Re: Resistance to frost

Greetings: I place all houseplants, except African violets, outside in late April or early May (depending on the weather) in a shaded area to harden them off. All are repotted at this time if they are to remain in the same pot; roots are trimmed. After "hardening" they go in perennial borders (still in their pots), baskets hanging from trees, or in large containers on the deck and other locations. Most spend the summer in either shade or morning sun, depending on the plant.
 
They overwinter under lights in a plantroom.
 
These include cacti/succulents, pelargoniums, ivy and ficus among others. My expanding collection of African violets and other gesneriads remain indoors, except streptocarpus which can go outside.
 
John Adney
Marion, Iowa (on the line of zones 4-5)
j*@email.msn.com
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Ruth Zavitz <r*@execulink.com>
To: i*@prairienet.org <i*@prairienet.org>
Date: Sunday, November 22, 1998 8:18 AM
Subject: Resistance to frost

Hi everyone:
 
We have had frost several nights, enough to wipe out the impatiens and tomatoes and yesterday an inch of snow.
 
It's gone this morning and the geraniums and shrimp plants (Justica) are sitting up in the border as perky as ever.  The Shrimp plants are full of bloom.  They seem to like the cooler weather.  I had no idea they were so hardy. 
 
Do you all put your extra houseplants in the flower beds in the summer?
 
Ruth  Z
email: r*@execulink.com
Freelance writer and gardening consultant zone 5/6  southern Ontario
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