Another Freezing Thread

Yeah Pam, and I hesitate to cut anything off those plants right now, fearing another freeze might kill the fresh cuts.

Lots of work coming up in the spring. Have to do all my pruning back and cleaned up, spring mulching done, get the veggie garden amended and planted, transplant the hardys from the greenhouse to the hammocks in the backyard, get ready for 3 round ups in 3 months and in April we will probably make a trip to Long Island as Billy's ds is going to be laid up for 12 weeks from a back surgery scheduled for next week.

The spring schedule/tasks certainly changes a lot when you live in zone 8b and have 5 acres of work.

Molly

Hang in there, Molly, and all! Spring will be coming soon, and our spirits will be lifted by the rising stalks of the amaryllis blossoms and the explosive flowering of the fruit trees. Then all the work will once again seem worthwhile!

I'm not quite all here this morning. I was awake until about 2 AM, writing some more on my novel. Once I get on a tear at the keyboard, the time flies by without my noticing. As you might have noticed from my less than contrite posts, I love to write. It offers me a chance to exist in a state of singularity with just myself and the words, and all the woes of the world and my own tribulations are out of mind for whatever time I can devote to the task. This also happens with painting, when nothing matters except the current brush stroke. Oh, come ye beneficent Medicis, and let me wile away all my hours in these joyous pursuits while you pay all my bills and take care of all my problems! Not likely, so I continue to trudge along and snatch away whatever few hours I can to answer what I think is my true calling.

I was expecting a big load of freeze damaged plants from Lowe's, but the store is located out toward the beach and apparently in a microclimate of warmth. John, the garden manager at the motherlode Lowe's, said that they had very little losses. I did pick up 2 racks of plants yesterday -- more snapdragons and a few pansies, plus several yellow Asiatic lilies, and some "Shooting Stars" (Pseuderanthemum laxiflorum - http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/99145/index.html -- rated for Zone 3b in the Plant Files, but I don't think that is accurate?) and some Sphathyphyllums that did show some blackening from the cold.

I will begin to stock up on some of each of everything that comes my way with the motherlode so that I can bring them to whomever wants them at the upcoming roundups. I will be using a lot of the annuals today in my paid garden plot instant color job, and am donating plants for a Girl Scout troop to use in their project to enhance the local Humane Society grounds. I will be speaking as a Master Gardener volunteer to the Girl Scouts next week. They are 4th - 6th graders. It will be interesting to see if I can get back to the most basics in my gardening discussion to them. I am very likely to learn something new in the process of trying to dredge up the simplest of gardening information. None of us will ever know it all when it comes to plants and gardening!

Jeremy

Jeremy

Jeremy,

All of my bananas had new leaves shooting up, from the middle of the trunk - still curled up, pointing skyward - when the frost came. They're all damaged beyond repair, but I don't know what to do with them. Several of them have fallen over.

Most of the branches are doubled over, in half. The bottom parts still point skyward, but the bend is roughly halfway up the branch, and the top parts point towards the ground. That's where I'm cutting them - the lower half seems like healthy tissue. The end result is a trunk with half length branches poining upward, and no leaves - kind of reminds me of a cactus, the kind that forms branches.

I don't know if I'm doing this correctly, as I'm new to it; there don't seem to be any other options.

Steve

Molly: I just saw the picture of your spinach. It gives me hope. Do you plant seeds from the plants??
My first "crop" is about 1" tall...LOL
Yesterday, I planted the second packet of seeds.
I can almost taste the spinach.
Joyce

Steve, it sounds like you are doing the right thing to get rid of the freeze damaged part of the bananas. I've never cut a banana in the middle of the trunk as it seems you need to do, but it may be that the new leaves will whirl out of the place where the trunk is cut, or it may motivate the banana to send up new "pups" as growth. Someone more experienced with what to do with frozen banana plants could probably help you more. I've been fortunate that my bananas just have the current growth of leaves frozen in winters. I cut those off, and new leaves emerge from the growing tip.

Jeremy

Joyce,

This being my first year here, that is my first spinach. I decided to let the flowers come and then hopefully the seeds will follow, reseed and germinate. I think you picked the right time to plant them too.

I did plant some other cold weather things behind that one, more spinach too. I thought we were going to have some rain last night. If not, I will need to water them.

I have "A" broccoli out there growing there from my fall crop. Hasn't made a head yet, and thank goodness it hasn't bolted yet. If you like broccoli, plant some seeds now, direct in the ground. They don't like being transplanted.

Molly
:^)))

Well, Fooey-- I lost me nanners--yup they shall return. Lost or frozed me brugs and they were double covered. My nuns cap orchids got nipped but the blooms in the middle okay. Butterfly bush is fine and shooting stars took a hit but only on the tops so go figure. All the jasmine, vines etc. fine. Tabs nipped and my roses esp. the blaze climber are fine. EE nipped but they will return. Yup we had a freeze here in Polk County--Lakeland area last year in March. BTW/ The Spring Extravaganza is on Sat. the 10th of March so I def. am going to that. BIGGGG Kahuna plant and flower sale, lotsa vendors. I am working part time--of course ya know the drill part time? Always turns out full time ya know? K, Hugs to all--stay warm. xoxoxox, Corky

Corky,

Where is the Spring Extravaganza on March 10?

Steve

OOOPSY, Here in Lakeland--Munn Park. Loads of plant vendors, art etc. Get there early 9ish. Corky

Thanks, Corky.

Steve

Molly, sorry -- I didn't see your question about weather records until just now. I look at them on www.weatherunderground.com; that's where I get my weather reports, too.

Michele

Thanks Michele,

I'm over looking at it now.

Molly
:^))))

Thanks for the suggestion to plant some broccoli, Molly. I have never tried raising broccoli...but will try to find some seed and give it a try. I like broccoli as a vegetable...and in broccoli soup. (I get a package in the food store and just have to add cooked broccoli and milk. It is delicious!)
Joyce

Ready for another round?

The predicted low for Sunday night is 36, where I am - must be colder north of here.

Get ready!!!

I knew we weren't finished yet.......
:^((((

Will this be the end of it, Molly?

The prediction here is for frost and a light freeze on Monday. I groaned out loud over that news. Maybe it will be wrong.

Jeremy

Looks like one more for the road. Forecast here is for 35 Sunday and 37 Monday, with lots of moisture around. I was going to put out my tomatoes Sunday, but I think I'll just raise the lights a couple of more notches and wait until Tuesday or Wednesday. Ed

Steve, I sure hope this will be the end of it.

But I have some work to do tomorrow. These winds are blowing so hard today and tonight my greenhouse plastic is loosen up in too many places. I need to get out there and secure it back down for the coming freeze.

Molly