I have a partially enclosed large balcony (still exposed to high winds at times) in zone 8 Downtown Vancouver. I have some plants that are marginal in this area...some hardy gardenias and a few other plants which can only take so much cold. Now I have a Dicksonia antarctica and some Agapanthus. Is it harder on the plants to try to wrap and/or protect them outside or just to bring them into a 20C degree room on very cold nights. I am unsure if the shock of the warm temperature is more harmful than enduring the cold. Does anyone have any ideas on this? FYI I have managed to unintentionally overwinter some chlorophytum (ordinary spider plants) and tradescantias in this location with no protection..and I have a large bay laurel tree that seems to thrive with no protection.
Marginal plants will live until it gets too cold for them one day and then die, so past experience only of use as indicator of likely future results when based on long interval. You will do best to create some kind of situation that will protect plants for duration of Arctic spells without bringing them into the house for the whole time. Maybe you will even have to install a small greenhouse or frame to keep things like the tree fern going.
thanks, Ron...but I also meant --how much damage does it do to bring a plant into a warm room for a few days to avoid a really cold snap and then return it to the great outdoors when it is warmer (but still winter cool)?
Living Christmas trees are supposed to be taken back out after 5 days, don't know what this is based on. Something like a tree fern might be more touchy. Some Arctic spells may last 2 weeks.
I don't think I have ever seen a Christmas tree that didn't suffer greatly from being in for 5 days...I think I'm going to have to re-evalutae my tree fern situation. Thanks for your advice :)
The Dicksonia antarctica should be ok outside but can you make it a straw cover to protect it, Around here and in Tasmania they tolerate snow but it would not be of the variety you get. They are understory plants well protected under Mountain Ash (Eucalypt) and grow along creek gullies so really need to be protected to some degree It is a cool temperate plant http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2003/dicksonia-antarctica.html. The Agapanthus around here are weeds and tolerate heat and cold and dryness but that probably will not mean yours will make it. Try having them in tubs you can shift to a sheltered spot. http://www.gardenexpress.com.au/ind...g_guide/agapanthus/agapanthus.html&lang=en-us
This is a balcony, presumably up in the air where cold can penetrate containers from all sides. And tree ferns are not hardy most (all?) parts of this region even growing in the ground. "D. antarctica...Hardiest of tree ferns; well-established plants tolerate 20F/-7C" --Sunset WESTERN GARDEN BOOK
well it rarely gets to 20F in this area and the balcony is mostly enclosed...but I don't think that I am going to even attempt it..It may survive a fall to 20F..but months of continual 40F probably won't be good for it either...thankx
It won't care about the 40F, but 20F in a pot would surely do it in. And Vancouver gets much colder than that. We've gotten near or below 5F down here before. That's the thing about "rarely" in regard to weather, killer winters don't come on a schedule. It could be 10F there in 30 years or 30 days.
I agree but Vancouver rarely gets that cold...at least not in the downtown area where I live..I suppose the heat generated by the city helps (that in itself is an interesting topic--the effect on microclimate of large cities)...I remember having much colder winters here about 50 years ago when the place was much smaller:)
Gee, I'd give it a try! nothing to lose.. Somewhere I read that one should trim off the fronds, then construct a simple cylindrical cage to set up around the plant and its pot, several inches more in diameter than the pot itself, and several inches higher than the top of the pot. Fill up this cage with insulation - loosely packed dry leaves, styrofoam peanuts (or the biodegradable version, or even perhaps crumpled up newspaper. Once full, make a waterproof 'lid' for the top - a garbage bag loosely tied over the top will do. And place the whole contraption in the most sheltered outdoor spot you have. I did this with my 2year-old Dicksonia on a west-facing deck in Victoria last year. It survived that winter, and two previous ones. I'm in Victoria. The spot I put it is mostly sheltered from wind , and completely sheltered from the bitter NE arctic outflow. If yours is sitting on concrete, I'd probably also lift it clear of the concrete surface? Marie
