Re: the deep freeze
- To: Mediterranean Climate Gardening e-mail forum <m*@ucdavis.edu>
- Subject: Re: the deep freeze
- From: M* M* <m*@worldnet.att.net>
- Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1998 11:08:10 -0800
Gary wrote:
>In case you have not listened to the Weather Service
recently, we are
>supposed to have a near repeat of the 1990 Christmas deep
freeze
>beginning on Sunday night.
Yikes. People living in truly cold climates will probably
laugh, but that freeze was pretty traumatic for those of us
who don't normally get freezing weather.
There are conflicting reports on how severe the freeze will
be, but just in case, here are a couple of notes for
gardeners in the mild parts of northern California who
weren't here in 1990:
--Predicted freezes don't always happen. The time to worry
the most is if your temperatures are close to freezing soon
after sundown, and the air clear and still. If you're below
freezing when the sun is still up, you are in serious
trouble.
--Temperatures in 1990 stayed below freezing continuously
for more than two days at my house. In that situation, the
ground freezes solid to a depth of 1-2 inches, and many of
the frost protection measures you're used to won't work. In
particular, throwing a tarp over a plant may not work,
because there simply isn't any more warmth in the ground for
the tarp to capture. You may need to add a heat source
under that tarp. The standard suggestion I've seen is to
use a light bulb, but be careful not to electrocute yourself
by running extension cords all over the ground.
--Everyone seems to know that Bougainvilleas are tender, but
I was surprised by what happened to my Kangaroo Paw plants.
They looked like boiled lettuce after the first day. They
all died.
--Plants in pots are especially at risk in a long-term
freeze, as the pots can freeze solid. This can kill things
that would be hardy in the ground.
--The experts advise to keep plants well watered in a
freeze, and say it can help if you spray them with water so
they won't get dehydrated. Fair enough, but it's hard to
spray water when the hose has frozen solid. Think about
ways to protect it.
--And a non-plant note: if we get a daytime freeze, you
might want to protect the water main where it enters your
house. Those pipes are exposed to the air in parts of
California, and can freeze.
Maybe some of our members who live in true winters can give
more advice...
Mike
San Jose, CA (zone 9, min temp 20F -- we'll see)
