Lee: We had a devastating freeze of 22 degrees F after two weeks in the 80's and many trees in full leaf. I had several clumps of hippeastrum (including H. 'Voodoo') in full bud that were left unprotected in the freeze ( 5 nights in a row). All have since opened regularly showing no effect of the freeze. I'm impressed...wish I could say the same for many of our native trees. Tony Avent Plant Delights Nursery @ Juniper Level Botanic Garden 9241 Sauls Road Raleigh, North Carolina 27603 USA Minimum Winter Temps 0-5 F Maximum Summer Temps 95-105F USDA Hardiness Zone 7b email tony@plantdelights.com website http://www.plantdelights.com/ phone 919 772-4794 fax 919 772-4752 "I consider every plant hardy until I have killed it myself...at least three times" - Avent Lee Poulsen wrote: > Yes, I have experience with Hipps and low temperatures (such as the > ones you ask about). As you probably know, California, in particular > southern California, had a fairly severe freeze for our climate. Many > locations, even close to the ocean saw temperatures below freezing on > one or more mornings in January. Several nurseries in northern San > Diego County that were only about 3 miles away from the ocean measured > lows of mid-20s F for four mornings in a row. I even saw frozen leaves > on plants in beachside neighborhoods in San Diego, which is one of the > few USDA zone 11 locations in mainland USA. It was a severe radiation > freeze with zero air movement in many locations leading to very small > microclimates (nanoclimates?) just about everywhere. I just heard from > several growers of Plumeria in Orange County who had them killed on one > side of their house and untouched on another side of their house. Even > at my house, my main exposed outdoor thermometer read 26 deg F. on the > coldest morning. Nevertheless, in my sizable side yard (where I grow a > lot of things since it gets the cooler morning sun), I think the > temperature only reached maybe 30 or 31 deg. F. Nothing I had there, > including seedlings showed any indication of freezing weather at all. > Clivias in my backyard (where my main thermometer is located) had > considerable leaf damage, while 6-month-old Clivia seedlings in the > sideyard acted as if nothing happened. That is also where I had all my > mature Hippeastrums as well as some 2 year old Hipp. seedlings. Even > though I tried to protect most of them from winter moisture, since > we're having a record-breaking low-rainfall year (3 inches total for > the year), the Hipps have been kept dry all winter. Even so, 2/3 of > them never lost their leaves. And none of the leaves were frozen on any > of the Hipps that had them. All of them appear to have survived the > freeze without any signs that they even cared. And even the species > that I worry about and keep in my unheated greenhouse experienced > temperatures in the high 30s on a couple of the mornings. (Nothing in > there was harmed or hurt. I have a few Episcias, but I've already > learned that they act like they've been frozen whenever they experience > temperatures in the low 40s F. So I always bring them inside before > then.) > > So if this is helpful to you, then good. More likely this will confirm > to some how foolish I and a number of other plant hobbyists in Southern > California are in how and what we try to grow outside in this climate. > > --Lee Poulsen > Pasadena, California, USDA Zone 10a > > On Apr 30, 2007, at 9:37 AM, Stephen Putman wrote: > > >> It has been a really peculiar weather year. >> >> I am wanting to get some of the bulb pots moved out of the greenhouse, >> but the weather still is too hot inside some days and too cold(?) >> outside some days. Does anyone have experience with Hippeastrum >> species >> and minimum night temperatures? I have always used 50 F as a nominal >> minimum. Anybody have experience with, say, 45? or 40? >> >> > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > >