Just as I thought: I had to cover my plants while the wind blew me to and fro. Well, with a prediction of 30 for tonight, I had to do it. I'm guessing San Antonio is going to be RIGHT on the edge of 32. Hope, for Htop's sake, that it is just OVER that.
(Near) Freeze this Friday
Predictions are all over the page, anywhere from 31º to 40º. I ain't takin' no chances. So I covered maters, taters, and a few eggplants. The rest of everything was still in plastics and they went indoors.
Worked too hard to get maters this far. They grew so much these last few days it's as if they just exploded.
Jerry
Very neat set up Jerry.
I can remember growing up a neighbor had a small garden in their yard. They would take cattle panels and cut them to use as tomato cages. When the plants were very young they'd wrap the cage in plastic. When we were expecting a cold snap like last night and tonight, they'd just re-wrap them. It was an easy set up for them.
Josephine, how did your plant sales go?
I received some good news from my daughter today and the whistling ducks returned to my satellite dish bird feeder. I was so cheered up that I actually overcame a few physical problems and moved most of my tender stuff back into the 10' by 12' greenhouse. All hanging baskets are protected. I filled up my "makeshift greenhouses" which are tall adjustable shelving units that I wrap with freeze cloth like presents and sawhorses with boards on them I place the sawhorse near a fence, place containers on them and then drape freeze cloth attached to the fence with clothespins over the plants. These have worked very well without even having any added heat. I wrapped the bases of my in-ground angel trumpets and covered other stuff with freeze cloth. Its 1:45 AM and I am still not finished. I have been taking a break for a couple of hours. I still have the tomatoes, peppers and onions to wrap or move to safety (they are in containers). The citrus trees will have to tough it out or I my fire up my chimenea in the wee hours of the morning just for them and a couple of hibiscus plants.
Kendalia, I live in NW San Antonio at the base of the Hill Country and it is almost always exactly 3 degrees colder here than the more central parts of San Antonio. It will be right at or below freezing tonight IF the weather forecasters are correct. I worry about low temperatures with low humidity. It is 49 and dropping now. Thanks for your well wishes.
LindaTX8, I hope that your husband is okay. I will be digging up the elderberry soon to take you.
I woke to find frost on the ground and the roof, so I'm glad I took precautions. I won't uncover plants until later, but I'm confident they'll be OK. I think we had a very brief freeze. H, I hope your stuff came through. Sounds like you worked all night.
Hello Hazel, it looks like you had a plant saving marathon session, you are indeed a brave woman. I hope they all survived just fine, it is such a shame to lose the lovely and valuable plants you have worked so hard for.
The NPSOT plant sale went really well, it was in conjunction with the Fort Worth Botanic gardens. This sale is always very popular and the turn out was excellent in spite of the temperature in the 40s and the wind blowing at 25mph.
We sold all but a few plants, so it shows that people are seriously looking for native plants.
Josephine.
No frost and no freeze! Yea! The low was 35°. We made it, thank God. I just turned off the heater in the GH. I will uncover the plants in about an hour or so. After the sun has had a chance to really get up and the temp starts rising.
Dodged another bullet. Such a big state with such varying temps. I was raised in the Panhandle. I'm so glad I don't live there now, although I love it. They had a BLIZZARD. I do hope this is the last.
I hope that everyone's efforts have been rewarded as they awaken today and take stock of all their plants. The best to all. Now get some rest after hard work and late hours. Me, I'm taking mine out today. We are warming up for the week.
Got to 32 here, my containers I had covered look fine. Haven't checked the roses and clematis yet.
I had 37º. Interesting Winter!
Guess this Summer will be one having a record number of 100º++ days.
I'm off to uncover the maters & taters until the next time.
Jerry
frostweed, I just going and going and going like am am sure everyone else did. I am glad to hear that the plant sale was a success despite the weather. I never really worry much about my native plants being killed. They can take a beating whether its the cold, the heat or a drought. I wish I had planted more native plants in my landscape when I first moved in my house in the 80s. I just was not informed then.
It did not freeze here. I am feel sorry for the folks in the Pan Handle. A spring blizzard ... ugh.
Texasgrower, lrwells50 and texasrockgarden, glad to hear your plants are fine.
Frost. 30 degrees. A lot of new growth wilted on some shrubs and trees.
I covered my tomaotes and peppers last night and had some things in plastic boxes and under a table.. the boxes I put the lid on but the table I wrapped with a sheet and then hooked a light bulb under it and left it on all night. everything was fine when I uncoverd it this am ..We got to about 36 last night I hope it is our last frost but who knows???...lol..
WildcatThicket, I think that the trees and shrubs will recovery quickly. At least let's hope so. It is always so sad to see the new growth wilted.
blkraven2, I'm glad your plants are okay. I'm afraid to bring all my plants back out of the greenhouse; however, they can't stay in there because they will roast with warm daytime highs. We have had late freezes here in April before.
I stuck everything back outside yesterday. That's it for me hauling stuff in for the spring. Either it makes it or it dies. LOL *IF* we get another cold spell, a sheet draped over everything is all I'm gonna do.
Now then, can someone please turn down the fan?!? I think the wind is worse on the plants than the weather.
I'm done babying mine. My nursery client says we'll have another frost around the 10th of April. Hope she's wrong.
DH & I had put black plastic pots on our tomatoes & peppers and then laid a landscape timber across the row to hold them. Couldn't do much else for all the rest but pray. Pray we did!
Would you believe ALL plants seemed to have survived, and we didn't even lose a bloom on the peach tree ;-) The worst damage came last Friday with the hail. Tore UP some of my plants like the Agave Cactus, Beaver tail Cactus, Purple Jew, and a few other plants that had such tender new growth.
Amazed at what did survive--going to take stock again this week but I may have more Texas natives than I originally thought. Since I started my migration down here in 2005, I've been trying to get more & more drought tolerant (native) plants in the landscape. Not sure I ever convinced the MIL this was a good idea. Sigh/LOL
Irwells, bite your tongue. Or better yet, tell that client of yours to bite hers. ;) No frost or freezes any more this year. I with Stepanie, I'm tired of dragging stuff in and out. I'm not planting my brugs until the middle of the month. They scream at me everyday, " Let us free, let us free!" But with my luck I would plant them and there would come a freeze or frost. Oh I would not be happy. These brugs are cuttings I rooted last fall and kept inside all winter.
htop,..... I think of you every spring when my pineapple guava begins to bloom! It would have languished in a pot had you not told me how to plant it.
stephanietx, the wind has been ferocious down here too. It has shredded some of my brugs' leaves.and dries out everything.
lrwells50, I hope nursery client is sooo wrong.
Cajun2, the one thing I dread worse than a freeze is hail. I'm sorry that some of your plants were damaged.
Texasgrower, I hope your brugs are freed soon. :o) I'm just taking mine that are in containers back out of the greehouse.
bigbubbles, it is nice to know that you think of me. I was very happy to help you and am delighted that your pineapple guava is doing so well.
OK it was 34* at my house this A.M.! I never heard or saw anything that said it would get below 40*. I thought the thermometer was wrong but the one in the truck said the same thing. Everything is OK but man, did I wake up quick when I saw that 34.
Lisa
I noticed it was colder also and didn't hear it was going to be colder. But it was only mid-40's here! Thank goodness, I had put a few more seedlings outside yesterday.
There's another cool front heading our way tonight. Might also get more thunderstorms.
Yes, I'm seeing a prediction of 41 for tomorrow night. Not good, if it goes lower.
We're due for three nights in the 30's in the next 10 days.
I just saw the weather report and it says 43* in Austin tomorrow night so it will definately freeze here. I have sold most of my seedlings and planted some of mine in the ground. It looks like they are all getting covered or coming back in the house Thursday. I have clients that have already planted their whole garden, we thought we had waited long enough. It seems late in the season for this much cold weather.
Lisa
What I've got so far is pretty hardened. The stuff in the ground made it thru a couple of hours at 32 last weekend, so I'm hoping 37 and 39 won't faze them