Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
mehitabel_gw

What low temps do you leave your fragrants out for?

mehitabel
13 years ago

How late do you leave your jasmines, gardenias, brunfelsias, aglaias, osmanthus, m figo out? (Nudge me if I forgot anything)

I'm thinking to leave them out til the nights are in the high 30's to low 40"s, but I'd like to know what other people do. Please share your pratices.

Comments (7)

  • puglvr1
    13 years ago

    I live in Fl...and I left my (2) potted gardenias out all winter w/out any cover or protection under some Oak trees...we had record breaking winter weather(Broke 20+) yrs records. It got to 23�-32� for a few weeks in a row...and they suffered NO damage whatsoever.

    Sorry I can't comment on anything else...I only grow Gardenias and Stephanotis Floribunda from your list. BTW, I also left SF outside in the same location...that one I covered with a blanket every night during a freeze and it did suffer some damage...but it recovered fully and grew bigger after Spring...you wouldn't have known it got damaged at all...

    Since my potted gardenias did so well last winter...I decided to plant both of them in the ground. I have neighbors that have them planted in the ground and they sustained NO damage last winter. Good luck!

  • kandhi
    13 years ago

    Mehitabel, this weekend I moved all my jasmines and other tropicals. Tomorrow we are expecting the temp to go down to mid 40s and I do not want to take any risk with my fragrant potted plants. I trimmed,sprayed them and moved them indoors into my sun room. The high temp maybe 70s but once the low temp goes to 40s that may cause the tropicals some damage. The only fragrant that I have outside is garndenia frost proof that is in the groud.

  • mehitabel
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks, kandhi and puglvr.

    Kandhi, we got 40's last night and I took a chance and left them out. They all were fine this morning except a J. nitida that had the new bright purply tips drooping. They revived after it was brought in. We're getting two more nights of high 30's, so it will stay in til that's over.

    I hesitate to bring mine in for good, because I'm growing orchids now and have no really good spot for them indoors. So from now they would be in poor light for 6 months or so. I have some rolling carts, and hope to roll them in at night and out in the daytime for another month or two, shorten the inside time. Fingers crossed.

    My neighbors huge jasmines were left out, too.

    Puglvr, you are so lucky! Thanks for the information about gardenias. I'm hoping to leave them out a big longer here, too.

  • mehitabel
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    OK, here's what happened with nights down to about 38.

    The new tips on a J. nitida drooped. Brought in, perked up. Old leaves fine.

    New tips on a couple of brand new J. Mysore Mulli from TT shriveled a little.

    The other jasmines, murraya, gardenias, aglaia all ok, including the newer tips and buds.

    We have a shot at high 40's to mid 50's for several weeks now, so they'll be staying out.

  • mehitabel
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Forgot Brunfelsia. Here, newer tips drooped, older leaves fine, like the J. nitida

  • birdsnblooms
    13 years ago

    Mehitabel. Unless a plant is new or young, my tropicals are kept outside until 40-45F degrees.

    One problem leaving trops out when temps drop to 40, if our homes are already heated, once they're brought inside there's more risk of yellowing and leaf-drop.
    Guess that's one reason some ppl acclimate plants before hauling indoors.

    Gardenias and Holiday Cactus are the last to come in, and the first to go out in spring. Fortunately, rooms plants are over-wintered are semi-unheated, so it's not too much of a problem.
    One other thing..if heat is turned on, I make sure our humidifer is on..Clean filter, etc.
    Last, I keep the ceiling fan on low speed. If temps warm up, I reopen windows, for air circulation.

    Hey Pug....Toni

  • puglvr1
    13 years ago

    Hey Toni :o)

    Ready to move to Florida yet? You won't have to bring many plants inside here very often,lol...We have plenty of room!