Cold tonight, should I pack the greenhouse?

Lows for me are supposed to be 40-43 and windy. Should I haul in all the potted crotons or will they be OK at these temps?? I really don't want to have haul them all in if unnecessary.

 

I leave mine outside in those temps, but they are protected from the wind on my patio.

 

I hauled them all in. I'm not heating in there tonight but they will be out of the wind. After this winter, they maybe the only colorful things left in my garden.

 

The temperatures I dont think will do any damage. The wind will burn any new emerging growth, but that wont kill the plant.

 

If the wind and cold is severe enough to damage the tips, but not severe enough to really damage the plant, does this make a bushier plant come spring and summer? My question is, does bad weather affect the plant so that it looks good later or just take longer to recover and it looks bad longer?

 

I have not noticed any benefit from defoliation or cold damage. It seems to set them back no matter what. Pinching the tips can make a plant more bushy, but cold damage makes a plant less vigorous.

 

Here is my Dread Locks as of today. Leaf drop at top of its stems from the recent cold snaps. But new growth buds are already pushing out from the stem. Should make for a bushy plant come spring.

 

Jerry - Remember, Crotons are really just small, deciduous trees. This is how they get there. The cold winter drops the leaves, the branches grow, and then in the Spring you get new growth. The only that cold weather does is cause the leaf drop. Of course, it can also kill the plant, but it's not going to give you more branches unless you cut.

 

I've never seen the tips die, just the new growth and various leaves. That would be great if it did make them bushy; less trimming in the Spring!

 

If you're interested in breeding them I found that after the cold last year I had quite a few varieties that hadn't bloomed in years produce all kinds of flowers. Even had plants that never produced for me flower. And no I'm not bringing any in. Here in Miami Springs it will probably be in the mid forties and it looks like the cloud cover isn't going away soon. That helps insulate. A clear sky with no humidity is very drying and causes more damage.

 

That's the old survival instinct kicking in. Stress a plant, make it think the end is near, and it will do everything it can to ensure its survival. They bloom, set seed, and spread them around.

 

Chris - Wow, I did not realize how close you are to the Mooseland. I am on the southern side of MIA in the North Gables area. I looked at about 15 homes to buy 17 years ago in Miami Springs. Very nice area.

 

Glad I packed up yesterday. The forecasters bombed again. I hit 36 this morning

 

They bombed on the good side for me. For my area I was to be in the low 30s, my low was 36.

 

Hey Ron. Small world. I was born in the gables