. I covered all my big pots last night and they are still in their places waiting to be covered again. My brugs and poinsettias and mandevellia are in the workshop all warm. It gets down to 50 or so in there when it's in the 30's outside. My little brug buds are growing good. They are probably1/2 in long.
At least I'm not up north. I'd be buying a lot of propane for my little heater. The bubble bags are going to be a hit I know. I feel confident about them for next winter.
It's tough to predict what winter will be like. It's still fall. Last year, our low was 26ºF. I'll need to get a new Max-Min thermometer (My old one broke.) soon to keep a record of this winter's temperature. The previous 5 winters had lows of 23º. While the 2001-2002 winter had lows of 13ºF. The insulation value of bubble wrap is R-2 at most. LOL. All this to say, I'm wating until spring to evaluate the effectiveness of bubble wrap for Texas weather as opposed to the time spent wrapping and unwrapping it. In truth, temperatures have not hit 32ºF. I covered my Hamelia patens with some burlap, then with a Planket. A few branches escaped the cover due to the high winds we had. A few of the really tender tips are charred. By the end of winter, it's usually dead down to ground level. I'm trying to keep the top alive this year to see how much earlier it blooms next year.
38 tonight. Got all the blankets out again.
Has anyone asked Tammie (LhasaLover) how she did it with the brugs? I did not get the impression from her posts on the brug forum that she went out every day to wrap and unwrap. She said that when they unwrapped them when it warmed up, they were surprised to see all the growth underneath the bubble wrap.
All my brugs are new (from cuttings) and are still pretty small right now. But, as they get bigger, I really doubt I can keep up with wrapping and unwrapping every day. I may have to just keep the questionable brugs in pots and protect them inside. The ones that are usually hardy in this zone may just have to come back from the roots every year.
pbtxlady, I believe Tammy lives in an area where the weather stays consistantly cold for the winter, without alot of major fluctuations in temperature, so she is able to just keep hers wrapped for the entire winter. My invention of the Brug Bag, stemmed from using Tammie's idea, but adapting it for my atmosphere, and conditions. Where I live, the temperatures fluctuate wildly throughout the winter, below freezing one day, maybe 70 degrees the next. I want the protection of the bubbles during freezing weather, but if I left it on during the fluctuations, I would have moisture condensation, and therefore rotted plant under the wrap if I left it on. The bags enable me to have the best of both for my particular situation. No way I would wrap and unwrap constantly, I'm too lazy!
Well, the weathermen were way off again last night. it only got down to 40, not the predicted 32. My plants in the greenhouse enjoyed Florida conditions all night. Stayed between 52 and 57 in there. I found a 1 1/2 in bud on my Cherub this am. I'm so excited just to have them. At least I know she is a producer.
Tammie lives near the Panhandle where their conditions can get severe. I was born and raised in Amarillo and can remember the winters up there. I still think the brug bags will keep a brug from dying back to the ground in short freezes. For longer ones, brugs with pipe insulation and brug bags would work for prolonged freezes. The whole idea for them is to start with a taller plant in the spring rather than having to have it start from the ground up again. I just want to save the main stem and about 12 in of limbs if possible. The other can die back if the brug bag doesn't provide enough insulation. Both would be easy enough to take on and off when the temps fluctuate.
Last night was tougher here. It didn't drop as cool but stayed longer. At 1 am it was 31 and at 5 am it was still 31. The longer stretch of freezing temps will show on the tender perennials and annuals. Rather like sorting the men from the boys.
When I went to bed at 11pm it was 38. When I woke up at 6:30 am it was 40. So I am thankful for that. Yep, long freezes are tough on the tenders.
You must just be north of me. I'm in central east Texas.
No, I am a bit east south east. Near Toledo Bend and our temp zone actually dips in a pocket here on the zonal map. Our weather temperature is closer to Shreveport than anything.
Oh Toledo Bend. Very woodsy. I've seen some state parks in that area I'd like to camp in.
Yes, some folks feel smothered in these trees. I feel relieved and soothed when we return to this wooded east TX area.
And I've ridden the TX State Railroad more than once. Very pretty area there too!
It's supposed to get cold again tomorrow night Sun. when the clouds clear. I just put every thing (about 20 pots) outside today. These plants have to be getting dizzy with all this inside outside stuff. Last week it froze or got close to every night. I can't even put them in the garage because the cats use them as litter boxes. This is crazy, but I do have tomatoes on the vine in my kitchen!
I have green tomatoes too. And since our spring crop was really crummy, I'd like to try to save these!
My spring tomatoes are still producing fruit and the ones I planted in September have tomatoes. I hope that I can keep them going a bit longer. Keeping critters from eating them when they start to ripen is my main problem.
What type of critters? My garden is fenced (right now it only has 1 tomato plant and some winter vegies in it) I have deer because I have seen them and their fresh droppings but they have never gone over the fence. Maybe they saw me give them the evil eye. All my heirloom tomatoes that I planted for fall I dug up and put in containers that have spent a lot of time in my kitchen, But they are blooming and producing. We are in the same planting zone but it gets colder here. Do you have to deal with alot of wind? After preveiwing this post I sound like I'm crazy but I just want to prolong the growing season a little longer, especially with the price of fresh produce. Also, it gets cold here but not for long periods of time, like up north, there has got to be a way to do this. OK, I will quit rambling. I need to go make seed balls so they have time to dry.
I drove past a 90 year old neighbor's house yesterday. She must have all her quilts outside covering her tomatoes. She grows her tomatoes inside a tall wood framed area. Before a freeze, she hangs the quilts over the frame and along the sides.
1lisac, mine are in containers too.So, I either wrap them or move them in. The birds start pecking them right when they start to ripen. I had been picking the tomatoes before they are totally ripe; however, they don't taste the same as vine ripened ones. I moved 3 in front of my garage where the birds do not seem to bother them and they receive more sunlight now. Yes, the price of produce sure is going up.
I have talked my neighbor into permitting me to make a raised bed for an end of the block neighborhood veggie garden outside of his privacy fence. This area receives a lot of sun all year long. 3 neighbors are going to help me construct it and I will take care of the plants. Now, all I need is the money to buy everything.
bettydee, that is one smart lady. That's a great way to construct our neighborhood veggie garden Also, I plan on growing lettuce in my front flowerbed as well as kale.
I have never ridden the Texas Sate Rairoad. I've been here three years and have yet to do it. My brother works out there. I think all parts of Texas are pretty. I love the flat plains of the Panhandle because I was born there. The canyons are beautiful. The woods are comforting too.
1Lisac I hear ya about taking plants in and out. It was supposed to get to freezing Thurs and Fri nights but never did. I had my plants in the greenhouse with the heater on. They didn't need it. I took them out today to get fresh air and spread out, thinking they'd have all week to enjoy it, again according to the forecast. But I just looked at Weather Bug and the revised forecast has a low of 58 tonight with a low tomorrow night of 38. So..........Back in the GH the plants will go and cover the pots too big to come in. I don't know if there is a better way. We don't have a lot of wind unless a system is coming through. Then watch out. It can get blustery. I just watch the leaves fall like rain.
The birds do love tomatoes. Fried green tomatoes are good. I cut back my hubby's tomatoes after they were getting leggy and not really producing. They put on new growth and blossomed then had some small fruit. But the first freeze got them. They were in the ground and they weren't protected. Now the onions are doing real good.
We have a neighbor that wants to do community gardening. I think she and I would be the only ones caring for the plants. We have a big garden of our own. I just don't think I have it in me to take care of two gardens and a grandbaby.
Texasgrower, we don't have a lot of strong wind except when strong fromts come through like the last one or during thunderstorms. Thanks for mentioning the revised forecast. What a big difference in what was predicted. When my husband asked me to plant the newer tomato plants, I told him that the tomatoes probably would not have time to ripen. He said that he didn't care because he likes fried green tomatoes. I hope that they at least grow large enough to have a frying pan full. I think that you don't need to take care of a community garden too! :o)
Query: how exactly does one prepare fried green tomatoes? Sounds good.
Wow, Txgrower, my weatherbug says: low of 46 for tomorrow. Zone 8b, just north of San Antonio.
I just checked Weather Bug again and it says 38 for a low at our zip code. We are in central east Texas in the Piney Woods. I guess it gets colder here. I wish our low was going to be 46. But then again my peonies wouldn't be getting the 500 to 1000 hrs of temps in the 40's and below to bloom. So, I will live with it.
I love fried green tomatoes. I take fine cornmeal, season it with salt, pepper, and just about any other spice I may find. Then I take tomato slices and dredge them through beaten egg and milk. Then I fry them until golden brown, like you would okra. MMMMM.
Those winds that come in with the fronts or Thunderstorms can produce staight line winds up to 70 mph. We average 50 -60. I wonder how my brugs will like that? Hmmmm.
Wow, 70 mph! Yikes!
Weatherbug: now says: 42. . .
I can't grow peonies. I think they need acid soil.
I think most peony cultivars need COLD! I believe there are now some warmer climate varieties. I noticed a couple of you mentioned Weather Bug?
Podster, Weatherbug is a 'gadget' (bit of free software) that shows the temperature in your area and a forecast. Nice to have. It sometimes asks you for preferences for ads, but you can ignore them.
Thanks ~ I have one I use that has been consistent with my area temps. I will check it out
These peonies are an experiment to see if I can grow them here. There was a man around Dallas I think that successfully grew them. So I will try. I read they need 500-1000 hrs of 40s and colder temps to bloom. I also read it may take a couple of years for them to start blooming. I'm willing to wait. If all I ever get is a pretty bush, so be it.
Weather bug still has us at 38 for tonight. I will put my plants back into the greenhouse, front porch and sheets on pots too big to bring in. Then my brugs, poinsettias and egg tree go into the workshop. I have plants stashed everywhere!
We are 38 tonight too but what's out will stay out. It is hardening off.
O.K., now I know what Weather Bug is, what the heck is an egg tree? LOL
Look them up in plant files under Easter Egg tree. I don't know how to hyperlink or I would send you there. It is also known as Golden Egg tree. It is a tropical that doesn't like it below 50. It puts off fruit that looks like an egg, then eventually turns yellow. I have some seeds if you'd like to try it after looking at it.
I'll have to post a pic of my brugs that are planted out. My peach and Dr. Suess are blooming like mad. But after the last frost they look like naked ladies. Not a leaf in site but still showing off their best assets. lol
Anne
Are they edible?
Aunt Anne ~ the blooms/buds didn't drop? How cool.... I would love to see a photo.
I have one of those....it's called an Easter Egg Tree! (It's actually an eggplant.) 'Got it at the LA swap this spring. Has been quite a conversation piece since!
If I can for once get home from work before dark. I only get to enjoy them by early morning light. I started work at a new school district with a lot more responsibilities and it's about to eat my lunch. Of course as you can see, not so that I can't get on here from time to time during the day, lol. I was amazed that the buds didn't drop either. I did nothing to protect them.
Yes, they are edible. I haven't tried them yet. I have found recipes on google. Some say prepare it like you would eggplant. They are small fruit. Like I said, looks like an egg so it's about the size of an egg. It's blossoms are purple. And it is a conversation piece plant.
Anne, do show us pics please.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2017/ is this it?
Love to add a comment guys but I need to bring all my plants back in the house. If the temp. would just make up its mind.