Re: weather/plants

Many plants/tropicals can take temps down to 30 before the foliage is 
damaged.  Bougainvillas do well to 28 even.  It takes much colder weather to do 
damage to the actual roots.   The difference is that the temps here drop down to 
below freezing for such short periods that it really doesn't do the harm that it 
would if the temps stayed below freezing for hours at a time.  The ground 
never or very very rarely freezes here.   Short freezes nip the foliage, etc. a 
bit, but doesn't harm enough to kill.....especially in established plants.  Day 
time temps go back up quickly, and we don't have many days where the sun 
doesn't shine, which helps a great deal too.
I bring in the smaller, younger plants in pots, but have left out my large 
Hibiscus, bougainvillas, citrus, etc. for years now.....and haven't lost any of 
those.  But then we have not had any harsh winters since 89/90, where temps 
dipped to 20.  Even then many of the established plants survived at the roots.
Noreen
zone 9
Texas Gulf Coast

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