If you enjoyed this video, please *LIKE* it and share it to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😊TIMESTAMPS for convenience: 0:00 Introduction To Plant Protection 1:37 How To Use Plant Covers Correctly 4:16 How To Protect Vegetable Gardens From Cold 9:37 How To Protect Trees From Cold 10:33 Proven Cold Protection Trick #1 12:04 Proven Cold Protection Trick #3 14:29 Proven Cold Protection Trick #3 18:34 How To Use A Plant Jacket 22:01 Adventures With Dale
Hopefully, this will give you a giggle! When you mentioned NOT using LED lights,it reminded me of the time we put lights all around some cold sensitive veggies on our front deck. We then covered everything with a double layer of sheets. Everything died. At first, we were puzzled, then I looked at the box the lights came in, and took hold of the lights themselves. You guessed it..LED. Not a speck of heat. We never made THAT mistake again!
Wonderful information. Thank you! Your fruit trees look so healthy. The leaves are beautiful and fruit is so bountiful. Do you have a video where you discuss how you keep them in such lovely shape all year round? I would like my citrus trees to look as healthy as yours.
Good idea. My Key Lime got killed last year by a few very cold days. 😢 Actually the key lime part got killed, but the root stock was still alive and putting out braches in the spring before I realize what was going on 😂
@@rpdx3 I'm in NC zone 8a-ish we do get a number of cold days. I plan to get more citrus next year. However, for this year, Lucy the lemon tree gets to hang out indoors for the rest of the winter. 🍋
There is a popular RUclips gardener channel that was complaining about the up coming weather. He was saying how he was going to loose his plants because of the temperature drops that were expected. So I told him how to do what you are doing. Well he poo pod my advice and lost his plants. I’m very glad you have posted this video and I hope people will try it. Thanks
He may be a popular RUclips gardener, but he’s an idiot for turning down your suggestions. I’ve saved plants in near zero temp weather by introducing heat sources and cover just like is shown here. It works.
I have green tree frogs living on my mulberry trees. One wanted inside before a cold spell last year and came back in through a hole where my solar panel cable goes outside. I didn`t know the hole was unsealed, put the frog out that day, but that night as a cold front was coming it came back inside along with an Anole lizard. So I let them both stay on my indoor basil plant until it warmed back up. Ha!
I so admire and appreciate your savvy and no nonsense no music or attempt to be entertaining, just pure instruct and great demos. Then for a warming touch we get to see Dale and he's all the charm we need to make our day. Thanx so much!!!
Our fig was planted in the early 1980's and is probably 12 feet tall. We are in Texas and I remember being on a forum about fig bushes and the gentleman was recommending everybody cut their fig bush back, after we had "ice mageddon", and warning that probably most of them would die. Honestly I just couldn't bring myself to cut her in the cold. I didn't do it and continued with my usual routine of taking off dead branches and using them as "stakes" in my garden. Our fig bush came back in full glory. We are going to move in the next 2 years and the thought of leaving the fig behind is a pain on my heart. I don't know if I can take a part of her and replant her, where we are going, but I guess I need to do some research on that. She has been our joy (and breakfast) for 25 years. Thank you for this info on keeping plants/trees "warm" in winter. Never thought of Christmas lights!
You can take cuttings and try to root them. Also depending on your time line the " air layer " method could work on a few branches. You can google these methods. Good luck.
@@moondoghalo Take some cuttings when dormant and root indoor as well!! But air layering and summer rooting cuttings is much easier. You can just stick cuttings in a pot of dirt in the shade and some will root.
That's probably the best thing that could've happened to your fig. It is *critically* important to cut back most fruit trees, especially figs. Figs are only produced on new season's wood. In order to get lots of new growth, you need to seriously cut them. We're talking HARD. I cut my figs back 75%. The more you cut them back, the more new wood, the more figs you'll get. Unpruned fruit trees are very unproductive. Every orchard "tips" their trees to encourage new growth, or you don't get fruit.
O, wowww!!! What a coincidence!!!, I feel you!!, same here!!, i will like to move too, but im thinking about it!!, because I have a very big , and very frutffall fig tree, thank you Jesus Amen, I been having it for about 15 years, and is very big, it grow like a tree, and it gives me a lots of fruits twice a year, sooo much that I have to share the fruit with a lots of people, my mother have to freeze the fruit, so she can have figs all year around, and it breaks my heart; just to think, that I'm going to live it behind:(:(
I live in N. Ga and it has been down to 25F for a few nights. I have kept my summer eggplants warm by using Christmas tree lights and clearish plastic. So far so good.
I grew tomatoes in a hinged hoop house all winter long using just incandescent Christmas lights. You *can* do it. It's pretty inefficient for summer vegetables, but for fruit trees it is a good use of time and energy: ruclips.net/video/2qYwQmBAapQ/видео.htmlsi=NWy2QdSz7WeWby5M
❤ Target and Lowes has 100 string of Christmas incandescent lights . I bought 25 boxes for $75 dollars and they work for three raised beds worth of pepper eggplant orkra and still young cabbage/broccoli/kale Plants
Please keep in mind the mini-lights are really poor at generating warmth. Unless the plant is 12-18 inches tall with a small cover, they don't do a lot. The C9's are really what you want for any decent-sized tree. They are more expensive, but they're worth it, and the strands are made a lot better. The whole strand doesn't go out when a light or two burns out. They're much heavier duty.
I'm from Texas. I survived Snowpocalypse 2021. So did my plants. I bought a clear, xl vinyl table cloth, bunched my plants against the sliding glass door and taped the table cloth to the glass - creating a sort of bubble. Glass allows heat to escape and it went right into my plant bubble. I also laid flattened cardboard on the concrete. I did that in December 2020 and left it on until after the February Snowmagedon with temps as low as -20f. It's January 04 and we'll finally get our first freeze in South Texas. I'm going to do the same after this video but I'm absolutely going to add a strand of Christmas lights for my cordyline, mandevillia, etc.
In Texas zone 9b, we are getting our first freeze tonight. This is some good information. I was able to find 25ft incandescent lights at $3.25 each at Lowe's on clearance. Check your local stores for Christmas clearance lights!
Ours have been out of stock for weeks. They don't get many C9's in these days, and when they're gone, they're gone. If you had some left, you're very lucky. I wouldn't advise driving all the way there unless you had other stuff to get, too. I went 3 weeks ago and all the shelves were wiped out.
Peppers are easy to grow inside. I kept one alive for years. I also have 3 year old tomatoes and basil that has a thick stem with bark like a tree. I trim the basil back to a stem after it makes seeds and bring it inside and it sprouts and grows back in the winter. I just got 8 more varieties of basil because the bees love the blooms in late fall. I wanted Holy Basil but saw an 8 pack including it for just a little more.
Yeah I brought three of my pepper plants back in for the winter. I'm hoping they survive throughout the winter. Last time I did that they did not survive the whole time unfortunately.😢 I think it's cuz I tried to use some girl lights with them and they didn't want nothing to do with it. This year I'm not putting girl lights on them.
Great tips. I really like the pickle barrel idea. Goodness, I have not seen frogs in many many years. Reminds me of my childhood. Mr. Dale is always on his opossum hunting mode. He’s such a great yard keeper. Thank you for sharing the video.
Here in Boston the cold has set in. My collard greens got snowed on yesterday with temps in the 20s. But no pests, limited weeds, no mosquitos, no humidity, and the collards are thriving and growing. Thanks to you I am really enjoying winter gardening!
My Cara Cara fruited the first year, but it took last year off. It's building roots. It'll probably do something this year. The downside of planting them under tree cover is they grow more slowly due to less sun.
Great video! I have learnt so much from your protection videos over the years. I used a similar method to protect my clementine and avocado trees. We had a few lows down to -4°C (24.8°F) 2 weeks ago in my area (NW England, UK), thankfully it's a bit milder again at the moment, but the incandescent lights managed to keep my trees protected. The avocado was only planted this year, but the clementine made it through the winter last year with the same protection down to at least -6°C (21.2°F).
A green thumb wannabe here, inspired to change this with your tutelage here on YT. Your no-nonsense explanations as you impart your processes and experiences are so appreciated. Many, many thanks! Merry Christmas!
OUTSTANDING, as usual. Appreciate your completely applicable tips and instructions. You provide the easiest way from point A to point B, tried & true. Many thanks.
The Texas Freeze was what motivated me to install water barrels everywhere. Because Texas lost power, I realized the lights won't work if a severe cold event came with an ice storm/power outages. So, now I have water barrels everywhere, so if power goes down, I will still get 5-10 degrees of reliable protection. That would have been, literally, a lifesaver in that Texas freeze.
@@shannaciano1804 it would have. The water barrels add 10 degrees of protection pretty reliably, and the protection level increases as the temperature drop. A couple years ago when we got down to 14 degrees here, just water barrels alone kept my trees at nearly 25 degrees.
Thank you for this informative video Anthony! You always explain things so well! I have a few pineapples I trying to grow. Now, I think I'll put them on my south wall & use your tricks ❤
Just a response to the aquarium heater comment. Those things are designed to be safe in water, which is one reason I prefer them somewhat over other heating solutions outdoors. I tried it for the first time this year and it's worked really, really well. It's a good backup for if when you don't have strong sun to charge the water before a freeze, too, but you do need to remember to turn them on before the freeze itself as it takes a long time (many hours) to heat up the water. It's also a good backup for power outages in the same sense that you mentioned in the video (you can have a power outage during the night when you really need the heat, but it's fine because you charged the water during the day). To be fair, though, I'm more scared of the mixing water and electricity aspect than the potential fire hazard. 300W aquarium heaters are like $15 so it's also a really cheap solution. Anyway, I'd encourage giving it a try before dunking on it -- for me it's just a really good backup. Thanks for all the other tips, I did get water barrels for my avocado trees (first year outside) after watching your previous videos.
Thank you! This is awesome! During some cold temperatures a few weeks ago, I covered my plants with a wool blanket (over a frame). The plants closer to the dirt did better than the taller plants. In between the cold nights the sun warmed up the wool blanket and I guess there was some residual heat!
❤ yes it does. Last three nights in the low 30s upper 20s . I ‘ve used a breathable 10x30 blanket plant cover 5-gallon buckets 🪣 (3) filled with water and 8-ish 100 string of incandescent lights only with the pcv-pipe hoops. My pepper 🌶️ plants like 20 of them still have flowers and peppers 🌶️ and are growing more flowers . Dam crazy resilient results for a bunch of sensitive tropical pepper plants
Great video! I do the same with my outdoor deciduous pomegranate tree here in Arkansas but I use a plug in thermostat temperature controller (Amazon) where I can set a temperature for when the switch will send power to my lights or warmers and at what temp to turn them off. I have it set to come on at 25 degrees F and go off at 26 degrees F and it works beautifully.
for small shrubs, a milk jug full of water snuggled up to them seems to work very well. Last year I had 10 shrubs, and I could only come up with 9 jugs, so one didn't have the water next to it. After the freeze, the one shrub without the milk jug of water suffered die-back pretty bad. I now have lots of jugs on standby.
I live in a mild winter area but once in a while we have a freeze warning. Great suggestion of using fitted sheets as covers for my citrus trees. Thanks for sharing your experiences, much appreciated.
Make sure to place incandescent Christmas lights on them if you are going to get a true freeze if they're non-hardy citrus varieties. A sheet alone will freeze through and will only protect against frost.
So grateful for the plant jackets, just did this for my citrus in pacific northwest in Western Washington state. Been worried not enough air, sun, etc now feel way better
Thank you so much for all your great ideas and tips....love seeing all your citrus trees. You encouraged me to purchase figs and citrus trees...I am in Indiana. We are trying to keep our greenhouse warm enough with this freezing weather. Thank you bunches!!
Last season I was able to snag that same brand of lights at some stupid crazy good price after the holidays were over. They’re on my citrus trees and mangos now. Was nervous about the mangos but so far so good!
If there is any left on clearance, it is a great time to buy. They are rarely left in stock at the big box stores, but once I found them online and bought a dozen of them. I still have a bunch of unopened boxes in storage, just in case.
I just got done of them small, plastic greenhouses and put the plants in there for the winter. I’m in England and it can get rather cold. Bubble wrap is ok for the rain and cool temps but but not for the frost. I also put in a hot water bottle when it’s really cold!😊😊
I did this last year for my aloe Vera which are so susceptible to freeze and they did sooo awesome like nothing happened, I used the incandescent lights and covered with paint cloth,awesome, thanks!!!
Thanks so much. Your channel has been helpful to me. I’m in Durham and this is my first season planting trees. I planted apple, pear, peach, and figs. I plan to expand to lemon and a few more. Is it too late to plant a lemon tree? If so when should I plant and where did you purchase yours?Thanks again
Great video and cool advice. I remember those old school lights. Great idea. I was pondering a 100 watt lightbulb solution but your idea is much mote practical and efficient.
A polar vortex is coming down to hit us over the next week or so, it'd be cool to see an update on how your trees fair afterwards. FYI, I'm in Fayetteville, zone 8A, about 80 miles from Wilmington. I've been inspired by your videos, I've been cutting down all of the decorative trees and bushes in my yard with plans to replace everything with edible trees and bushes, to include avocados and citrus.
Great tips! I live in Europe in a zone similar to USDA zone 8a and our winter night temperatures are usually between -6 C and -4 C (21 F and 25 F), but sometimes we might get even to -10 C (14F) for short periods. I followed these tips and my calamondin, Satsuma mandarin, olive tree and bay laurel tree are doing fine with no sign of damage, even our pink oleander does not have any damage at all. I also have a Yuzu lemon and a Trifoliate lemon but I am not covering them yet as these ones are more hardier.
This is a great video! I have a persimmon that is rated down to zone 6, and I’m in 5B. I’m going to try the incandescent lights under a tree blanket this winter to help it through the coldest nights. We have been down to - 20 F a few times over the years. Also, since we have tons of squirrels, I have found that it is necessary to protect the wires of any lights with a mesh cable jacket. It seems to thwart the squirrels’ efforts to chew through any thinner electrical wiring.
The plant jackets can sit on for months, especially on a deciduous tree, since it'll be dormant. I've never used this method to protect a deciduous tree, but I don't see why it won't work. It would probably be a good idea to prune the tree before you add the protection, though, if the tree is large so it fits comfortably.
Sorry to hear. You can continue to plant out your garden in GA. You can sow seeds year round. Just cover them next time. I recommend starting fresh today.
Frost can be damaging, freeze can be damaging, but when you combine the two, that is the most damaging by far. You can't always stop a freeze, but you *can* always stop frost formation. If you're growing freeze-hardy plants, keeping the frost off the leaves really do increase their chances of success.
❤ yes it does. I pulled 8 summer plants under the front porch and just wrapped a 100 string of incandescent lights and three 5-gallons of buckets 🪣 around them only and they were green as anything the upper 20s and they were go to go 🌼 no wilting of leaves no dead looking flowers nothing… so crazy
Great info & thanks to you, in have ordered the freeze cloths, tie closed freeze bags. Hoops & clips, Greenhouse setting up & ready for winter. Thank you
I use the incandescent lights + plant jacket strategy on my Pickering mango on Central FL zone 9B. It never gets cold enough here for long enough to kill a mature mango tree, but a poorly timed hard freeze when the tree is blooming can spell doom for the next season’s harvest, so I don’t take any chances.
I imagine it works well. It is currently 27 degrees while I’m typing this, but my avocado tree is at a comfy 45 degrees. It’s truly astounding how well it works.
@@TheMillennialGardener With the cold protection strategies you've developed at your property there in NC, you'll be able to grow pretty much all manner of tropical fruit when you transition to your property in FL. You won't have to protect citrus and avocado anymore, but instead can do it for mamey sapote and soursop!
Here in 7 a/b it has been so dry the first few inches of soil are powdery. I had to wait for the temp to go to 39 (the high) and water them. Even keeping them protected, make sure they get the water they need, water at the base, not the leaves.
Instead of hoops for my kale,bunch onions,and leaf lettuce I use thin wood slats( off of free wood pallets) or branchesfrom my neighbors trees that are placed in ground amongst my veggies and that clear the tops of those veggies by a foot or so. The slat tops have old socks on so the frost blankets dont get punctured. Also,I use old blankets and sheets if extra cold protection is needed( down to 10 F.). If rain is predicted,Ill toss on a plastic tarp to shed moisture.On sunny milder winter days I take off the tarp,sheets,and frost blankets and let the veggies get some solar.This winter garden patch is on the south wall of my house and gets 5-7 hours sunlight. With my system I harvested veggies most of last winter even when temps got into the single digits! I' m in zone 7b,eastern Tenn. ( elevation 1160'). Other cold hardy veggies would probably work ,too. My only real cost is the tarp(s) and the frost blankets( about $40 total) which should last for years with good care. I like MG' s three way system for the fruit trees as per this video. Thanks Mr.MG!
ah, old socks! Brilliant. I was mucking around with all kinds of materials the previous years and didn't find anything satisfactory. Am going to try old socks!
Seriously, I love your info videos. That said, I live in Utah and can't follow your advice for weather difference. Have saved $$ with your tips, Thank you.
You can, but just not for the same stuff. Unless you live in St. George, citrus and avocados may be off the table, but you can probably grow Asian persimmons and figs using these tips and tricks. Having a beautiful Mediterranean-style garden with figs and persimmons in Utah would be a slice of heaven, and the dry summers would produce top quality figs.
Greetings Marcus! This is a great video. Thank You! I live in central Illinois and currently have two potted olive trees in my garage in a plastic dome. What temperature will it take to have them go dormant and how long should they remain dormant? Thanks a ton. Mike
My fig trees in Louisiana were properly eased into dormancy this year by normal weather instead of a sudden shift to single digits and days below freezing with high winds like we`ve been getting for the past 5 years. I hope they can produce breba next year. I`d like to try one. I plan to try tarps and buckets of warm water with wireless thermometers. I have low wattage immersion water heaters and portable power stations and I also have a variety of 10 to 36 watt LED bulbs I use to grow food inside in winter. My volunteer fall Ground Cherries I dug up and brought inside are looking great!
I got some incandesent big bulbed lights this winter.4 boxes) on Amazon. “Just in case”, we get a frost. Doesnt happen often. But it has happened. I think your method is brilliant! 👍
I appreciate your channel. And all the links you post. Plus all the good deals when you run across them. I got those soaker hoses you showed this year (set then up today actually) , and more coco bricks. That was a good deal. Thanks so much. Love your channel
You need the older style incandescent Christmas lights but these have been largely phased out with LED lights that don't work as well. You might have a hard time finding them locally at Walmart, Home Depot, or Lowes. They are also a seasonal item, so you probably won't find them in stores after Christmas.
They're very easy to find locally early in the season (when I initially posted this video). They're plentiful in November to early December. At this point, they are likely going to be sold out. But, this is why I posted a link in the video for C9's that you can buy year round.
I would recommend getting a small supplemental grow light for it. You can get one on Amazon for like $25-30. It's worth it. Meyer lemons tend to "freak out" if you abruptly carry them indoors. When they go from true sun to window light, they can drop their leaves. It helps to carry them inside and back outside over a period of a couple weeks to acclimate them.
From a previous video (the fruit tree vid) I picked up on your light string idea. Got a 25-ft string, total about 170 watts, for my smallish raised bed. I use a temperature-controlled outlet that I set to go on at 34 and off at 38. The connections are in a waterproof box. Once the heavy frost blanket is on, it's set and forget, though during warmer spells I peel the frost blanket back to allow in more sunlight in our otherwise cloudy days. I also have a remote temperature sensor which allows me to monitor the temperature to make sure all is ok. If it gets too cold, I can add a small electric heater for a boost (all on a GFCI plug).
The incandescent Christmas lights are a BRILLIANT idea, THANK YOU! I have to heat my orchid cacti in a greenhouse, with a polyfilm tent over them so I don’t have to heat the whole greenhouse. This year I have a string of lights draped thru them, set on a timer. The heater thermostat is set to go on if it gets too cold.
I like to use a product called Wilt Pruf. A pine oil based product with a milky color and dilute it with water. Apply with a hand or pump sprayer to the leaves. It dries clear and helps reduce moisture loss due to cold and wind.
Texas gets brutally cold in winter. Most of Texas is colder than my zone. A huge Arctic outbreak is likely January 8-18, so keep an eye out. Looks like single digits and teens coming for much of Texas, if the models are correct.
I'm fascinated! I never thought I could have lemons in NC. I prefer limes over lemon. Can I grow limes with this method? Is there a particular type of line that tolerates colder temps?
Limes are a bigger challenge, because there are no cold hardy true limes. I am growing a Eustis Limequat, which has fruit *similar* to a lime. Your average person wouldn't know the difference, probably. They are much more cold hardy to about 20F. Stan McKenzie from McKenzie Farms gave me mine and has them available.
My Owari satsuma tree is only a year old and I prsy it grows into something like you have! Thanks for the info. I’m worried about my fruit trees(dragon fruit, pineapple guava, Barbados cherry). I bought a green house to put them in and I’m hoping to find a way to keep it warm during our cold nights.
I have learned SO MUCH from you!! I take notes, like I did in school. Lol. I always come away feeling so encouraged and excited to get planting! THANX🎉
Great Video. Thank you. Needed This and just in time too as it started snowing in Illinois today. Now im also thinking if we ever get a freak winter I might as well wrap one of those water barrels in lights as well! Which also means ill probably have to wrap them in something so they dont melt but im thinking that'll just work as insulation as well. Ill let you guys know how it turns out next year I guess.
Yay! I’ve been waiting for this video. Now I’m wondering, if there are multiple cloudy days in a row (like so often happens in winter) do the barrels still warm up?
Yes, but not as much. The barrel's protection eventually will wear off if it stays consistently cold and/or there is no sun. However, these cold blasts usually come with clear skies, and they tend not to last more than 3-5 days. I haven't had a trouble with those such durations.
Unfortunately, the valley I live in develops an inversion layer and fog for many days every year around now. I think I'd have to find a way to heat the water inside the barrels in order to get any benefit during these foggy days and weeks. I don't think the southern side of my house helps much when the sun doesn't shine on it for days. If our elevation were around 2000 feet, we'd have that winter sun above the fog, but the valley ranges from 1300 to 1700 feet in elevation.
Good video, will be relevant for me in the future. I just got my hands on some fruits of cold hardy avocado varieties (Fuerte and Bacon, Del Rio is impossible to find here) and I plan to plant the seeds to be able to grow avocado trees outside here. I think so far we didnt have more than 8 hours of light frost this season and only a handful of times so it should work out in my area, I think the climate isn't too dissimilar from where you live, at least in the winter. Olive, Fig and pomegranate are fine here... Alternatively to the lights there are also special outdoor heat wires designed for safeguarding plants with a temperature sensor. Not sure what the english name for these is tho.
Please keep in mind avocados do not grow true. If you plant a seed, the tree may not be cold hardy at all, even if it came from a cold hardy tree. The genetics will be random and unique. The only way to guarantee a cold hardy avocado is to buy a known grafted variety. Also, a known grafted variety Will fruit in 2-4 years. A seed grown tree will likely take a decade on average to fruit.
@TheMillennialGardener Oh trust me I know but I have been looking for the avocado cultivars I want for well over a year across all of Europe and didn't just find no *good* offer but no offers at all! So it's actually just my only option if I want to have a shot at an avocado variety that isn't Hass, which is the only one you can find in stores here. I just found *one* online seller that sells some non-hass fruits because they partnered with a few Spanish and Italian farmers who grow them for local markets.
I have a black 55 gallon drum of water in my unheated greenhouse. It helps but not by 10 degrees. With the extra tarp over greenhouse I'm 4 degrees over outside temp. I'm thinking while it gets some it doesn't get enough full sunlight during the day to charge it. To late now but I need to get some of the jackets for my exposed fig trees and eventually my Owari Satsuma. Thanks for video and the links.
The greenhouse has much more air volume. You'd need to add more barrels to warm that much air mass. If you're using one of those small polycarbonate hobby greenhouses, they lose warmth incredibly fast at night. They don't work too well unless you're actively heating them or the sun is out.
@@TheMillennialGardener It’s one of the small cow panel greenhouses I built. I’ll try to add more water mass as well as more tarps. The temperature dropped to 18 degrees here last night and according to my sensor push the greenhouse dropped to 27. That’s actually not bad. Thanks
If you enjoyed this video, please *LIKE* it and share it to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😊TIMESTAMPS for convenience:
0:00 Introduction To Plant Protection
1:37 How To Use Plant Covers Correctly
4:16 How To Protect Vegetable Gardens From Cold
9:37 How To Protect Trees From Cold
10:33 Proven Cold Protection Trick #1
12:04 Proven Cold Protection Trick #3
14:29 Proven Cold Protection Trick #3
18:34 How To Use A Plant Jacket
22:01 Adventures With Dale
Hopefully, this will give you a giggle! When you mentioned NOT using LED lights,it reminded me of the time we put lights all around some cold sensitive veggies on our front deck. We then covered everything with a double layer of sheets. Everything died. At first, we were puzzled, then I looked at the box the lights came in, and took hold of the lights themselves. You guessed it..LED. Not a speck of heat.
We never made THAT mistake again!
Wonderful information. Thank you! Your fruit trees look so healthy. The leaves are beautiful and fruit is so bountiful. Do you have a video where you discuss how you keep them in such lovely shape all year round? I would like my citrus trees to look as healthy as yours.
I have only one Meyer lemon tree this year. So I brought it inside today and turned it into this year's Christmas Tree 🎄
Good idea. My Key Lime got killed last year by a few very cold days. 😢
Actually the key lime part got killed, but the root stock was still alive and putting out braches in the spring before I realize what was going on 😂
@@rpdx3 I'm in NC zone 8a-ish we do get a number of cold days. I plan to get more citrus next year. However, for this year, Lucy the lemon tree gets to hang out indoors for the rest of the winter. 🍋
Nice! Hopefully it has some nice lemon ornaments on it 🍋
Wow great idea 😊 thank you for sharing
There is a popular RUclips gardener channel that was complaining about the up coming weather. He was saying how he was going to loose his plants because of the temperature drops that were expected. So I told him how to do what you are doing. Well he poo pod my advice and lost his plants. I’m very glad you have posted this video and I hope people will try it. Thanks
It's especially important for young trees and plants. This channel really give me some good ideas.
That is a shame. Plant loss is highly preventable. As a gardener, we are always trying to build a better mousetrap and find a better way.
He may be a popular RUclips gardener, but he’s an idiot for turning down your suggestions. I’ve saved plants in near zero temp weather by introducing heat sources and cover just like is shown here. It works.
@ and that is why I do not watch him anymore!
I have green tree frogs living on my mulberry trees. One wanted inside before a cold spell last year and came back in through a hole where my solar panel cable goes outside. I didn`t know the hole was unsealed, put the frog out that day, but that night as a cold front was coming it came back inside along with an Anole lizard. So I let them both stay on my indoor basil plant until it warmed back up. Ha!
I so admire and appreciate your savvy and no nonsense no music or attempt to be entertaining, just pure instruct and great demos. Then for a warming touch we get to see Dale and he's all the charm we need to make our day. Thanx so much!!!
Well, I hope I'm *A LITTLE* entertaining 😂 I don't want to bore anyone.
I can't say anything any better than what has already been said.
I'm so very, very thankful you are here with gardening expertise. Thank you ❤
I’m happy I can help. Plant death is preventable!
Our fig was planted in the early 1980's and is probably 12 feet tall. We are in Texas and I remember being on a forum about fig bushes and the gentleman was recommending everybody cut their fig bush back, after we had "ice mageddon", and warning that probably most of them would die. Honestly I just couldn't bring myself to cut her in the cold. I didn't do it and continued with my usual routine of taking off dead branches and using them as "stakes" in my garden. Our fig bush came back in full glory. We are going to move in the next 2 years and the thought of leaving the fig behind is a pain on my heart. I don't know if I can take a part of her and replant her, where we are going, but I guess I need to do some research on that. She has been our joy (and breakfast) for 25 years. Thank you for this info on keeping plants/trees "warm" in winter. Never thought of Christmas lights!
You can take cuttings and try to root them. Also depending on your time line the " air layer " method could work on a few branches. You can google these methods. Good luck.
@@Janotes Thank you for the info. I will definitely look into "air layer".....haven't heard that before.
@@moondoghalo Take some cuttings when dormant and root indoor as well!! But air layering and summer rooting cuttings is much easier. You can just stick cuttings in a pot of dirt in the shade and some will root.
That's probably the best thing that could've happened to your fig. It is *critically* important to cut back most fruit trees, especially figs. Figs are only produced on new season's wood. In order to get lots of new growth, you need to seriously cut them. We're talking HARD. I cut my figs back 75%. The more you cut them back, the more new wood, the more figs you'll get. Unpruned fruit trees are very unproductive. Every orchard "tips" their trees to encourage new growth, or you don't get fruit.
O, wowww!!! What a coincidence!!!, I feel you!!, same here!!, i will like to move too, but im thinking about it!!, because I have a very big , and very frutffall fig tree, thank you Jesus Amen, I been having it for about 15 years, and is very big, it grow like a tree, and it gives me a lots of fruits twice a year, sooo much that I have to share the fruit with a lots of people, my mother have to freeze the fruit, so she can have figs all year around, and it breaks my heart; just to think, that I'm going to live it behind:(:(
I live in N. Ga and it has been down to 25F for a few nights. I have kept my summer eggplants warm by using Christmas tree lights and clearish plastic. So far so good.
I just wrapped my figs - getting down to 22 tonight!
I grew tomatoes in a hinged hoop house all winter long using just incandescent Christmas lights. You *can* do it. It's pretty inefficient for summer vegetables, but for fruit trees it is a good use of time and energy: ruclips.net/video/2qYwQmBAapQ/видео.htmlsi=NWy2QdSz7WeWby5M
❤ Target and Lowes has 100 string of Christmas incandescent lights . I bought 25 boxes for $75 dollars and they work for three raised beds worth of pepper eggplant orkra and still young cabbage/broccoli/kale Plants
Please keep in mind the mini-lights are really poor at generating warmth. Unless the plant is 12-18 inches tall with a small cover, they don't do a lot. The C9's are really what you want for any decent-sized tree. They are more expensive, but they're worth it, and the strands are made a lot better. The whole strand doesn't go out when a light or two burns out. They're much heavier duty.
It's getting harder to find C9's. They are replacing them with Led's
😊
I'm from Texas. I survived Snowpocalypse 2021. So did my plants.
I bought a clear, xl vinyl table cloth, bunched my plants against the sliding glass door and taped the table cloth to the glass - creating a sort of bubble.
Glass allows heat to escape and it went right into my plant bubble. I also laid flattened cardboard on the concrete. I did that in December 2020 and left it on until after the February Snowmagedon with temps as low as -20f.
It's January 04 and we'll finally get our first freeze in South Texas. I'm going to do the same after this video but I'm absolutely going to add a strand of Christmas lights for my cordyline, mandevillia, etc.
In Texas zone 9b, we are getting our first freeze tonight. This is some good information. I was able to find 25ft incandescent lights at $3.25 each at Lowe's on clearance. Check your local stores for Christmas clearance lights!
Ours have been out of stock for weeks. They don't get many C9's in these days, and when they're gone, they're gone. If you had some left, you're very lucky. I wouldn't advise driving all the way there unless you had other stuff to get, too. I went 3 weeks ago and all the shelves were wiped out.
Peppers are easy to grow inside. I kept one alive for years. I also have 3 year old tomatoes and basil that has a thick stem with bark like a tree. I trim the basil back to a stem after it makes seeds and bring it inside and it sprouts and grows back in the winter. I just got 8 more varieties of basil because the bees love the blooms in late fall. I wanted Holy Basil but saw an 8 pack including it for just a little more.
I have a 6 year old pepper plant. I've been meaning to make a video about it. The trunk looks like a strangler fig.
Yeah I brought three of my pepper plants back in for the winter. I'm hoping they survive throughout the winter. Last time I did that they did not survive the whole time unfortunately.😢 I think it's cuz I tried to use some girl lights with them and they didn't want nothing to do with it. This year I'm not putting girl lights on them.
Great tips. I really like the pickle barrel idea. Goodness, I have not seen frogs in many many years. Reminds me of my childhood. Mr. Dale is always on his opossum hunting mode. He’s such a great yard keeper. Thank you for sharing the video.
We have a lot of critters here. I have frogs and lizards all over the place. My yard has become a magnet for them with all the plants.
Here in Boston the cold has set in. My collard greens got snowed on yesterday with temps in the 20s. But no pests, limited weeds, no mosquitos, no humidity, and the collards are thriving and growing. Thanks to you I am really enjoying winter gardening!
I'm glad to hear everything is doing well. Another big cold shot is coming, so be prepared.
I decorated my Camellia topiary with those large Christmas lights last year and it unexpectedly saved my blooms when temps dipped into the 20s
They're pretty effective. As soon as you plug them in, they immediately warm your hands. After awhile, those bulbs get very warm.
I knew a video like this was coming, with these nights in the teens and low 20s all week in N.C.
Unfortunately, it looks like the next 4 nights will be even worse than the previous 4.
That meyer lemon tree is righteous!! I can't wait until your cara cara fruits!
My Cara Cara fruited the first year, but it took last year off. It's building roots. It'll probably do something this year. The downside of planting them under tree cover is they grow more slowly due to less sun.
I’ve been using masonry ladder as a hoop house. I will definitely try the pvc. Thanks!
I use masonry ladder but lengthwise not across. I clip on plastic and lined tablecloths at night. Works great!!!
I keep the ladders low to the ground too. Less air flow...more heat trapped.
Great video! I have learnt so much from your protection videos over the years. I used a similar method to protect my clementine and avocado trees. We had a few lows down to -4°C (24.8°F) 2 weeks ago in my area (NW England, UK), thankfully it's a bit milder again at the moment, but the incandescent lights managed to keep my trees protected. The avocado was only planted this year, but the clementine made it through the winter last year with the same protection down to at least -6°C (21.2°F).
That's excellent! Citrus and avocado trees in England. So cool!
A green thumb wannabe here, inspired to change this with your tutelage here on YT. Your no-nonsense explanations as you impart your processes and experiences are so appreciated. Many, many thanks! Merry Christmas!
Thank you so much! I'm glad I could help in some way.
Great information, thanks for sharing. Just what I wanted to know.
Glad it was helpful!
OUTSTANDING, as usual. Appreciate your completely applicable tips and instructions. You provide the easiest way from point A to point B, tried & true. Many thanks.
You're very welcome! Glad you found the tips helpful.
Dale is adorable! Tree frogs too! 🐸
He’s something else 😆 🐶
I wish I learned this before 5 years ago. The freeze in Texas killed everything. Now I know. Thank you !! Merry Christmas!
Even this method wouldn't have saved the plants that year.
@@shannaciano1804 oh really !? Well that makes me feel better...
The Texas Freeze was what motivated me to install water barrels everywhere. Because Texas lost power, I realized the lights won't work if a severe cold event came with an ice storm/power outages. So, now I have water barrels everywhere, so if power goes down, I will still get 5-10 degrees of reliable protection. That would have been, literally, a lifesaver in that Texas freeze.
@@shannaciano1804 it would have. The water barrels add 10 degrees of protection pretty reliably, and the protection level increases as the temperature drop. A couple years ago when we got down to 14 degrees here, just water barrels alone kept my trees at nearly 25 degrees.
I love your hoops. They can hold shade cloth in the heat of summer! I have a problem with plants burning up in summer, so I'll try this next year.
Shade cloth works *incredibly* well. Don’t forget to use insect netting in spring and fall!
Thank you for this informative video Anthony! You always explain things so well! I have a few pineapples I trying to grow. Now, I think I'll put them on my south wall & use your tricks ❤
Ah, I hope to grow pineapples one day! It sounds so nice.
Just a response to the aquarium heater comment. Those things are designed to be safe in water, which is one reason I prefer them somewhat over other heating solutions outdoors. I tried it for the first time this year and it's worked really, really well. It's a good backup for if when you don't have strong sun to charge the water before a freeze, too, but you do need to remember to turn them on before the freeze itself as it takes a long time (many hours) to heat up the water. It's also a good backup for power outages in the same sense that you mentioned in the video (you can have a power outage during the night when you really need the heat, but it's fine because you charged the water during the day). To be fair, though, I'm more scared of the mixing water and electricity aspect than the potential fire hazard.
300W aquarium heaters are like $15 so it's also a really cheap solution. Anyway, I'd encourage giving it a try before dunking on it -- for me it's just a really good backup.
Thanks for all the other tips, I did get water barrels for my avocado trees (first year outside) after watching your previous videos.
Thank you! This is awesome! During some cold temperatures a few weeks ago, I covered my plants with a wool blanket (over a frame). The plants closer to the dirt did better than the taller plants. In between the cold nights the sun warmed up the wool blanket and I guess there was some residual heat!
The gardening genius.
❤ yes it does. Last three nights in the low 30s upper 20s . I ‘ve used a breathable 10x30 blanket plant cover 5-gallon buckets 🪣 (3) filled with water and 8-ish 100 string of incandescent lights only with the pcv-pipe hoops. My pepper 🌶️ plants like 20 of them still have flowers and peppers 🌶️ and are growing more flowers . Dam crazy resilient results for a bunch of sensitive tropical pepper plants
Great video! I do the same with my outdoor deciduous pomegranate tree here in Arkansas but I use a plug in thermostat temperature controller (Amazon) where I can set a temperature for when the switch will send power to my lights or warmers and at what temp to turn them off. I have it set to come on at 25 degrees F and go off at 26 degrees F and it works beautifully.
for small shrubs, a milk jug full of water snuggled up to them seems to work very well. Last year I had 10 shrubs, and I could only come up with 9 jugs, so one didn't have the water next to it. After the freeze, the one shrub without the milk jug of water suffered die-back pretty bad. I now have lots of jugs on standby.
Excellent stuff. I wish I had seen this a few weeks ago. Just down the coast in SC.
Thanks for sharing your tips.
I live in a mild winter area but once in a while we have a freeze warning. Great suggestion of using fitted sheets as covers for my citrus trees. Thanks for sharing your experiences, much appreciated.
Make sure to place incandescent Christmas lights on them if you are going to get a true freeze if they're non-hardy citrus varieties. A sheet alone will freeze through and will only protect against frost.
So grateful for the plant jackets, just did this for my citrus in pacific northwest in Western Washington state. Been worried not enough air, sun, etc now feel way better
Plant jackets are an incredible innovation. I try to spread the word as much as possible this time of year!
Great information. I love your tree frogs. And your pup Dale.
Thank you! Dale says hi 🐶
Thank you so much for all your great ideas and tips....love seeing all your citrus trees. You encouraged me to purchase figs and citrus trees...I am in Indiana. We are trying to keep our greenhouse warm enough with this freezing weather. Thank you bunches!!
Good luck! The last week and a half has been wicked, and it isn't letting up anytime soon. This has been the worst January I can remember.
Damn I'm impressed, you really know your fruits/ veggies. Thanks for the info!
You're welcome!
Great video and great timing !!!
Thanks!
Last season I was able to snag that same brand of lights at some stupid crazy good price after the holidays were over. They’re on my citrus trees and mangos now.
Was nervous about the mangos but so far so good!
If there is any left on clearance, it is a great time to buy. They are rarely left in stock at the big box stores, but once I found them online and bought a dozen of them. I still have a bunch of unopened boxes in storage, just in case.
I just got done of them small, plastic greenhouses and put the plants in there for the winter. I’m in England and it can get rather cold. Bubble wrap is ok for the rain and cool temps but but not for the frost. I also put in a hot water bottle when it’s really cold!😊😊
I did this last year for my aloe Vera which are so susceptible to freeze and they did sooo awesome like nothing happened, I used the incandescent lights and covered with paint cloth,awesome, thanks!!!
Last night, we scraped 19.9 degrees. My avocado tree only hit 38.5. Nearly 20 degrees of protection! This stuff works.
Thanks so much. Your channel has been helpful to me. I’m in Durham and this is my first season planting trees. I planted apple, pear, peach, and figs. I plan to expand to lemon and a few more. Is it too late to plant a lemon tree? If so when should I plant and where did you purchase yours?Thanks again
Great video and cool advice.
I remember those old school lights.
Great idea.
I was pondering a 100 watt lightbulb solution but your idea is much mote practical and efficient.
A polar vortex is coming down to hit us over the next week or so, it'd be cool to see an update on how your trees fair afterwards. FYI, I'm in Fayetteville, zone 8A, about 80 miles from Wilmington. I've been inspired by your videos, I've been cutting down all of the decorative trees and bushes in my yard with plans to replace everything with edible trees and bushes, to include avocados and citrus.
Great tips! I live in Europe in a zone similar to USDA zone 8a and our winter night temperatures are usually between -6 C and -4 C (21 F and 25 F), but sometimes we might get even to -10 C (14F) for short periods. I followed these tips and my calamondin, Satsuma mandarin, olive tree and bay laurel tree are doing fine with no sign of damage, even our pink oleander does not have any damage at all. I also have a Yuzu lemon and a Trifoliate lemon but I am not covering them yet as these ones are more hardier.
This is a great video! I have a persimmon that is rated down to zone 6, and I’m in 5B. I’m going to try the incandescent lights under a tree blanket this winter to help it through the coldest nights. We have been down to - 20 F a few times over the years. Also, since we have tons of squirrels, I have found that it is necessary to protect the wires of any lights with a mesh cable jacket. It seems to thwart the squirrels’ efforts to chew through any thinner electrical wiring.
The plant jackets can sit on for months, especially on a deciduous tree, since it'll be dormant. I've never used this method to protect a deciduous tree, but I don't see why it won't work. It would probably be a good idea to prune the tree before you add the protection, though, if the tree is large so it fits comfortably.
Needed this! Saved it for next year. We had some frost in GA and my babies didn't make it.
Sorry to hear. You can continue to plant out your garden in GA. You can sow seeds year round. Just cover them next time. I recommend starting fresh today.
@@TheMillennialGardener Oh that's great news!
I have always wondered about the finer points of protection and plant damage. Frost vs Freeze. Thank you!!!!!
Frost can be damaging, freeze can be damaging, but when you combine the two, that is the most damaging by far. You can't always stop a freeze, but you *can* always stop frost formation. If you're growing freeze-hardy plants, keeping the frost off the leaves really do increase their chances of success.
@ can’t thank you enough. 🎄
❤ yes it does. I pulled 8 summer plants under the front porch and just wrapped a 100 string of incandescent lights and three 5-gallons of buckets 🪣 around them only and they were green as anything the upper 20s and they were go to go 🌼 no wilting of leaves no dead looking flowers nothing… so crazy
Excellent explanations. Great analogies. 👍
I appreciate it! Thanks for watching!
Good advice!
Thanks!
Great stuff! Thank you.
You're welcome!
Thank you for sharing your talent.
You're welcome!
Great info & thanks to you, in have ordered the freeze cloths, tie closed freeze bags. Hoops & clips, Greenhouse setting up & ready for winter. Thank you
You're welcome!
Strong winter storms blows everything away.
That's why we use drawstring plant jackets. Nothing blows away. 40 mph winds right now. Everything is fine.
I use the incandescent lights + plant jacket strategy on my Pickering mango on Central FL zone 9B. It never gets cold enough here for long enough to kill a mature mango tree, but a poorly timed hard freeze when the tree is blooming can spell doom for the next season’s harvest, so I don’t take any chances.
I imagine it works well. It is currently 27 degrees while I’m typing this, but my avocado tree is at a comfy 45 degrees. It’s truly astounding how well it works.
@@TheMillennialGardener With the cold protection strategies you've developed at your property there in NC, you'll be able to grow pretty much all manner of tropical fruit when you transition to your property in FL. You won't have to protect citrus and avocado anymore, but instead can do it for mamey sapote and soursop!
Thank you so much for putting the (my avocado tree) next to the plant jacket. So much easier that way!
I figured it would help. It is impossible to tell otherwise.
@@TheMillennialGardenerso true!
Here in 7 a/b it has been so dry the first few inches of soil are powdery. I had to wait for the temp to go to 39 (the high) and water them. Even keeping them protected, make sure they get the water they need, water at the base, not the leaves.
Instead of hoops for my kale,bunch onions,and leaf lettuce I use thin wood slats( off of free wood pallets) or branchesfrom my neighbors trees that are placed in ground amongst my veggies and that clear the tops of those veggies by a foot or so. The slat tops have old socks on so the frost blankets dont get punctured. Also,I use old blankets and sheets if extra cold protection is needed( down to 10 F.). If rain is predicted,Ill toss on a plastic tarp to shed moisture.On sunny milder winter days I take off the tarp,sheets,and frost blankets and let the veggies get some solar.This winter garden patch is on the south wall of my house and gets 5-7 hours sunlight. With my system I harvested veggies most of last winter even when temps got into the single digits! I' m in zone 7b,eastern Tenn. ( elevation 1160'). Other cold hardy veggies would probably work ,too. My only real cost is the tarp(s) and the frost blankets( about $40 total) which should last for years with good care. I like MG' s three way system for the fruit trees as per this video. Thanks Mr.MG!
ah, old socks! Brilliant. I was mucking around with all kinds of materials the previous years and didn't find anything satisfactory. Am going to try old socks!
Great video. Any thoughts on watering the soil before the freeze to store heat or is it better to leave on the drier side?
Seriously, I love your info videos. That said, I live in Utah and can't follow your advice for weather difference. Have saved $$ with your tips, Thank you.
You can, but just not for the same stuff. Unless you live in St. George, citrus and avocados may be off the table, but you can probably grow Asian persimmons and figs using these tips and tricks. Having a beautiful Mediterranean-style garden with figs and persimmons in Utah would be a slice of heaven, and the dry summers would produce top quality figs.
Thank you for another awesome video!
You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you for sharing Merry Christmas
You're welcome! Merry Christmas!
Greetings Marcus!
This is a great video. Thank You! I live in central Illinois and currently have two potted olive trees in my garage in a plastic dome. What temperature will it take to have them go dormant and how long should they remain dormant?
Thanks a ton. Mike
My fig trees in Louisiana were properly eased into dormancy this year by normal weather instead of a sudden shift to single digits and days below freezing with high winds like we`ve been getting for the past 5 years. I hope they can produce breba next year. I`d like to try one. I plan to try tarps and buckets of warm water with wireless thermometers. I have low wattage immersion water heaters and portable power stations and I also have a variety of 10 to 36 watt LED bulbs I use to grow food inside in winter. My volunteer fall Ground Cherries I dug up and brought inside are looking great!
I got some incandesent big bulbed lights this winter.4 boxes) on Amazon. “Just in case”, we get a frost. Doesnt happen often. But it has happened. I think your method is brilliant! 👍
I think I have 10 “spare” just-in-case boxes in my attic 😆
I appreciate your channel. And all the links you post. Plus all the good deals when you run across them. I got those soaker hoses you showed this year (set then up today actually) , and more coco bricks. That was a good deal. Thanks so much. Love your channel
So helpful. Thanks
You're welcome!
Your info is amazing! Very informative
Thank you!
You need the older style incandescent Christmas lights but these have been largely phased out with LED lights that don't work as well. You might have a hard time finding them locally at Walmart, Home Depot, or Lowes. They are also a seasonal item, so you probably won't find them in stores after Christmas.
They're very easy to find locally early in the season (when I initially posted this video). They're plentiful in November to early December. At this point, they are likely going to be sold out. But, this is why I posted a link in the video for C9's that you can buy year round.
I make the hoop houses on my raised beds but I make them a little shorter. I use them year round for bugs, sunburn etc. South Texas here.
Great content. Thank you for sharing.
You're welcome!
Thanks
And have a happy new year
Happy new year!
Completed my hoop house about 2 weeks ago and planted my winter crops.
Excellent!
Since I'm in the Boise, ID area, I brought my Meyer lemon indoors. It sits in my kitchen in front of the sliding glass door.
I would recommend getting a small supplemental grow light for it. You can get one on Amazon for like $25-30. It's worth it. Meyer lemons tend to "freak out" if you abruptly carry them indoors. When they go from true sun to window light, they can drop their leaves. It helps to carry them inside and back outside over a period of a couple weeks to acclimate them.
Great resource! Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
From a previous video (the fruit tree vid) I picked up on your light string idea. Got a 25-ft string, total about 170 watts, for my smallish raised bed. I use a temperature-controlled outlet that I set to go on at 34 and off at 38. The connections are in a waterproof box. Once the heavy frost blanket is on, it's set and forget, though during warmer spells I peel the frost blanket back to allow in more sunlight in our otherwise cloudy days. I also have a remote temperature sensor which allows me to monitor the temperature to make sure all is ok. If it gets too cold, I can add a small electric heater for a boost (all on a GFCI plug).
Sounds like an automated system. Glad it is working out for you.
The incandescent Christmas lights are a BRILLIANT idea, THANK YOU! I have to heat my orchid cacti in a greenhouse, with a polyfilm tent over them so I don’t have to heat the whole greenhouse. This year I have a string of lights draped thru them, set on a timer. The heater thermostat is set to go on if it gets too cold.
You're welcome. I've been using them for 7 years with great results. I try to spread the word every time this time of year.
I like to use a product called Wilt Pruf. A pine oil based product with a milky color and dilute it with water. Apply with a hand or pump sprayer to the leaves. It dries clear and helps reduce moisture loss due to cold and wind.
Thank you such good ideas ,,thank you thank you ...!!
You're welcome!
That’s easy just love here in Texas 😁👍
Texas gets brutally cold in winter. Most of Texas is colder than my zone. A huge Arctic outbreak is likely January 8-18, so keep an eye out. Looks like single digits and teens coming for much of Texas, if the models are correct.
Excellent video. Thank you!!
You’re welcome!
I've had Christmas lights on my owari satsuma since early October. I put the frost blanket on the other day. Seattle area.
Amazing video brother thank you!
You're welcome!
Great information. Thank yiu.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video, really good information, thks for sharing.
I'm glad you found it helpful!
I'm fascinated! I never thought I could have lemons in NC. I prefer limes over lemon. Can I grow limes with this method? Is there a particular type of line that tolerates colder temps?
Limes are a bigger challenge, because there are no cold hardy true limes. I am growing a Eustis Limequat, which has fruit *similar* to a lime. Your average person wouldn't know the difference, probably. They are much more cold hardy to about 20F. Stan McKenzie from McKenzie Farms gave me mine and has them available.
My Owari satsuma tree is only a year old and I prsy it grows into something like you have! Thanks for the info. I’m worried about my fruit trees(dragon fruit, pineapple guava, Barbados cherry). I bought a green house to put them in and I’m hoping to find a way to keep it warm during our cold nights.
You are a few ones who know what they are talking about. 👍👍👍👍👍
I appreciate it! I try to share what has worked for me.
I have learned SO MUCH from you!! I take notes, like I did in school. Lol. I always come away feeling so encouraged and excited to get planting!
THANX🎉
Glad I can help! Keep on planting! 😁 Taking notes was no fun in school, but I enjoy it now when it is about things I’m interested in.
Great Video. Thank you. Needed This and just in time too as it started snowing in Illinois today. Now im also thinking if we ever get a freak winter I might as well wrap one of those water barrels in lights as well! Which also means ill probably have to wrap them in something so they dont melt but im thinking that'll just work as insulation as well. Ill let you guys know how it turns out next year I guess.
Yay! I’ve been waiting for this video. Now I’m wondering, if there are multiple cloudy days in a row (like so often happens in winter) do the barrels still warm up?
Yes, but not as much. The barrel's protection eventually will wear off if it stays consistently cold and/or there is no sun. However, these cold blasts usually come with clear skies, and they tend not to last more than 3-5 days. I haven't had a trouble with those such durations.
@@TheMillennialGardenerThanks!
Unfortunately, the valley I live in develops an inversion layer and fog for many days every year around now. I think I'd have to find a way to heat the water inside the barrels in order to get any benefit during these foggy days and weeks. I don't think the southern side of my house helps much when the sun doesn't shine on it for days. If our elevation were around 2000 feet, we'd have that winter sun above the fog, but the valley ranges from 1300 to 1700 feet in elevation.
Well done
Thank you!
Thank you
You're welcome!
I'm in 9b where I'm sure I'll be your neighbor soon. Getting ready to do this for the coming cold! $3.25 for 25ft strings at lowes
Awesome! Thank you
You're welcome!
Really well done video
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Good video, will be relevant for me in the future. I just got my hands on some fruits of cold hardy avocado varieties (Fuerte and Bacon, Del Rio is impossible to find here) and I plan to plant the seeds to be able to grow avocado trees outside here. I think so far we didnt have more than 8 hours of light frost this season and only a handful of times so it should work out in my area, I think the climate isn't too dissimilar from where you live, at least in the winter. Olive, Fig and pomegranate are fine here...
Alternatively to the lights there are also special outdoor heat wires designed for safeguarding plants with a temperature sensor. Not sure what the english name for these is tho.
Please keep in mind avocados do not grow true. If you plant a seed, the tree may not be cold hardy at all, even if it came from a cold hardy tree. The genetics will be random and unique. The only way to guarantee a cold hardy avocado is to buy a known grafted variety. Also, a known grafted variety Will fruit in 2-4 years. A seed grown tree will likely take a decade on average to fruit.
@TheMillennialGardener Oh trust me I know but I have been looking for the avocado cultivars I want for well over a year across all of Europe and didn't just find no *good* offer but no offers at all! So it's actually just my only option if I want to have a shot at an avocado variety that isn't Hass, which is the only one you can find in stores here. I just found *one* online seller that sells some non-hass fruits because they partnered with a few Spanish and Italian farmers who grow them for local markets.
I have a black 55 gallon drum of water in my unheated greenhouse. It helps but not by 10 degrees. With the extra tarp over greenhouse I'm 4 degrees over outside temp. I'm thinking while it gets some it doesn't get enough full sunlight during the day to charge it. To late now but I need to get some of the jackets for my exposed fig trees and eventually my Owari Satsuma. Thanks for video and the links.
The greenhouse has much more air volume. You'd need to add more barrels to warm that much air mass. If you're using one of those small polycarbonate hobby greenhouses, they lose warmth incredibly fast at night. They don't work too well unless you're actively heating them or the sun is out.
@@TheMillennialGardener It’s one of the small cow panel greenhouses I built. I’ll try to add more water mass as well as more tarps. The temperature dropped to 18 degrees here last night and according to my sensor push the greenhouse dropped to 27. That’s actually not bad. Thanks