Re: iris recomendations

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Trimezia steyermarkii and Neomarica candida should be fine.

I had no idea airplane plants could survive cold, even freezing, until this winter. When I was young, 50 years ago, it was a very common.  Now it isn't common here.  

I have plans for my 2" styrofoam panels to be hooked up to a thermostat by next winter.  When I was working at the Land Institute 30 years ago, our reseach greenhouse had the same type of panels, but they were raised and lowered manually.  It kept the greenhouse warm all winter.  Every morning we raised the panels when we got there in the morning at 8 oclock, unless it was cloudy and really cold.  Every night we closed them when we left at 5 oclock.  Weekends, they were closed unless someone had to come in to polllinate or such work that  had to be done.  We kept a couple of tomato

 plants in it to let us know if it had gotten too cold.  They never died.

Instead of opening and closing the panels manually, I figure a garage door opener with timer and a thermostat replacing the switch will be good.

Walter

On Thursday, February 25, 2016 9:24 PM, "'Mark A. Cook' h*@gmail.com [iris-species]" i*@yahoogroups.com wrote:

 

Walter,
      That would be cold for Neomarica.  Trimezia steyermarkii would survive but would be killed to the ground.  Airplane Plants [Spider Plants] can take some freeze.  I am surprised to see "Airplane Plants" because the only other place I have heard them called that is eastern Kentucky.

Mark A. Cook 

On 2/25/2016 1:24 PM, Walter Pickett w*@yahoo.com [iris-species] wrote:

This has been a very mild winter so far this year.  My peppers did die after the worst cold spell this winter, so it must have been a freeze inside, but not much below 30, as the airplane plants didn't die.

My plans are to let it get down to maybe 25F at the very lowest.  I have 2 inch thick styrofoam panels to put up if a cold spell of more than a couple days is expected.  It takes the greenhouse a couple days to get cold, as it is sunk into the ground some, and against the house.  If a special plant couldn't take 25 F, I could set the heater higher.  My citrus are OK at 25 F though.  Or I could bring the plant into the house for a few days during a bad time. We get down to about  -5 F most winters, though this winter hasn't gotten below 20 F outside.  Unusual.

Walter

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Mark A. Cook
USDA Zone 8b
Dunnellon, Florida USA

-- 
Mark A. Cook
USDA Zone 8b
Dunnellon, Florida USA