No one freak out by the brutal cold that will be here in a few days

[namnhi]

I don't think we got below 20. The phone said 22 at 7:30 and the smart thermostat said 25. The forecast was 17. In this case, warmer is better than colder. We will start warming up from here.. will be in the high 60s by the weekend. Everything will come out then

 

[Zac]

@Cajunrider Saw the weather man said Lake Charles will be 9F tonight. At least you have good amount of snow to insulate the trees. Good test for moving to PA.

Yeah because we were -7 this morning and we have 8 inches of snow that's south central PA north is worst

 

[Paradox]

A friend of mine is worried about his satsuki azaleas. His coldframe went down to 15 F last night.
The cold frame is covered so protected from wind but its not up against his house so it doesnt benefit from the radiant heat that would provide.
The pots are on the ground and they got rain before they got a little bit of snow on them.

He has alot of the same varieties I do., but my cold frame has stayed above 25F
Kazan
Hi-No-Maru
Miyu-no-Kagayaki
Benikagi
Chinzan

Some other varieties I dont remember right now
Should he be worried or do we think he will probably be ok?

@Glaucus, @Pitoon, @Deep Sea Diver

 

[rockm]

A friend of mine is worried about his satsuki azaleas. His coldframe went down to 15 F last night.
The cold frame is covered so protected from wind but its not up against his house so it doesnt benefit from the radiant heat that would provide.
The pots are on the ground and they got rain before they got a little bit of snow on them.

He has alot of the same varieties I do., but my cold frame has stayed above 25F
Kazan
Hi-No-Maru
Miyu-no-Kagayaki
Benikagi
Chinzan

Some other varieties I dont remember right now
Should he be worried or do we think he will probably be ok?

@Glaucus, @Pitoon, @Deep Sea Diver

They should probably be ok. I’ve left my shiro ebisu out in the mulch for the last ten years. It hasn’t been a problem and it’s been single digits a few times. Low teens are concerning though and it may boil down to specific cultivar as to what happens. I’ve got a hino maru out there too. I bet on a mild winter and
Didn’t pay to put it in a cold greenhouse this winter. At this point trying to “save” a satsuki might do more harm than good waking it from dormancy etc. keep fingers crossed until spring

 

[vp999]

Just took the trash out...
View attachment 580845
... in a tshirt and sweatpants. My hands stuck to the doorknob slightly because they were wet from washing the dishes. Thats a new one.

 

[ShadyStump]

As far as I know they go into hibernation. I was wondering about all the tropical plants outdoors.

I imagine so under NORMAL cold conditions, but a flash freeze like the gulf states are seeing now makes me wonder if there's some sort of build up required.

Weird things happen when tropical and semi-tropical places freeze. Whenever central or south Florida freeze, we hear about iguanas falling out of trees.

I've heard of this before! Again, though, this isn't the normal "cold" they would usually see.

The childhood biologist in me is terribly curious how this will play out.

 

[Mikecheck123]

I'm hoping for a few deaths so I know what to worry about.

 

[Paradox]

They should probably be ok. I’ve left my shiro ebisu out in the mulch for the last ten years. It hasn’t been a problem and it’s been single digits a few times. Low teens are concerning though and it may boil down to specific cultivar as to what happens. I’ve got a hino maru out there too. I bet on a mild winter and
Didn’t pay to put it in a cold greenhouse this winter. At this point trying to “save” a satsuki might do more harm than good waking it from dormancy etc. keep fingers crossed until spring

Thanks. I told him they would probably be fine and better off if he doesn't try to dig them out and put them in his garage

 

[Charlo]

Thanks. I told him they would probably be fine and better off if he doesn't try to dig them out and put them in his garage

I have a Chinzan and Kazan outside in plastic pots missed getting them in garage. Has been down to the low single digits, and now it is still in low teens at night. Very surprised they look as good as the ones in the garage. We shall see how they look and compare to the protected ones in the Spring.

 

[Paradox]

I have a Chinzan and Kazan outside in plastic pots missed getting them in garage. Has been down to the low single digits, and now it is still in low teens at night. Very surprised they look as good as the ones in the garage. We shall see how they look and compare to the protected ones in the Spring.

Chinzan and Kazan are among the more hardy of azaleas used for bonsai.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

A friend of mine is worried about his satsuki azaleas. His coldframe went down to 15 F last night.
The cold frame is covered so protected from wind but its not up against his house so it doesnt benefit from the radiant heat that would provide.
The pots are on the ground and they got rain before they got a little bit of snow on them.

He has alot of the same varieties I do., but my cold frame has stayed above 25F
Kazan
Hi-No-Maru
Miyu-no-Kagayaki
Benikagi
Chinzan

Some other varieties I dont remember right now
Should he be worried or do we think he will probably be ok?

@Glaucus, @Pitoon, @Deep Sea Diver

Pretty borderline, especially the Miyunokagayaki, not so sure about the Benikagi either.

Hopefully these are all mulched in and in deep pots? In any event I’d be concerned.

Regards,
DSD sends

 

[Paradox]

Not sure what pots he has them in but they aren't mulched in since they are in an enclosed coldframe

 

[penumbra]

Here in the Northern Shenandoah Valley they were calling for a slight warm up to 8 degrees last night but it was minus 2 when I got up this morning. I believe that is the coldest I have seen in about 7 years.

 

[namnhi]

I think the cold snap has passed. Our coldest was Wednesday's morning which clock in at 18F degrees. Now the back breaking job will be this weekend as everything will be out. Our low will be in the upper 40s low 50s and our high will be in the mid 60s. We also had about 1.5 inch of snow. This is still about 6 or 7 degrees higher than the 2021 cold snap. Also the day's high are much higher than 2021 freeze as well.
How low did your place goes and how is it compared to past 10 years?

 

[TomP]

We got to 10F which is a few degrees lower than our average yearly but we have seen colded. We did not get to the 3 or 4 F that was predicted, so I think the trees I had outside that were mulched in should good and the trees I moved to the garage stayed at around 35-38F so they are good also

 

[Cajunrider]

We didn’t beat the cold temp record of 1899 and snow fall record of 1895 but set very close second places.

 

[MalsRFun in TN]

Here in East Tennessee, near Knoxville, we have just gone above freezing for the first time in at least 5 days, with consecutive nights in the low teens and a low of 9 F yesterday. I have munched, covered with plastic, and broken my back to drag stuff into my unheated garage, where, according to my car, the temperature went down Tuesday night to 36. Amid all this worry, I present you with a picture just now of some collards I got for a buck per six pack, forgot to plant, tossed in one of my growing tanks last fall still in their six pack container.

I think there's hope my trees will all survive the polar blast.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

It isn't the lows that are surprising, it is the low highs that are really getting us down in NC. 9 out of the last 22 days the average temp hasn't been above freezing. Today is the 4th day in a row where everything in my garden has frozen - and has stayed frozen. We are slowly coming out of it, and four days from now are supposed to hit a day of average temperature.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Not sure what pots he has them in but they aren't mulched in since they are in an enclosed coldframe

…well then it’s keep those fingers crossed. We mulch in plants in the cold frames here… maybe just a bunch of NW outliers. Always it gives a bit of an edge, keeping the pots from freezing partially or even solid for a couple extra days… which is usually enough here.

Speaking of freezing the rootball solid. If the aforementioned azaleas did freeze partially or totally and do survive the cold spell, it is possible these azaleas will need at least a partial repot and or aerating and at worst root washing…but I’m sure you’re on top of this.

Please pass on my best wishes to your friend.. and of course, to you.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[Japonicus]

From Sat Jan 4th we still have several inches of that snow on the ground,
with a 1/2 inch ice sandwich in between the 3 phase storm.
Our water went out last night which was quite alarming.
Water co. didn't answer the phone. Came back on around 2am thankfully
because we got down to 1.9º. My neighbor lost water too, so I figured it was a main break.
Charleston had 2 mains break yesterday when we hit -6.5ºF here.
Finally got above freezing today...33ºF and freeze thaw cycle for a week starting Sat. = rock slides and pot holes.