Hard Free Warning for tonight

[Keith]

Originally Posted by MR-G

BED HEATING....we have a fair amount of higher end landscape accts. that pay us to cover plants in the event of a freeze or frost each year..problem is its not that profitable..lol....and its always a last minute rush to get it done...we have searched for ways to heat ornamentals but havent found much...was thinking of a way to circulate hot water through hoses just under mulch around plants kind of like the floor heating in some homes....any thoughts ??

I cover a few as well. I have been doing it for years and years. Not enough that I think it's worth the investment in something more permanent though.

I tried to get most covered yesterday evening. The stuff that was sheltered from the wind anyway. I'll have to go check and make sure they're still covered, and cover the more exposed stuff this evening. That's what sucks is doing it in the wind and cold. Oh well, it doesn't really become annoying until you get 7 freezing nights in three weeks, all seperated by 2 days where you have to go pull the cover only to put it right back on.

[Plantculture]

i saw some pics of somewhere in asia where they built mini greenhouses out of plastic sheathing and wood slats. Then anchored the whole thing to the ground somehow. They put them over specimen cycads.

Worth it for rare plants I suppose.

I quit worrying about the cold after the last 2 years. Now my Licuala , Jackfruit, Pritchardia, and alocasia's have to fend for themselves. I just bring in the orchids.

[Keith]

Whew! Definitely going to be a cold one. 8:15pm, ag stations in central and south Florida, 2m temps

Immokalee 34F
Homestead 38F
Palmdale 33F
North Port 34F

Brooksville and Okahumpka 31F

Unless some clouds move in, many outlying areas will be below 20F by sunrise.

[yamadooski]

Wheww its nice to see quite a few here are smarter than the ones I saw today. I saw a guy cut a nice SA lawn today while I was putting up freeze cloth at a customers house. The customer of mine was helping out and said :thanks for not cutting my yard this week".
Made a couple $1,000. today covering plants all day. We dont include this in our price not even the high end customers. So they all must pay....$$$$$.

[RigglePLC]

Possibly "heat tapes" which are designed to wrap around the pipes of mobile homes up here would suit your situation for heat under the covers. Designed for outdoor use. Automatically go on if temp falls below 35. Electric.

[zturncutter]

Just checked my Taylor Ag thermometer at the barn, down to 30 degrees here @ 10:30.

[zturncutter]

http://www.missioninnmuseum.com/coll...s/cit00008.htm
Used to use these in the groves when I was a teenager, they were a lot of fun to fill while they were running.

[Florida Gardener]

Looks like my cutting week next week will turn into no cutting clean-up week.....No problemo!