Californians: how'd you do in the deep freeze?

[ntenny]

It looks like we're past the worst of the much-publicized cold weather in California; down my way, tonight is forecast to drop to 28 F, which is still pretty brisk, followed by a warming trend back to more typical winter weather. The last couple of nights I've seen temperatures as low as 25 F---OK, for most temperate locales that's a pretty ordinary winter night, but for us it's in record-low territory.

I know a lot of us have plants wintering outside, or in partial shelter like cold frames. I brought all my _chinense_ plants and a few others into the house for a few days, but left most of the _annuum_ and _baccatum_ out to make the best of it. What's everyone else been doing?

This morning some of my Fresnos and poblanos were looking pretty depressed, but otherwise things look OK. The aji amarillo plants, which are covered with green pods, seem pretty unfazed by it all, and I'm mildly hopeful that the freeze won't interrupt the harvest---otherwise I have to start all over with that ludicrously long ripening process!

-NT

 

[pepperproblem]

On the coast we have been hitting the low to mid 30s. The overwinters look fine. One more cold night. The food crops in the interior are taking a hit. It happens. I hear Las Vegas was 17

 

[Cayennemist]

San Diego hit 34 in my area

 

[Dustin]

Santa Monica didn't get below 40. I just kept my plants outside and they are all fine.

 

[StupidJerk]

Got down to 30 in the San Fernando Valley. I built a mini greenhouse on my balcony and everything has survived.

 

[millworkman]

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. You guys make me sick.

 

[patrick]

I'm hip millman.

 

[Prehensile]

Been pretty damn cold here as well lows in the mid 60s highs about 80, been tough on the plants....

 

[millworkman]

Been pretty damn cold here as well lows in the mid 60s highs about 80, been tough on the plants....

You are even worse than they are.

Patrick has it right. We are the TRUE growers. HA!!

 

[Jeff H]

Been pretty damn cold here as well lows in the mid 60s highs about 80, been tough on the plants....

Same here.................but mine are in the basement under a big light.

Actually, if Southern Calif was in the high 20s low 30s, that makes our weather this past week pretty mild. Today was the coldest day in a week at about 29ish for a low.

 

[millworkman]

We were 78 yesterday.

 

[smokemaster]

I think most of my outdoor plants aren't worth saving after the cold nights.
I have 3 or 4 out of 100+ that are budding and podding up.
The rest are leafless sticks.
Seems it's feast or famine for my plants.
Cold tolerance must be a genetic trait.

I have wilds that act like they love cold,Chinense (True Scothch Bonnets-TFM,Foodorama and GT) that think it's spring while all the other mixed varieties are dead action.

At least the Rocopica and rocoto are budding...

My 1 last plant from the TRUE white Manzano is hanging in there so far.Aphids and all that has attacked my hydro plants indoors.

 

[Heatinthecold]

Hit -22F here a couple nights ago. And I'm in a relatively mild area of Canada.

Of course, I'm not growing outdoors at the moment. The sun is so low and the days are so short that even indoors, they're not growing fruit. Just bloom drop a few days after opening. Sigh. Maybe next winter I'll invest in a grow light setup.

 

[frosty]

Thanks for the cold california. I think I lost half my plants. I coved them but for some it was not enough. When I started my grow-list I wasn't planning on replacing plants so i have to add some new seeds.

 

[KiNGDeNNiZ]

Here in west Covina things got cold a couple days ago. Even with a PVC hoop house. And 6 mil plastic. Still got them. This Chinese eggplant survived spider mites but not the frost. Got down to 31 here. Carib red in the back done as well

We got our first real summer. (6weeks of 90-100 temps). So I expected for cold winter as well.

Bitter melon. And maters. Done. Fortunately all my citrus are kicking still. Hears about the valley. Glad I don't have to pay for my citrus.

Btw. My manzano is loving it. Starting to bud again.

 

[ntenny]

I might have spoken too soon---that last cold night looks like it may have done in a lot of my plants. I'm hoping the aji amarillos, almapaprikas, and a habanero de arbol will pull through. I did put an emergency-backup habanero de arbol in the house, but my long-term goal is to get one in the ground so I wanted to know how it would handle the winter. It looks like it has a chance.

The good news is that anything that survived the last week should be able to handle anything our climate can throw at it!

-NT

 

[millworkman]

Dont toss anything just cause it looks bad now. Wait it out

 

[pepperproblem]

Right, loss of leaves is not death.

 

[ntenny]

Yeah, I haven't had a chance to do a close inspection yet, but I'll certainly give everything a chance to recover. This morning things were looking very shriveled and droopy, which sometimes they bounce back from and sometimes they don't. My plan is to give them a good watering once the danger of a freeze is past, maybe tomorrow morning.

Glad I brought the delicate stuff in though. I'm sure that would have killed my fatalii plant dead, and after the amount of effort I spent fighting caterpillars on it this year I'm not about to have it die over a little thing like January!

-NT

 

[Scovie]

Deep Freeze... BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Cool snap at best! I'm with you Heatinthecold, -10 every morning for awhile now.

I'm just ribbing you guys. The only thing we have growing outside are icicles and snow accumulation.
I think I read somewhere that any temps sustained under 34F for more than a week,
your plants need protection.

Good luck!