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Re: How long should I push my luck?

Message from Jim Wilmington DE 7a

> My trachys survived a 4f last winter ,this year i have had several nights at 27f.i dont put any protection on mine .they can handle it with no damage or maybe minimal frond tip burn. <

Karen, in Delaware (and I'm guessing Ohio), when we have a 4F morning, there's a really good chance the afternoon that follows will not hit 20F. Might not even hit 15F. I would also guess that in NC, as your day progresses off a 4F morning, you get quite a bit warmer than 15F or 20F. It's not all about the actual low that a plant can handle. Very cold daytime highs are also quite stressing on plants.

This past February 20th, the low in Raleigh was 7F. Temps rebounded to 26F during the day. Here, our low was 2F. The high 18F. On February 15th & 16th, the daily high each day in Wilmington, DE was 16F. The lows, 7F & 2F. The coldest high at Raleigh was 23F all month. I picked Raleigh as it is one of the colder spots in NC to help illustrate the point. Trachies appreciate a decent rebound from a very cold night. In the Midwest, where Ken is, and in the Mid-Atlantic where I am, you often don't get the afternoon rebound like one sees from the VA/NC border southward.

I say this as someone who tried his first Trachy in-ground in 1981. I lost 2 or 3 over the years. My current one has stayed alive for 8 straight winters.


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