My potted cuttings and plants have been outside, under the porch for about a week now, and for the next 3 nights the temps are going to dip into the 30's. The days will be in the 60's. Do I have to bring them all in, or will they be fine? I really wish MN would make up her mind...
Kathy, I've found that 30° temps don't hurt the brugs....as long as it doesn't freeze. In fact, they seem to like it. I think Patty has been through the same thing and found no damage with those temps.
I keep mine in the ground year round and we have many nights of low 30's and I haven't lost a one. Good luck and yes, MN is a teaser!!
Jarie, would the same be true for plants kept in a Greenhouse all winter? I'm worried the cool summer/hot winter thing might freak my plants out when I move them. We have been getting nights into the high 40's, but I'm super-protective of them and the dozens of tiny buds I'm sure each one will blast once they make the move outdoors. .
Peace,
Nate
But how about moving my brugs from the house at 68-70 degrees.....to the outside during the day when its 60 degrees and then at night it gets to 35??? Maybe I don't understand the hardening off procedures for plants. Do we harden them off to the air temps....or the sunlight? I guess this is why mine are still on top of the dish washer!! I was waiting for the night time temps to get to 45-50 degrees. What should I do???
Wayne Thompson
North Tonawanda,NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39
This is just my opinion. It is probably best to take them outside when the air temp is very close to that of inside the house. I know this is true in the fall for bringing them inside...to eliminate leaf drop. If your brugs are well rooted, 35 degrees won't kill them. If you are still having temps that low, I would wait for a while because it would be very easy for the weatherman to make a few degree mistake and you would have toast when you got up. If you do decide to take them out and leave them, it would be best to have them sheltered in case it would frost. Hardening off to me means getting them accustomed to air temp, sun, wind, just about anything that can be thrown their way. Of course you don't want to wait for it to hail to see if they can take it or not.....LOL! Believe me...they don't like it. I wish someone would make a brug that could handle freezing temps. I'd love to not have to take them in and out fall and spring.
I would bring in any plant if it called for low of 30. 32F is freezing. But yours are protected by porch? They should be OK.
I hardened mine off by having them inside with direct sun about 4 hrs a day in sunroom with room temps between 50's & upper 60's., & when it got to upper 60's outside, I moved them to east facing deck where they got morning sun. Preferably 1st day is overcast! The lowest it got outside at night (since plants are out) was upper 30's. I did bring in some not so cold hardy plants one night then.
They are also bunched together for now till I find places for them, which helps keep them warm. The tallest ones - my figs, got the top leaves burnt, but they'll be OK.
You can also harden off by putting plants in shade & then couple days later move to more direct sun for another couple days, & then to full sun. Bring them in if it calls for frost.
Last night when it hailed, the temps were mid 40's so I left plants out. Some leaves got a little ripped, but they are fine.
I remember a day in mid June '02 temps were mid 70's all day & about 6-7PM, it hailed like crazy & then sun came back out! Go figure. Frost will hurt - hail won't, unless it hits your head & arms - OUCH!
Patty
Milwaukee, Wi
zone 5
This message has been edited by Ladyaqua on May 2, 2007 12:28 AM
Shirley, Patty... Great advice as always...I knew I could count on you. Well I have made the decision....Tomorrow their out. I will keep them on the North side of the house for a couple days and blocked from the wind a bit. These Brugs have really outgrown thier pots so they are top heavy. Either way ....the lowest temps we are expecting at night is like 37-39 and thats only til Saturday ...then will be in the mid 40's at night! I think they'll be fine...I just really want them in thier Final summer pots! Thanks everyone for the advice....Wayne
Wayne Thompson
North Tonawanda,NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39
This message has been edited by magicman2u on May 2, 2007 10:40 PM This message has been edited by magicman2u on May 2, 2007 10:39 PM
Guys, I can't really weigh in on the hardening off thingy as my brugs stay outside year round. I don't even have to cut them back...just keep them trimmed and tidy. I know that my brugs experience mid to low 30's with no damage. Now as Patty states since 32° is freezing one would have to protect against long periods at those temps. Good luck going from house to garden with your brugs.
Wayne, if yours are now pot bound, I would pot them up now --unless you will plant them inground. If they are top heavy, put a long stick thru inside edge of pot thru drain holes & into ground to keep from falling over.
Darn, I wish it would warm up here, getting sick of mid 40's & that's during day today with full sun! About 40 at night! We had a nice wkend (sunny & upper 60's) but will be crap till next wkend.
Thanks also for the info. I'm sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, but business is booming and this place is a madhouse! Peter makes canvas products - boat covers, truck covers, etc. - and the boaters especially have come out of the woodwork. YIPES!
I kept a close eye on the cuttings and plants I had outside, and they are doing just fine. In fact, as Jarie said, I think they LIKED it!
They were hardened off very gradually, and I think that makes the difference. They were put outside in an East facing well-protected corner under then porch when the temps were the same as inside, and the first two days were very cloudy, so they adjusted nicely.
Thanks all for the advice. Let's hope the weather stabilizes SOON!
I feel pretty much the same as Shirley & Patty. While overnight temps in the mid- to low-30's might not kill a brug, it can still be quite a shock that's not good for it. My brug growing season is relatively short, so I don't want my brugs having setbacks that take time to overcome.
I'm getting a little less conservative on this than before, realizing how tough brugs actually are. But I put mine outside only after the night temperatures are unlikely to dip below low-40's & the norm is upper-40's.
As for hardening off in the sense of sunlight, one of my favorite ways is to put them beneath my huge mountain ash tree. Early morning sun reaches them beneath the branches, then the rest of the day the sun is filtered by the tree's foliage. After a few days, I can move them out to the fringe areas that get a little more sun in the morning only. A few days of that & they're pretty much good to go.
The one thing I have to watch for is slugs over in that shadiest corner of my yard...given the chance, they'll ruin a tender young plant overnight. So I pretty much have to keep the younger brugs up off the ground. This year, with so many cuttings & seedlings, I'm using space along the east wall of my house, where the roof overhangs & the sun hits until about 1PM. They're ok there on overcast days (almost the norm here this time of year), but if the sun is out, I drape an old lacey curtain panel over some and a sheet over the rest. I've done this as needed for about 5 days & I think they can now take full morning sun there. I had moderate hail yesterday, but the roof protected them. My older brugs are sitting around in the backyard, but are just beginning to leaf out & I don't think the hail damaged any of them.
Patrick
Brug Moderator
USDA Zone 8b
Heat Zone 3
Sunset Zone 5
SeaTac, WA...one cool place
Pstrick, I'm so glad you mentioned Slugs! Do they really crawl inside the drain holes & up to eat roots???? I put screening at every drain hole before I repotted this year. I also heard that htey crawl up the pot & get in to plants. To stop that, I put copper wire around outside of pot...just wrap it around & twist ends. It sorta electrocutes them or something, but they will not cross it.
But, I am really curious if they really do crawl inside thru drain holes. Thanks.
Well it's official ....this will be the first night out for my 11 Brugs! I took them outside at 9am and put them in the sun til 5 pm. Full sun!! I watered them a bit at about 10:30 and I didn't notice any wilting or problems! They seemed to like it out there. I moved them back closer to the house and boxed them in with plywood...kinda like a simple cold frame! We are expecting a low of 37 tonight ...so I guess this will be the true test! If all goes well...I would have to say this is the easiest hardening off plant ever! I think the worst that will happen is ...all the leafs might turn yellow and fall off. But we all know how fast these things grow! Besides...I plan on cutting off those straggly limbs soon anyways! Well wish them luck....I"ll let you know how they turn out!
Wayne Thompson
North Tonawanda,NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39
Oh please Wayne,!! that's too much sun for first day & 2 outside! Put them in some shade w/ maybe 1-2 hours sun at LEAST for first dsy or two!. You don't want to set them back.
Ohhh Patty..I'm not too worried! They have been sitting in a south window getting sun and plenty of Air with the window open. I have faith in them. I checked them this morning and they seemed to be fine.... from here on out the night Temps are just getting warmer!
Wayne Thompson
North Tonawanda,NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39
Current Topic - How much cold can well-rooted cuttings take?
and yes, MN is a teaser!!
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