Deep Chill Continues

With my usual timing, I am now looking up as many of my plants as I can find tags for, and finding out what their cold tolerances are.

By the amount of plants I have brought in to protect, it would seem that most of the plants that can tolerate our searing summers can't take the handful of days or so of true cold* that the low desert experiences.  This.  This is frustrating.  Sigh.

I've even managed to lose some of my agaves.  Just didn't know that they were tender, as they are passalongs and I have no idea what they actually are.  They have fat bulbish bodies, so I am nursing a hope that the leaves will die back and they *may*, maybe if I am very lucky, grow from the stem.  It's a long shot, though.  I'm pretty resigned to losing them. 

So last night it was predicted to go down to 21 degrees. It did dip to 29, which is still bone chillin' cold for these plants. Tonight they are looking for 29 again.  Brrrrr. 

Yesterday morning I got a picture of skim ice on my larger pond tank.  Today, that skim ice stayed all day.  This pond is sited so that the winter sun doesn't hit it, it sits in the shade of the house. 

 

*Yes, Minnesota, I know that temps hovering just below freezing are the balmy winter days for you, but this is the DESERT.  Below freezing is not our winter norm, okay?

Comments

[David C.]

That is cold for Phx, though I still wish I would have gone down for the Fiesta Bowl. Today here, a 6F low and so far 34F...and I am going mountain biking! Enjoy your balmy 50's...

[Jenn]

Hey, David!

You are a rock star, biking in 34F. Brrrrrr.

[Vynnie the Gardener]

Frost cover and twinkle lights will soon enough become the main of your winter garden decorations. (don't forget the thermometers) I too lost dozens of agaves in the 2007 freeze, and my garden has evolved accordingly. Good luck with 2011!

[Crystal - old timer knives]

Now that it's warm again would love to hear about what you've been up to garden wise.

[Jenn]

Hi Crystal,

I've been dreaming, mostly.