Forumfool, I hope that I don't lose any, but it is inevitable, that I will. I know that one day a severe cold blast will take out some, if not all of my citrus trees. It happens, just ask Citrusman99. I may cover what I can if a brutal cold front comes my way, and hope for the best. I still have my barrels at each tree, bare soil underneath, and the option of mounding soil around the trunks. There are commercial orchards of trees across the state from me ( only a degree or two difference) that have only passive heat protection during winter, with no barrels, that are producing quite well. I don't leave them out in the cold..so to speak.. completely. I just won't cover the larger trees unless it gets down into the middle to low teens. I pretty much have the north wind blocked from my orchard. That helps a lot. I did not mean to give the impression that I would do NOTHING to protect them, just that they will not receive the same level of care as the younger trees. I hope they live for many, many years and give me many, many fruits. Fingers crossed. LOL
TFN