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stanofh

Cold!!!! ...soon?

They are talking major cold in the next couple of days. Lows in the bay area near freezing- except for island unto itself San Francisco- and mid or even low 20's in the outer bay far from saltwater.
Use cover..save years on plant growth with a little effort. I learned better to do that then leave it all up to chance. Cabo? no worrys. North of that by 700 miles? worry!

Comments (26)

  • gobluedjm 9/18 CA
    11 years ago

    Down here in the LA area they've been saying it's coming from the frigid Yukon and highs in the basin to be upper 50's. Mtns from zero to 25 and high desert around teens to low 40's. That means maybe high of 52 for me and lows around 25 I suspect. I've already had frost at least a dozen times and usually it's around 3-4 times any other year. So it's been a cold winter.
    Lantana as usual is black already but comes back just fine.
    I'm not too worried about anything since everything I put in is fine to 20 but will show a little damage but not die.
    We have problems with frozen pipes also. In 2006 I saw neighbors out with a hair dryer. Get the pipe insulation if not already done!
    If you turn your heat down at night, leave your cabinets open if any faucets etc on outside walls.

    You can replace a plant but you don't want a pipe bursting or water damage...

    But today was gorgeous around 70 and sunny.

  • wcgypsy
    11 years ago

    Hearing that same forecast here, frost even at the beach....but, you know, the temps they're showing don't look to be much different than temps we've already had. I'm more worried about the wind, however, today I'll be bringing more firewood up to the house for sure.

  • stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    The weather sites aren't agreeing for my local temps. Some outrageous predicted cold- 29f. I know it wont get that cold...to some say no less then 34f. We already dropped to 33 earlier this year. The Brugs hated that. The lows down south seem to be the usual -close to the coast 39f is no big deal.

  • wcgypsy
    11 years ago

    I think sometimes they're bored and need to drum up a little drama on the weathercast.....

  • gobluedjm 9/18 CA
    11 years ago

    I agree gypsy. A friend and I always laugh...storm watch live mega doppler 7000 in hd...the first time we hear it every year.

  • elvie z9CA
    11 years ago

    Stan, same problem for me with the weather sites. I am in El Sobrante.

  • hosenemesis
    11 years ago

    "storm watch live with mega doppler 7000 in hd" cracks me up every time I hear it. And he says it so fast!

    My brugs and durantas are already black. I hope the other tropicals can stand up to it.

    Renee

  • pinkthumb_ca
    11 years ago

    As you can tell by my user name, I mean well (I grew up in Midwest farm country) but I'm clueless about how to protect plants when temps are as low as they're forecasting in the near East Bay (Castro Valley). My bougainvilleas are "iron men" - they're old and experienced & I never worry; but what I AM worrying about is my pot of just-planted-the seeds-in-October California Poppies. What do I do to protect them if the temps go down as low as predicted?? Please - be kind, but be specific. [See "clueless", above] Thanks!!

  • Laurel Zito
    11 years ago

    take the pot inside the house

  • cj2015
    11 years ago

    California poppies get frozen every year at my house in the high desert. We routinely get down into the 20s and as long as there's water, they come up in the spring. Even the little seedlings that sprout in my borders each fall get frozen and pop right back to life.

  • pinkthumb_ca
    11 years ago

    tropical thought: 8-D I laughed so hard (while doing the "I coulda hadda V-8" smack in the head) that I almost hurt myself. GOOD POINT! (duh)

    cj2015: Thank you for the reassurance! I guess I don't have to worry so much about my baby seedlings after all.

    Great responses! Thanks so much!

  • socalgardengal
    11 years ago

    Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr... It's so cold here in San Diego. Last winter we didn't put the heater on once,it's been on for the past month this year. Stay warm everyone :)

  • stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Sat morn- coldest so far. 34,35 here around the home. Inland a few miles the extra few degree's colder left Pleasanton a frozen wonderland. One of the huge business parks that waters a 2-3 acres of mounding,hilly lawn no matter what? It looked just like a Christmas card. Just add sled.

  • wcgypsy
    11 years ago

    Yup...bit nippy...cats are huddled around the woodstove...

  • stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I think- as usual- those who live in frost free zones are just colder then normal,and those who get a freeze almost every winter..just a few more. Its the rest of us in between who chose to plant marginal frost needy plants that are out there covering. The last time was five years ago and worse. So,I can live with blankets,old towels,and car wash cloths on my small tropicals for a few days.
    It could be worse.

  • wcgypsy
    11 years ago

    No discernable damage here, but I no longer have things to worry about running out and covering. I think even when I was out there at midnight, running around covering stuff up that it was needless. We shall see what tonight brings....supposed to be colder. You can really see the microclimates here. Two properties down the road from us lies lower and the new owners have planted bananas, hibiscus, bougies, etc. in the lowest spot on their property....sigh. The house down behind us will have frost on her roof and no frost here. Only gardeners would understand that that's a good selling point when we're ready to list our house...lol..

  • Tmnca
    11 years ago

    Our plants are all border gardens along the walls and fences/patio - so far they seem OK as the heat of the sun during the day has been stored in the solid material and radiates back out at night. However tonight it is supposed to be 28F, I am not sure if I should cover my Meyer lemon, thai lime, and the Sun Parasols (mandevilla hybrid, hardier)? This is our first winter here and all the plants were put in last June.

  • stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Meyer Lemon can take it...the others will be roughed up by 28f. I would cover.

  • nanelle_gw (usda 9/Sunset 14)
    11 years ago

    Oh, good.....about the Meyer lemons. i have three. That's what I logged on to find out.

  • socal23
    11 years ago

    Freeze was a bust here. Went and protected my Lucuma for... 38 degrees (not even the coldest night of the season so far). Oh well, there's always tonight...

  • kathi_mdgd
    11 years ago

    according to our weatherman friday night it was down to 20 degrees here along the coast in oceanside.When dh went out to go to the store yesterday morning there was ice on the windshield.We havn't been above 55 in the last couple of days.
    Kathi

  • stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    It wasn't a bust in the bay area. But,it wasn't 2007 bad. Funny but in my area we had the Great Freeze's of 1972- a low of 18f,1990 a low of 24f,1998,a low of 28f,2007, a low of 30f...and 2012...31f. And the USDA moved us from 9b in 1990 to a 10a in 2012. And we held at 10a.
    What does that data mean? wink wink...

  • dicot
    11 years ago

    Lost about 15 potato vines last night, time to pull out the Dutch oven and get baking! Everything else made it, but the tomatoes can't take much more at 28-30 F.

  • minflick
    11 years ago

    I think we had about 18 or so days of high 20's at night last winter, and closing in on 12 pretty soon now this winter. One of my indicators is if the hummingbird feeder freezes! I lost all my orchids and most of my succulents last year. My epi's came through with flying colors, as did my fuchsia and my irises. I was really sad about losing my succulents, as I'd had them a long time and come through many cold winters - but not THIS cold. So, new area, new plants to love.
    This year, I built a cold frame out of pvc and heavy clear tarp (which will be modified for next winter) and nothing in it has frozen. All the Thanksgiving and Christmas cactus are in there. They're kinda red from the cold, but they're not dying at all. My senecio have kicked the bucket, however. No more for me. I have a gift cymbidium out there too, we'll see how it does. If it lives, I'll get more. If it dies, no more of them for me. I will not go out in the pitch dark and fling covers on top of things, they're going to have to be sturdy enough to live without my coddling them.

  • elvie z9CA
    11 years ago

    I didn't cover my Meyer lemon tree and now I am noticing some of the fruit got damaged. The foliage on it and other citrus trees is fine. Next time I will cover any tree when it is loaded with fruit...

  • Lars
    11 years ago

    Nothing froze at my house except for my banana trees, and I thought they were supposed to be cold hardy. Should I cut them down now?

    All my senecios survived very well, and I got no damage on any citrus, papayas, white sapote, or cherimoya, and the cherimoy is quite tall now, but beside the house instead of in the back yard like the banana trees. All my orchids did fine also, including oncidiums and dendrobiums, which are in a protected shelving area that I built for them. I lowered the blind on the northeast side to protect them from wind, and they have a solid wall on the northwest side. My house is 45 degrees from NS orientation.

    My papayas are small and in a pot, and so I think I will have to be careful where I put them when I have to transplant them. I may keep them in a wine barrel planter to insure proper drainage and protected location. I don't think we should be having weather like this, however, but then I lived in Venice from 1994 to 2009.

    Lars

    This post was edited by publickman on Fri, Jan 18, 13 at 15:02