Nerine casualties

Jim McKenney jimmckenney@starpower.net
Sat, 04 Mar 2006 07:16:14 PST
I'm sorry to hear about your Nerine losses, Ernie. Can you explain in more
detail what you did to protect them? The reason I'm asking is that I put my
Nerine outside several weeks ago; since then, there have been several
overnight dips, one down to the 12-15 degree F range. So far, there has been
no significant damage. 

The Nerine are in pots near a house wall. The proximity of the wall no doubt
ameliorates the temperature dips, and the plants are covered nightly with a
double layer of plastic tarp. They are not only covered, the edges are
sealed so that there is little if any air movement. So far, this has worked.
I doubt that this system of protection will work in a normal winter, when we
sometimes go for days or even weeks at a time when the daytime temperature
does not go above freezing. But this has been an exceptionally mild winter.


I'm amazed and very happy that this has worked here, but obviously I'm
skating on thin ice. Understanding in greater detail what you did may help
all of us come to a better way of protecting these plants. 

Jim McKenney
Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7, where nights are still cold
enough to freeze bowls of water solid. 


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