Author Topic: Brace for Frost! (Read 30964 times)

ScottR · « **Reply #25 on:** December 29, 2014, 11:19:17 AM »

Yep-33.5f this morning thought it was going to be a few degrees warmer but now they say will be cold until end of this week with Thrus.-Friday even colder

The only good this is that we are getting some chill recorded for those deciduous trees

goosteen · « **Reply #26 on:** December 29, 2014, 11:55:38 AM »

I got thermometers everywhere... at 8am it was 45f on a south facing wall, 35 in the shade. Then 30 on the ground, with frost on my lawn Going to spray my trees with freezproof today.

ClayMango · « **Reply #27 on:** December 30, 2014, 04:42:53 PM »

Well it's not looking that great guys.

I've got some frost damage on a few of my Mango trees, not bad...mainly on the tops of all the leaves with the mid section and bottom being spared. Mango trees in the ground seem ok that are near my South wall...Potted trees got some damage including my Cherimoyas, Lychees appear to be the hardiest of them all with very minimal damage on the tops.... If I would have know we were getting frost at 35 degrees I would of surely brought everything in side...For now on I will not make that mistake.

Tonight will probably be the biggest threat yet with Temps expected to reach 28 degrees....My Homemade greenhouse is a failed project....Couldn't figure out how to properly attach the wrap I bought for the PVC pipe...I tried super glue lol yeah I'm an idiot.... For now I'm attempting to cover everything with frost cloth, but some of my trees are at about 5-6 feet where I cant make the cloth reach the ground for the perfect seal....I have 3 sets of C9 lights....other than that I pray the trees at least survive....

nullzero · « **Reply #28 on:** December 30, 2014, 05:02:33 PM »

I think tomorrow night is going to be the worst day. After this cold front storm blows through without the clouds for the radiant heat, its going to be a cold, windy, and dry night.

behlgarden · « **Reply #29 on:** December 30, 2014, 05:18:15 PM »

It hit 35 at my place in Corona. I expect it to go below 32 tonight, tomorrow, and Thursday. I have potted grafted mangoes inside the greenhouse with heater set at 42 degrees. But outside plants are in danger. I plan on bubble wrapping in ground mangoes of my grated mango unions and possibly the growth as well. I have lost mango plants before and its a sad thing to watch black colored stump that is the end result.

ClayMango · « **Reply #30 on:** December 30, 2014, 05:20:55 PM »

It seems I was wrong, Tonight will be around 32, tomorrow tonight are predicted lows around 29 degrees....I need to find some more C9 lights!!!!!!!!!

behlgarden · « **Reply #31 on:** December 30, 2014, 05:22:54 PM »

Accuweather.com shows Friday morning hitting 31 degrees. Weather.com shows 38 which I believe isn't correct. My particular area under foothills and open space gets about 3-4 degrees colder than rest of the surroundings. so I am looking at temps of 28-30 degrees in this weeks cold freeze!

I think bubble wrapping of main trunk of mango plants would help.

kh0110 · « **Reply #32 on:** December 30, 2014, 05:33:28 PM »

Quote from: ClayMango on December 30, 2014, 05:20:55 PM

It seems I was wrong, Tonight will be around 32, tomorrow tonight are predicted lows around 29 degrees....I need to find some more C9 lights!!!!!!!!!

Large buckets of water near your plants could be better where you are. And easier to implement!

michsu · « **Reply #33 on:** December 30, 2014, 05:38:31 PM »

Clay, I heard that if you water them (or spray them with water) it helps with the frost? It should warm the plants up a little bit..

http://www.almadenvalleynursery.com/site/preventing-frost-damage-articles.php

Above all else, make sure the soil around the plant is moist when frost is expected. Moist soil holds and releases more heat than dry soil, which will create a more humid environment around the plant when the frost pulls moisture from the leaves. "Ice off" plants by spraying them with water. This will ensure water will freeze on the outside of the leaves rather than the moisture inside, which causes cells to rupture."

behlgarden · « **Reply #34 on:** December 30, 2014, 05:42:07 PM »

JF told me that too, but I cant understand it plus if I get large bucket of water inside the greenhouse, it would cramp plants

kh0110 · « **Reply #35 on:** December 30, 2014, 05:56:18 PM »

Quote from: behlgarden on December 30, 2014, 05:42:07 PM

JF told me that too, but I cant understand it plus if I get large bucket of water inside the greenhouse, it would cramp plants

I believe it's a heat transfer thing. During the day, sunlight is warmer than the water in the bucket so sunlight heat goes into the water bucket. At night, the water in the bucket is warmer than surrounding air, so heat leaves the water and warms the surrounding air.

behlgarden · « **Reply #36 on:** December 30, 2014, 06:00:23 PM »

I also read that before the frost, water your plants well so soil and roots are moist and plant has a chance to absorb nutrients to fight against frost. Man o man, all this hard work of getting scions and then finding success in grafting and then only to see frost take it away in a snap is depressing. I like the idea of christmas lights around small plants. I might do just that. time to go find it first.

michsu · « **Reply #37 on:** December 30, 2014, 06:10:58 PM »

You can hurry up and send me the plants before tomorrow.. I'll take good care of them

Samu · « **Reply #38 on:** December 30, 2014, 06:16:21 PM »

Sorry to hear about that frost damage to your mangos Clay, hopefully it's not life threatening.
Luckily, it won't be that cold tomorrow in my area per the weather channel, but I think I'll bring
my 2 young mangos inside, just to be safe.

Good luck to you, Clay and Behl!

MangoFang · « **Reply #39 on:** December 30, 2014, 10:15:47 PM »

Yes, Nullzie mentioned it too - overnight Wed. into Thursday morning is supposed
to be our coldest of the season......we're supposed to get 33 that morning, but I'm
always colder than their location.....

....but my temp this morning was 33 degrees! Just got home last night and woke up to
it along with a bunch of hoar frost in our dry creek bed. The GREAT news, though it may be short lived,
is that the papaya have survived without any leaf wilt.....

Gary

ClayMango · « **Reply #40 on:** December 30, 2014, 11:33:53 PM »

Quote from: Samu on December 30, 2014, 06:16:21 PM

Sorry to hear about that frost damage to your mangos Clay, hopefully it's not life threatening.
Luckily, it won't be that cold tomorrow in my area per the weather channel, but I think I'll bring
my 2 young mangos inside, just to be safe.

Good luck to you, Clay and Behl!

My new 3 Peach Cobbler took the biggest beating of them all....frost damage to the entire top set of new growth that just finished greening. Everything looks good enough to make a comeback in spring....From general observation in seems some varieties of Mango were more Hardy than others.....My second Lemon Zest that is still potted, virtually unscathed from the frost.....while the tops were damaged on many others

goosteen · « **Reply #41 on:** December 31, 2014, 12:07:57 AM »

Sprayed my trees with freezpruf. So far everything is fine, but windy as all hell tonight! Feels much colder than thermometer reads at 43 degrees at 9pm.

behlgarden · « **Reply #42 on:** December 31, 2014, 02:10:35 AM »

measured 37 at 9:30 PM

michsu · « **Reply #43 on:** December 31, 2014, 08:26:10 AM »

Tonight is supposed to be even colder.. -6 degrees from yesterday

ClayMango · « **Reply #44 on:** December 31, 2014, 08:44:07 AM »

Well i just hope my trees outside made it...i didnt cover NDM or Edward cause they are too big...LZ is also uncovered since i its close to.the house...

And is Frost central outside with it raining all last night.

ClayMango · « **Reply #45 on:** December 31, 2014, 09:09:35 AM »

Sorry guys...i never seen snow before in my life....i went outside to front of the house where I can see with the street lights....and its snowing...at 34 degrees are you kidding me? These pictures were horrible...but there were snow flurries everywhere...temecula got 4 inches of snow....i may need to rethink my Mango strategy

ScottR · « **Reply #46 on:** December 31, 2014, 11:54:53 AM »

Wow, 28f this morning with maybe 2hrs @ that temp. tonight is going to be longer duration of cold 4hrs+ below freezing

can't wait for this cold event to pass

behlgarden · « **Reply #47 on:** December 31, 2014, 12:19:04 PM »

It snowed all over inland empire tamecula area and as low as 1000 feet elevation around my house.

mangomanic12 · « **Reply #48 on:** December 31, 2014, 12:35:19 PM »

Another Alternative to expensive frost cloth is old comforters
I usually look for these in the summer at Goodwill or Savers. I got 3 very large comforters on their half off days for $20 - $22 .Usually 5.99 - 6.99ea after sale
I am using those to cover my mangoes here and they work very well with a 40 watt bulb under the tree . I close everything up with large binder clips and make sure it's covered all way to the ground . For extra insulation i dump dry leaves all the way around the bottom to cover any openings at the bottom .
Next step is to place a thermometer in there to see the temp difference !
Mike in the desert !

ClayMango · « **Reply #49 on:** December 31, 2014, 12:41:43 PM »

Quote from: behlgarden on December 31, 2014, 12:19:04 PM

It snowed all over inland empire tamecula area and as low as 1000 feet elevation around my house.

Crap...you got hit too Behl?

News:

Author Topic: Brace for Frost! (Read 30964 times)