Quote:
Originally Posted by Olafhenny
How cold can it get in HZ9? If the enclosure is small enough, just toss in a couple
of plastic gallon jugs with hot tap water before you go to bed, when the forecast
is for frost. The enclosure itself should keep it at least 5^F warmer than the outside
temperature, unless the wind can blow right through it. The ground exudes heat and the
enclosure prevents it from dissipating fast. Usually you only have frost in your zone,
when the nights are clear and that as a rule means that during the day the sun shines
into your cold frame and heats up the ground, which preserves some of the heat for
the night.
I got myself a couple of min/max thermometers, which I hang up in my shelters.
They will tell me in spring how cold it got in there during the winter.
You could use a couple of those to monitor how cold it got during the night inside
your cold frame vs. the low temperature outside. These min/max thermometers
can answer some questions for you, which are particular to your circumstances,
better than anybody here on this forum.
Best,
Olaf
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Thanks for the great idea. I wrapped a Namwah that's fruting right now with Christmas lights and burlap around the trunk, and then a giant sheet of plastic around the whole thing. It has been down to 30 the last few nights and the flower and fruit are fine. Quite a bit of damage to the leaves though, mostly brown but some green left on the leaves. If it gets any colder, I will toss in a few water jugs at the base just inside where I staked the plastic. Not sure this will even save the fruit since I'm sure the plant is headed to dormancy with this cold weather
