First off - 'dry, cold' means less than five degrees of frost and don't bother watering the pot over winter because the damp left from the last watering will probably linger over months of cool weather.

If you have a cool spare room which gets east light and is around 55-60F they'd probably be grateful.

I'd wait until the frost damaged areas collapse and dry out somewhat before removing the mushed leaves.

If the central area is untouched then it will probably grow away again. There may be a flower stalk in waiting and you might need to sacrifice it :-( to let the plant recover and produce more leaves.

If the whole top has been knocked back - wait. I've had plants develop side shoots like a bromeliad from that crown area, though it can take several years to regain vigour.

If you can't move them from the garage, can you swathe them with bubble wrap and/or horticultural fleece? Another option, if the plants aren't massive, is to place them in an old aquarium and use that like a terrarium. Cover with fleece to reduce the amount of condensation.

When spring comes in water thriftily. Treat them like cacti or succulents until there is more leaf growth ie - little and seldom, but DON'T let the mix become dust-dry.

Just remember that they aren't rampant growers - and be as patient as you need for slow-growing plants.

Susan..the same thing happened to me 3 winters ago..I have a small green house, (though most plants are in the house)...that yr I decided to place my Clivia in the gh..on the coldest night that winter, my heater went out. The next day I checked, and so many plants froze, including my Clivia. I brought it in the house, removed outter foliage...Normally, it was kept in a cool back room, in an east window. I think the only reason it survived is the soil was dry..I kept watch on the Clivia, and it eventually started growing again..It even flowered that year..
So, I'd keep a tad warmer, 68F, for a wk..don't water. Then move to a cool spot, and water only if the soil is really dry. Good luck, Toni

Thanks for responding. Out of panic, when I found the plants, I brought them into the house and watered them (ouch)! Looks like I've done everything wrong.

I'll let them dry out again, but keep them in my coolest room and hope for the best. I really liked these plants and hope they recover, however, I also collect orchids and don't have a lot of space if it will take years.

I'll try and check back here with a follow up.

Thanks again.

Susan

Well, both clivia survived the winter, one even started a new plant from the soil. Not much growth yet but they made it. I just hope I have enough patience to keep them until they fully recover, since I've never seen a clivia in bloom and I really wanted to bring these to bloom. I think I will try putting them outside for the summer, with my orchids to see if I can encourage some good growth.

Susan

Hi Susan,

As long as the plant is big enough, it can survive a lot. They do better outside than inside, as long as they aren't in direct sun. They tolerate a little early morning sun pretty well, but don't seem as tolerant of afternoon sun. They are best with indrect light all day. They will shut down if your temps get much above 90F. They will survive at least a couple days of 110F, but they do look like they are screaming for relief. They tolerate the heat better than sub 25F temps. Their best growth occurs between 55F and about 85F. I actually use grow lights over some of mine at night when it cools during our hot summer months to try and get growth to replace its high respiratory rate due to our hot summer afternoons. I hope this helps.

Take care,
Craig