Mike! Your pop up green house is too cool! Your trees are looking great! Bright green and healthy :)

And you have limes! Yum! How long until they are ripe?

In the 4th picture, what is the tree with the pink flowers? I think there is one like it in my pool courtyard. I'll post a picture tomorrow!

Ash

I think those pink flowers are on Mike's "Desert Rose," (Adenium). I could be wrong, of course!

I like your hoop-house, too, Mike.
My sister's boyfriend is toying with the idea for winter propagation. It isn't as cold here, but the wind still poses a serious threat to anything that isn't bolted down.

Josh

Thanks Josh, I think your right! I saw another post from Mike of his wonderful backyard; one photo was of the plant with pink flowers and the caption said Desert Rose.

I hear ya about the wind, when I lived in Denton before moving to Dallas the wind was really strong in my courtyard and would blow my plants over. I almost lost my Croton in a bad storm, but I repotted it and its florished since! :)

Ash

Ya'll have some serious wind in Texas, that's for sure!
I was in Austin/Georgetown last June, and those hot winds were ridiculous. I was so impressed by the climate that I titled my travel journal, "The Devil's Tailpipe: a central Texas review." No offense to the good people of Texas, of course! ;)

Josh

Haha, great title!
Yeah the summer winds can seem like the heat is suffocating you. Oh, I bet New England weather is nice, well aside from it being too cold to plant certain things outside.

I have seen some serious dust funnel clouds out there..Yikes!

It is a desert rose...

Wow Ash, you certainly do your homework here..Sweet.
Thanks for the compliment too..:-)

Hi Josh....Hoop house..I like that!

Hey guys! You're welcome Mike! :)

I think that I might have a Desert Rose in my courtyard.

Close up. I believe it had pink flowers this summer when I moved in.
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Whole Plant with others
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If it is, is there any way that I would be able to (discreetly) snip a piece to propagate?

Thanks!

Ashley

Great set up
Hope this isnt a duplicate,
So some advice with my experience in growing zone 5 citrus outside in a similar environment
make sure the you cover this with a blanket in the winter, my blanket blew off and it got down to 20f, killing my meyers
you might heat somewater with an electic aquariuim heater this will warm it up some

Hi Frank..
Thanks so much...

Funny you should mention that...I don't know how long into the season they will stay out there, or how daring I will be..
You know, great idea! If I use a blanket anyways, this is a good back up, and it just might save me on heating cost to..:-)

I use a couple of radiator space heaters in there at night. Only one when it gets down into the 30's. It usually keeps it warm into the 60's by am.
I use two of them if colder than that at night, and on cloudy cold days..So far so good. When the two are going, it gets to at least 80 on cloudy days with the doors shut completely.

Not sure if I want to keep them out there once winter hits though..I figure only 3 months in doors is better than 6..

If I do though, I will definately take your advice about a blanket even more seriously, if I get daring enough to keep them out there in the extra cold nights without fear of loosing my electricity while I sleep. If my sleep starts being affected over worry, they will be in a lot faster than you can blink an eye...lol

Most nights have not gone below the 30's yet, and most days have been in the 40's or higher, mostly 50's...Maybe this type of weather has been on my side so far.. Next week back in the unusual 60's again..Sweet!

So I don't think I will take the chance and I will bring them in when nights get to cold too often, like winter temps..

Thanks again..

I appreciate you caring for my plants:-)

Mike

I have my 2 Meyers (with yellow lemons and all) on a huge cart my husband built and I pull it in the garage at night (when it gets below 45) and pull it out every morning, where we are still having 70 degree days. I have wonderful blooms all over both and I have been seen transporting bees from other flowers to my lemon flowers! My neighbors think I'm crazy, but I had fresh lemon pie this weekend, so there! Not sure how long I'll be dragging this cart around, but we don't get too cold in the winter, tho it does freeze.

Hi Mike, your trees are looking GREAT!! I love the greenhouse set up. I wish they had them big enough for 7 mango and 2 lychee trees for the few days of freeze that we have here,lol...

Great growing!!

Josh, I hope you got my email last week? Thanks!!

Lolololol Nancy!

How are you? I hope your fine...:-)
Thanks for the compliment...That was one of the best investsments I could of made for my plants Nancy..Most are still outside..Have you noticed I havn't complained of pest issues yet? lololol

Inventive idea Gardenscents! Your forum name and the cart idea..Nice..:-)

Let me tell you, he should get into the buisness of making alot of these things..I know many here that are lugging and out to often. I know Toni" hopefulauthor" could use one..
Fresh lemon pie, your heighbors should be jeolous!They think your crazy?I have a mental image of it..lol

Try climbing out on your roof everyday, and then climbing back in. On of my neoghbors thinks I am growing something funky up there, and in my room when all the sun lamps go on, like you know...lol

Hey Ashley,

That plant you posted in the pic is a "PLUMERIA"...YOU lucky thing!!!
They are georgous!!!

If you asked your landlord for a cutting and grew it, you would be addicted to growing those too, and the plumeria forum! lololol

I myself have dozens of them. The fragrance on those are heavenly and oustanding!!!

Hi Mike
ok so for more advice
I have black barrels of water in my enclusure, with an available volume, they will suck heat up during the day and radiate it at night, use 5 gall buckets painted black or 1 gallon container with black die

I would go with a low wattage fish heater in a bucket, it will be easiy regulated (set it to go on at say 60f)The heat is local so the bucket wont heat to 60.. the heater u have sounds a bit dangerous. I also have a remote thermometer in urs

I will have to figure out how to post pics here and show u my 3 set ups.... 12 trees planted outside

Cool..Not to say it would save me on my electric bill too.

If you would like to post pics...it can be easy..

Just join photbucket for free.. Then download them on to there.

Put your mouse over the pic you want to post. You will see a drop down option. Click on the third one down, it will say copied. Then come back to the forum and paste it. Do a preview and you will see it there...

Hope it works..

Thanks again for giving me ideas! I would love to see your set ups!

Mike:-)

Plumeria! Thanks Mike, Chris also called it on the house plant forum in the "putting a face to a name" thread. :)

Awesome, I'm gunna try to get a cutting!

Thanks
Ash

I have already sheltered my citrus in the garage. There were a few moderate frosts (earlier than normal)--but nothing too hard on the hardier tropicals I still have out (Queen palms, date palms, Chinese and Med. fans.) Citrus can be as fickle as the weather though. Now the weather seems to be turning milder and my Meyer's is in full bloom--along with a Eureka lemon. Funny, because i don't remember them being in bloom this time of year previously. (They usually start blooming in their sunny garage locale in February and March.)

How cold did you get inside your mini greenhouse last night? it was 29f at 6 am outside in Mass...........

I think your trees will love the humidity, I have stored my potted plants in a similar enclosure and I get NO Leave drop the whole winter, unlike my indoor ones that dont usually do well in general

Lets' see, I will be right back.

Amazing! With one of the zipped doors being left open about a foot on diameter all night because I FORGOT to zip it back up before retiring, with my eyes hesitating to look at the thermometer while my heart was racing in fear, it was a mild 60 even degrees...whooo

That means on any givin sunny day at this time of year, I better be careful. If don't forget to crack an opening in the door, or I am will probably bake them..lol

So far so good.If I am absolutely sure it is going to be a sunny day, I open a door wider, or shut a heater off and leave it closed..It took a few days to see what was best, but I figuered out how to mostly stableize the temps in there, whether warm or cold outside.

Thanks for asking!

As for leaf drop...You know something? I have a few indoors too...I have had them indoors for about a month and a half..Usually I get a huge leaf drop too. But not this year...The difference?
I havn't heated that room yet as in previous, nor have I been using my grow lights at all. Just the south facing sun. My navel orange is about to bloom.
As long as that room is unheated, it seems they love it, and no pests either. So far my plan is working. The windows are always left opened besides.

Let's see if this is a different story in the dead of winter. Now I have to figure just how cold to keep that room at, without the temps quickly rising for some unknown reason.. It is a room part of my home upstairs. I don't turn the heat on upstairs, and keep the door closed, to keep the rest of my home warm..

Mike..:-)

njoasis,

Why, did you not see my thread asking you for help? I got this idea from you, growing my citrus in colder enviroments, without any guidance from you, because you never responded.
I even sent you an e-mail for your assitance.

I am still waiting for some pics of yours too.

Hoping you are well,

Mike

Mike, I really like your pop-up greenhouse. Unfortunately, I live in a small townhome and could only have a pop-up greenhouse on my balcony and that would cause me to get a nasty letter from the townhome association commandos along with a possible fine... But my citrus (just two) have been inside since the end of September and they seem to be doing well... but I do wish I could keep them outside longer... but we have had a couple of nights with low temps in the 20s and it is only going to get worse, even though for the next few days temps in the 60s are predicted.

Mike, if you don't mind me asking, where did you get the nice lime tree that is on a standard? In my townhome situation, I think it would be better for me to have small citrus trees rather than citrus bushes that are wider than taller.

Your citrus look awesome and am glad your winterizing plans for citrus are working out.

Later,

Jerry

wow Mike 60, mine were 50 or so this am, with a blanket.....

I also choose cold hardy varieties

I think it is the dry hot air that helps to cause the winter leaf drop? I also understand the whole cold root thing.........

Mike I think I have emailed u pics of my set up ?

Jerry, once I get home and can open my pics again, I will definately tell you where I got it...
Thanks for your nice comments!:-)
I am so glad you can grow at least a couple of your favorite plants. Sweet. One good thing to it, you only have to focus on a couple instead of dozens...lol.
They are like kids to me. So tempermental, yet you love them to death!

Let me tell you Frank, for what you are using to heat yours up, that is great! I use a couple of heaters which to me is cheating a little..
I can't wait to get home and see your setup. You probably have a much lower electric bill than I do, and you are still making it work..Bravo

Do you have to open yours a bit to when the sun is out all day to let heat escape?

The other benefit to our popups is that, it is always humid in there....:-)
I wish there was enough room in there for me to sleep at night, so I can get rid of this nasty cold from the dry air..!lol

well I have a large electric bill as I have salt water fish... Ithink I emailed you the pics awhile back..

it gets to about 95 F during the day, if it gets too hot my wife covers it with the blanket. The sun angle is dropping fast so over heading isnt an issue unless it is ? 60 f outside

The water has the effect of coolling it a bit too, I HIGHLY recommend it...

Frank, I don't think I ever got the pics you say you sent me a while back..I would of remembered those..:-(

Here is my other e-mail address. I have sent mail through these forums at times, then to be told it was never recieved..

You must have a beutiful fish tank. I have always wanted to have a sea water one..I use to have a 65 gallon fresh water one, live plants and all. It's gone..:-(

mikerno_1@yahoo.come

Take care..:-0)

sent a test email

bucket of water to regulate the temp is key and also a blanket at night to prevent the radiational cooling

then again with the upcoming temps, ur good to go!

Mike:

Just popped over from my usual CS and Houseplant forums to look at your citrus. Nice plants! You must have a nice setup in the house to keep them healthy thru the winter.

You know I am addicted to succulents. You should try more yourself.

Christopher

telling u mike, plant hardy varieties outdoors with some major covering
I ate a Thom citraquat yesterday it was delicous!

Sweet Kevin!!!!!!! Did you send me pic abouit a year ago?

If you did,I will have to find them in my mail..I save evrything..Just been away...Havn't gotten any since then though..;-(

Hi Chris.....

I think I am as crazy about citrus as you are about succulents..lol

I also saw you were growing a Mangrove Tree..WoW...It is so nice..

Take care for now..Mike