Most tropicals probably should be moved inside before the nighttime low temperatures begin consistently dropping below 55 degrees.

If the tropicals have been in very bright light outside, their foliage may yellow and may drop if they are abruptly moved indoors. To prevent this, gradually expose them to less light by moving them into a shadier area--perhaps underneath a big tree, or maybe on an east- or south
-facing porch for a couple of weeks before they are moved inside.

I move my plants inside "by the temperature" and not "by the calendar" since Oklahoma weather can vary so much. Some years, I have had to move them inside before the end of September. Other years, I have been able to leave them outside until November. It just depends on what the weather is doing. It also depends on the plant. Some tropicals can handle more cold weather than others. I usually leave the brugmansias outside as late into the fall as possible since they bloom so well in the fall.

Some years, we have cold nights early but still have beautiful, sunny mild days. In years like that, I move them inside early to avoid the cold nights, but carry them outside every day to enjoy the sunshine as much as possible.

Dawn

Not all tropicals are created equal. I've had them outdoors in freezing conditions for a couple hours. Some show signs of stress. Others don't miss a beat.

I have too many plants to move in and out as weather conditions fluctuate. Once they are out or in for the season, they stay that way until the end of that season.

In fall they are normally out until temps start hitting the 30's at night. This year I moved everything in last week because of the terrible flooding rains we were supposed to get. Some of you got that rain, but it didn't fall here thank goodness.

My big plants that go into the house for the winter are still on the back porch and will stay there for a few more weeks. The second week of October is usually when I bring them in. If we have a few freezes before then, I just throw sheets over them. I'm not in a big hurry to fill the house with plants. I don't like houseplants. Too much work. :-)

The negative to having everything in the greenhouse now is I have to run my fans to keep the greenhouse cool during the day now. Oh well.

randy

And, Randy, if I had 1/10th (heck, 1/20th) of the tropical plants you have, I wouldn't drag any of them inside and outside to catch the sunlight, but I only overwinter a handful of tropicals.

SOMETIMES, if I am really busy....like in a bad autumn fire season when I am gone a lot, I have left them outside on the barn patio or on the south-facing porch until December, and they have survived nights with temps. below freezing.

Last night it was VERY cold here for mid-September, and all my tropicals were outside. It got down to 44 degrees here along the Red River, and it was so cold that for a moment I thought we'd had an early freeze. I had about 30 seconds of panic. It was SOOOO COLD and the dew was so heavy that, when I looked out the window and saw it, I had a "did it freeze?" type moment. LOL

All the tropicals, though, were either on the porch or under the patio cover, except for two brugs--Cassie's Curls and Lemon something-or-another, maybe Lemon Twist or Lemonade Twist--it's a pale yellow double flower. I probably will move some of these plants to the screened-in porch, which has 2 real walls and then other 2 half-walls with window screening above, if the cold nights continue. The screened-in porch stays about 4 degrees warmer than the outside most of the time since it has partial walls.

I put off moving plants inside for as long as possible, because I don't really like having plants in the house. Plants and dogs and cats inside can be a bad combination.

I have been surprised that some of the plants I've left outside on the screened-in porch until December showed no freeze damage. I wouldn't advise doing it, though, with a plant that you're particularly fond of. Some years I just overwinter the brugs in the garage or in the tornado shelter after they've gone dormant. It gets pretty cold in both those locations, but not cold enough to hurt them.

Dawn

randy

A photo from a few years ago before I added a wood stove and was using propane for heat.

randy

randy

It looks great as always. Approximately how many plants are in the greenhouse at this point?

I know you can't discuss your commercial business here on GW in much detail or you'll get in trouble with the powers that be, but I think everyone can tell by looking at the photos that your "hobby" has really taken off and turned into a successful enterprise.

So, how long does it take for one of those small adeniums in flats to grow into one of the larger ones on the left?

And, can you tell us more about how you heat with a wood stove. Does it have a blower to disperse the air throughout the greenhouse? I still want a greenhouse and I WILL have one, one of these days.....(sigh) The thought of keeping one heated is quite daunting, but I do have an endless supply of wood, so I could go that route.

Dawn

There is roughly 2000 plants in the photo. A few hundred more are on benches right below where the ladder was when I took the photo.

Next year will be the breakout year for me. It took a couple years to figure out what I wanted to do and then fit what I was good at into a niche that would be profitable.

What I'm really good at is propagation. About 90% of what you see was grown from seed that was purchased from Taiwan and Thailand. Very few growers in the U.S. deal with some of the species I have.

I am propagating another 2000 seed now and will do another 1000 or so in the spring. The 1000 will be from seed pods on various plants on the benches on the left side of the photo. All of those are named hybrids from quality genetic stock that will produce good offspring.

About 80% of the seedlings on the middle and right benches will find new homes next season. The others are hand picked to grow out and train and style as specimen plants that will be rather expensive but in demand by collectors. 10 years of running a bonsai nursery has taught me a little about aesthetics and training for shape.

A seedling that is allowed to grow out will produce blooms usually in one year and will be of decent size in 3.

I don't sleep that hard in the winter. Usually in 3 hour increments, so I go out and stoke the stove. It doesn't take much to heat the 630 sq. ft. of greenhouse I'm using this winter. I can expand to as much as 1512 sq. ft. when there is a need for that much space. I can afford to use the big propane heaters hanging from the ceiling then. :-)

randy

WOW! And I get excited when I raise 100 of this or 100 of that from seed to set out in the spring time.

I guess it is good you can survive on "interrupted sleep" in the winter. I know that, in the springtime when I am awake on a night when freezing temps. are expected AND I already have tomato plants in the ground, you always seem to be awake during the night just like I am.....because we always compare notes on what the temperature was at 3 or 4 or 5 a.m. or whatever. I didn't realize, though, that your sleep was interrupted all winter long.

Dawn

Mitch

I think a nursery license from the Dept. of Agriculture should fix you up.

We moved to an acreage where I could build a greenhouse. Then I worked as a framer for a friend part time and did a few commercial landscape jobs while I got things going at the house.

randy