Well the day has finally arrived...Environment Canada is calling for minus 3 degrees overnight tonight in the Nanaimo/Vancouver island area. It was a nice run while it lasted. Today I will be mulching my canna/EE beds with straw and bringing in the last of the frost tender pots. The wind has knocked down much of the maple leaves which I will leave in place to help mulch the garden. I have a tiny greenhouse with a heat lamp (the kind you warm baby chicks with) for my very tenders, succulents, seedlings, etc. The banana wraps will wait until the leaves start to turn brownish. I bought a couple of racks with plastic covers from Canadian tire for my 1 gallon palms to give a gentle break from frosty winds and keep them from drowning if we get our usual rains. For my young palms in the garden, I surround them with 10-15 gallon pots that have had the bottoms cut out. This shelters the base from the worst of the cold winds and the black pots warm up in the daytime sun. I leave the pot uncovered so the palm still breathes and isn't completely bundled up. This worked wonders for my 1 gallon sized Butias and Jubeas. Anyone else have overwintering tips to share?
palmera ... I noticed the same forecast, although I'd be surprized to see it dip quite that low. I'm predicting 0 to -1C around my place. We'll see tomorrow! The winds are gusting 30 to 40 knots on the Strait and around 25 knots here, but it is sunny. Musa is taking a beating. Here's a pic I got from a gardening buddy in Port Alberni. He's quite clever and devised this PVC tubing structure for his Chamaerops humilis. A tarp or poly canopy is set over top and is secured with bungee cords. It can be pulled down over the sides and supplimental heat added if the conditions warrant. More PVC can be added as the palm grows taller and the thing dismatles in minutes. Brilliant I'd say. Cheers, LPN.
Wow! That sure is a nice looking structure. It is almost nice enough to leave year round! I would think that in Port Alberni he wouldn't need to protect such a large Chamaerops. The weather always seems to be a degree or two milder there for some reason. Maybe for the rain, I guess. I have bought some small umbrella type covers from Canadian tire to cover my plants that like it drier like agaves and my Chamaerops, too. Really a slick thing for only a few dollars each. I pinned them dow with tent pegs for the wind. Here's some pics of them and of my fiberglass cactus cover. Note the blooming yellow cactus! Zonal denial all the way!
Great pics! My Opuntia have never bloomed this time of year, only in summer. Port Alberni always is the coldest spot on the south and central Island, but according to my gardening buddy it depends where you are. His place is somewhat milder than the airport temps. Isn't that always the case!? Cassidy (Nanaimo) airport is where the media get their info and it's routinely colder there than around town or most anywhere in the vicinity. Here's a Google personal weather station map. You can navigate around using the arrows, or search the city in which you want info on. http://www.wunderground.com/stationmaps/gmap.asp?zip=00000&magic=1&wmo=71892 Cheers, LPN.
Just got back from a little hike with my girlfriends; we cut it short as it was beginning to drizzle and the temps were dropping. As I drove back home, the precipitation hitting the windshield definitely had a snow component; guess I'll go out and pick all the orange tomatoes in the hoophouse; it will probably freeze inside tonight.
The forcasters where right. It did drop to -3C (27F) at the Nanaimo airport (as predicted by E.C.) and my prediction also was right. My overnight low was -0.5C (31F) here in Lantzville, just enough to have the Musa leaves look droopy. Cheers, LPN.
Looks like you are 4 or 5 days ahead of Britain here, the first frosts of the autumn for here are forecast for later this week (Thurs/Fri).
Actually, the Musa is fine other than being wind beaten. No frost evidence, only the Brugmansia seems affected.
All my Cannas and Banana's leaves are done, black and dead. I am by Swan lake in Victoria, I did not see what the min was here last night. This is my first year with these sorts of plants, and I had read about what happens with frost and I was ready for it, but it was still a real sad sight to go out this morning to black, droppy, mushy leaves on what had been beautiful big green plants. Makes me look forward to next spring. Everything is well mulched and ready if this keeps up, which it feels outside right now like it may.
Well I did get minus 3 here in Chemainus and just spent the evening bundling up my Musas. Their leaves were blackened and now ready for their winter wraps. All else tropical is limp. I hate winter.
Here on the Maine coast we got our first real frost last night. The overnight low at my place was about 29F. I do love this time of year, but it's aggravating to have to drag all the tender stuff indoors. More and more I've gotten into hardier potted specimens like bamboos, perennial herbs and ivies that I can leave outdoors much longer into the autumn. I don't have much actual garden space at my current, rented digs, so much of my "garden" consists of this potted collection. That will change next year, I hope, when my little cottage in the woods gets finished.
palmera ... -3c (26.6F) is cold for this time of year. That's close to a record low! Rain's coming by Thursday. Some of my Musa basjoo took the worst of it and another clump looks in mid-summer form. One stand was hit hard with wind (Sunday)and now frost as we had -1.3c (29.5f) last night, while the second grouping is looking just fine. Cheers, LPN.
