This time of year is fun.................

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 8:28 am

....or is it?

0:

Yesterday morning it looked like a little rain for the weekend...........

After I took the cover off the cactus bed I went in
and looked at the forecast...

They were saying 2-5" of snow )-:

Not a big deal but with a cold weekend and the next storm
on Sunday a big unknown,I am playing it safe this time.

I think everything in the cactus bed/palms(beside the ones with pull)
would be alright but my Graptopetalum Paraguayense which did
not even lay down this year is not worth risking.

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12004.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12004.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12005.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12005.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12007.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12007.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12008.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12008.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12009.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12009.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

C.Cerifera has been wicked hardy,seeing single digits every winter and never pulling.

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12010.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12010.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Heres the Princeps a planted a little over a week ago,
behind it is Cerifera and another Cerifera that did pull
last winter but all the pups survived.(:

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12011.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12011.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

My tough little Takil,pulled from the rain and 14F event
last November put is hanging tough!

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12013.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12013.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

This Cordyline has come back 4 years in a row from the roots'
it has been getting smaller but maybe this year it will gain
enough mass for 4 more years(:

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12014.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12014.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Variegated Aloifolia

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12015.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12015.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

This Fortunei looks like it will go nuts this year!

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12012.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12012.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

And this morning-3-2-12-back up....

Why risk it-

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12016.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12016.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>-

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lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 9:13 am

Jim, yeah you're right, not worth the risk.

Agree that this time of year can be fun, and you've done a lot.
What a labour of love.
No wonder you were AWOL for a day or so.

The new wire panels will easily hold 5" snow.
Hopefully just a dusting will arrive.

I'm frankly amazed at how healthy everything looks.

And I will plant my C.cerifera maybe this year or next.
yours has shown amazing hardiness.

Glad to see the princeps planted, will really watch that one.
Mine are last year's seedlings ... gotta wait. Darn.

Didn't realize Cordyline Red Star is that tough.

And yes, you'll be able to HEAR that Fortunei growing.
Bet it grows 4 - 5 feet this year; what a beauty.
Great color! The picture of health.

Thanks for getting us through cabin fever, Jim.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 9:41 am

WoW!

Thanks Barb

The tipping point was the Graptopetalum,I do not want to
see this get shrink ****** by having a bunch of cold snow laying on it!

All the damage is from Noivembers rain/14F event.....

Once the cactus cover was on,I don't believe it went below 20F in there.

One of the cactus in there is only rated to 20F and it is fine.

The pics don't do the size of these flakes justice..I love March/April snow fall!

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12001.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12001.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12003.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12003.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

wonder how Tim in Wisconsin is doing????

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 11:41 am

That must be the storm we had yesterday.

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 1:21 pm

Hi Jim,

your plants look mint! The Agaves are getting huge.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 2:57 pm

wonder how Tim in Wisconsin is doing????

Probably as well as Tim in Massachusetts

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 4:30 pm

Hey Barb,

we hit 85F today, sunny hot & humid. I noticed my Trachy is blooming and forecast has not more freezes................................then I woke up!

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 9:12 pm

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 3:41 am

TimMAz6 wrote:Hey Barb, we hit 85F today, sunny hot & humid. I noticed my Trachy is blooming and forecast has not more freezes................................then I woke up!

I even stop dreaming about the Spring... This morning was minus 14C!

sashaeffer · Post by **sashaeffer** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 4:24 am

Jim,

First LOVE your front porch and windows! love that style.

Do you know of a Agave, cactus or succulent that is totally cold hardy for our area? OR that stays on the small side so protection would be easier?

I'm going to plant one of my big Trachy's near where I had it in a pot in the ground last summer. I'm going to be taking out the small pond in that area. It faces West, but I will have some space for other plants and would prefer something that I don't have to tend to. Not really fond of Yucca plants. Any suggestions?

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 11:16 am

How small?

The 2 biggest really cold hardy Agaves in my garden are Parryi and Havardiana.

They both stay pretty small.

When I got home,the snow has already melted............

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 2:23 pm

Perfect timing w new covers!

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 4:01 pm

Nice heavy wet snow............that's the worst. It's nice your hoop houses are still up for most of your plants.

Okanagan desert-palms · Post by **Okanagan desert-palms** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 4:43 pm

It will all be but a memory soon and or a bad dream.

John

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sun Mar 04, 2012 8:32 am

TimMAz6 wrote:Nice heavy wet snow............that's the worst. It's nice your hoop houses are still up for most of your plants.

I took them down and when I went inside the forecast had changed from light rain to 2-4" snow.

If it wasn't going to be cold a few days after and the Sunday storm wasn't so uncertain I would
have left them to get covered with snow.

Maybe an inch or two today,I may take the covers of the let them be covered/protected
by the snow as a low of 18Ftonight may be a little more chilly than I would like.

Maybe the snow will offer a little protection..............................................

Even if it doesn't ,temps recover to the mid 40s Monday and upper 60s Tuesday with no freezing temps Monday night...

PalmsNorth.com

This time of year is fun.................

This time of year is fun.................

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