Its brrr here in Florida

Soapmaking Forum

Help Support Soapmaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
Jun 8, 2020
Messages
2,466
Reaction score
5,837
Location
Florida
I know you are thinking "poor babies, it's one day" LOL. But it is going to go below freezing tonight. My facebook garden group is buzzing with all sorts of things to save your babies. Garden centers are out of plant blankets since early in the week.

Over the past few years, I have spent a lot of money on my plants. If I lose everything I'm just going to throw rocks in my garden beds and call it a day.

I just planted a bird of paradise, crossandras, gardenias, pentas, and monkey grass in my front garden. I have a small royal poincianna that has been struggling since the day I planted it last year...I'm afraid that it isn't going to survive this no matter what. Oh my gosh, banana trees, a lime tree, orange tree, mango tree. My iris finally gave me flowers yesterday (the little bugger). It's in a huge pot that I have no clue how I'm going to get into the house, then drag it somewhere the cat doesn't get it cause it is grassy-like. Three pineapples that are also in big pots that I don't know how I'm going to get in the house....one of those buggers just started sprouting a pineapple after three years of waiting. They are really sharp too, so I guess I'm going to suffer some battle wounds. I have so much aloe that I can't budge the pots. Two bougainvilleas that reach the roof of the house that I'm not even going to attempt to cover with their two inch thorns lol. Everybody say you can't kill these things. I hope not. My plumeria is probably going to be a goner.

IN the house...two desert rose, plumeria cuttings, all of my orchids, vanilla orchid, succulents, joseph's coat rose, elephant ears, mandellas, lantana, seed trays, ferns, turmeric. Luckily I haven't gotten around to planting any of those in the ground yet. Procrastination paid off LOL.

Another big challenge is my white bird of paradise plant/monster. I keep it in the porch in a HUGE pot. It's about 6' tall. I am losing the battle of keeping it small lol. When I got it, it was a small end-table size plant. I thought it was going to be as big as a regular bird of paradise...if you live in Florida, don't make this mistake. It gets HUGE. I researched it and it is supposed to grow to 30'. Like, where am I going to put a 30' plant (and be able to maintain it)...I thought that it would stay smaller on the porch...it has a different agenda. It just keeps growing. We have a few at work that I just realized what they were...they reach the 3rd floor of the hospital. I'd put a heater out there, but I have to work tonight overnight, so I don't want to leave a space heater unattended.

Oh and my two hibiscus that I keep by the shed in big pots. I have had them like that for three years, just last week I was thinking that I should put them in the ground. Glad I didn't lol. I managed to drag one of them into the shed yesterday. Gotta figure out how to get the other one in there. Maybe I was just too tired since I had been working out there all day. So I will give it a go again today.

And only in Florida can you just switch the thermostat from AC to heat without stopping at the off setting LOL. I went to bed last night with the air on (I'm a hot sleeper)...woke up and turned on the heat lol. Honestly, I wasn't even sure it worked because I don't think I have ever needed it.

I'm beginning to think that big storms are easier (as far as your plants go). You just get your smaller stuff in so they don't blow over, and the big plants usually survive especially if it is a tropical plant. This freeze is going to kill everything.

Just remembered my baby coconut palm that I grew from a coconut (yes, you can just grab a coconut off the roadside and put it in the ground lol). It's only about knee-high, just getting established. I guess that one is gonna be a goner too.

I'm in zone 10a. We aren't supposed to have these problems. You can plant year-round. Most of everything is in a spare bedroom, but other things were too heavy for me to get in there without damaging the floor. So the cat keeps keeping an eye on everything waiting for me to leave "and now we feast" LOL.
 
I know you are thinking "poor babies, it's one day" LOL. But it is going to go below freezing tonight. My facebook garden group is buzzing with all sorts of things to save your babies. Garden centers are out of plant blankets since early in the week.

Over the past few years, I have spent a lot of money on my plants. If I lose everything I'm just going to throw rocks in my garden beds and call it a day.

I just planted a bird of paradise, crossandras, gardenias, pentas, and monkey grass in my front garden. I have a small royal poincianna that has been struggling since the day I planted it last year...I'm afraid that it isn't going to survive this no matter what. Oh my gosh, banana trees, a lime tree, orange tree, mango tree. My iris finally gave me flowers yesterday (the little bugger). It's in a huge pot that I have no clue how I'm going to get into the house, then drag it somewhere the cat doesn't get it cause it is grassy-like. Three pineapples that are also in big pots that I don't know how I'm going to get in the house....one of those buggers just started sprouting a pineapple after three years of waiting. They are really sharp too, so I guess I'm going to suffer some battle wounds. I have so much aloe that I can't budge the pots. Two bougainvilleas that reach the roof of the house that I'm not even going to attempt to cover with their two inch thorns lol. Everybody say you can't kill these things. I hope not. My plumeria is probably going to be a goner.

IN the house...two desert rose, plumeria cuttings, all of my orchids, vanilla orchid, succulents, joseph's coat rose, elephant ears, mandellas, lantana, seed trays, ferns, turmeric. Luckily I haven't gotten around to planting any of those in the ground yet. Procrastination paid off LOL.

Another big challenge is my white bird of paradise plant/monster. I keep it in the porch in a HUGE pot. It's about 6' tall. I am losing the battle of keeping it small lol. When I got it, it was a small end-table size plant. I thought it was going to be as big as a regular bird of paradise...if you live in Florida, don't make this mistake. It gets HUGE. I researched it and it is supposed to grow to 30'. Like, where am I going to put a 30' plant (and be able to maintain it)...I thought that it would stay smaller on the porch...it has a different agenda. It just keeps growing. We have a few at work that I just realized what they were...they reach the 3rd floor of the hospital. I'd put a heater out there, but I have to work tonight overnight, so I don't want to leave a space heater unattended.

Oh and my two hibiscus that I keep by the shed in big pots. I have had them like that for three years, just last week I was thinking that I should put them in the ground. Glad I didn't lol. I managed to drag one of them into the shed yesterday. Gotta figure out how to get the other one in there. Maybe I was just too tired since I had been working out there all day. So I will give it a go again today.

And only in Florida can you just switch the thermostat from AC to heat without stopping at the off setting LOL. I went to bed last night with the air on (I'm a hot sleeper)...woke up and turned on the heat lol. Honestly, I wasn't even sure it worked because I don't think I have ever needed it.

I'm beginning to think that big storms are easier (as far as your plants go). You just get your smaller stuff in so they don't blow over, and the big plants usually survive especially if it is a tropical plant. This freeze is going to kill everything.

Just remembered my baby coconut palm that I grew from a coconut (yes, you can just grab a coconut off the roadside and put it in the ground lol). It's only about knee-high, just getting established. I guess that one is gonna be a goner too.

I'm in zone 10a. We aren't supposed to have these problems. You can plant year-round. Most of everything is in a spare bedroom, but other things were too heavy for me to get in there without damaging the floor. So the cat keeps keeping an eye on everything waiting for me to leave "and now we feast" LOL.
Sheets and blankets... cover as many as you can with bed sheets and/or light blankets. It may not save all of them but it may save some.

Don't know if it helps any but we're in zone 5 and on a large lake. There are many homes here with palm trees in their gardens. The majority of them wrap them in plastic and burlap for the winter and they survive just fine. Even if you can't move them indoors, move them to a sheltered area or cover them somehow.
 
Last edited:
To be honest, as a Minnesotan, my first reaction to the title thread was oh cry me a river. Then I read your post and the gardener in me softened my heart especially because I can picture so much of what you detailed! How did it go? What are things looking like today? I'm late to this thread but would have replied as @Misschief with blankets, towels, and sheets. Also, you can throw potted plants into a garage -- even unheated -- for a bit.
I know your work life is stressful enough, you didn't need this on top of all that.
 
i lost a lot. My bananas are toast...all of them. A bunch of stuff out front is gone, but most importantly...my crossandras took a big hit. I had two bushes planted.

Orange tree, lime tree, mini pomegranate, bouganvilleas, and other important stuff is all ok oddly. Those are the things that I thought would die first. I'm really sad about my bananas though. Ppl say it might spring back. I dunno. They look terrible.

Every blanket and sheet was put to work. Glad I put the potted plants in the house...and there was A LOT lol. The front of my house looked like there were ghosts all over the place with the sheets and stuff, it helped, but some still took a hit.

Two pentas bought and planted on the exact same day in the same spot. One looks like nothing ever happened, the other is a shriveled up brown mess. Both covered with the same sheet.

Probably the MOST important thing is the plumeria. It looks as good as the day before
🙏. I took a few cuttings off of it the day before just in case I needed to start from scratch. Now I have a lot of plumeria lol.
 
My mango tree looked like it was gonna be full of fruit this time, but we had frost two nights this past week in central FL… so not sure how that will fair and all 8 of my pineapple plants are turning yellow from the frost. I did not have room inside for them…
 
Yeah, that's what everybody is talking about on my facebook group that I belong to, but they just look so bad LOL
Bless your heart Cat. I understand you’re bummed. When we take so much time to nurture life, no matter what type, it’s sad when we lose it. Hang in there as the nurturer is still in you.
 
My mango tree looked like it was gonna be full of fruit this time, but we had frost two nights this past week in central FL… so not sure how that will fair and all 8 of my pineapple plants are turning yellow from the frost. I did not have room inside for them…
Lol, i waited 3 years for my biggest one to finally set out a baby pineapple. I wasnt losing it. Cuts all over my hands from it…but i got it in the house!!
 
Lol, i waited 3 years for my biggest one to finally set out a baby pineapple. I wasnt losing it. Cuts all over my hands from it…but i got it in the house!!
DUDE! Those pineapple plants are defensively sharp and dangerous! I don't move them or my Aloe if I don't have too! Only two of the plants I have now are from store bought pineapples. The rest are from the first one I planted about 3 years ago! But my pineapples are so small, I need to figure out what I'm doing wrong. They are so delicious I want them to grow bigger!!!
 
It is a bummer to lose what you work so hard to grow. May I ask where in Florida you are located? I am trying to ship some reptiles to Gulfport and am curious how the weather is there. Of course, I can ask the recipient. The weather has been erratic everywhere it seems this year.
 
It is a bummer to lose what you work so hard to grow. May I ask where in Florida you are located? I am trying to ship some reptiles to Gulfport and am curious how the weather is there. Of course, I can ask the recipient. The weather has been erratic everywhere it seems this year.
I’m east coat central FL… it’s been chilly, but yesterday got up to high 70’s low 80’s. Today it mid 60’s and wet! And it looks like west coast central FL is gonna be like that all week.
 
Back
Top