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nafex - [NAFEX] cold spell protection

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  • From: "Alan ." <yarrylo@hotmail.com>
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [NAFEX] cold spell protection
  • Date: Sun, 12 Feb 2006 07:21:45 +0000

As I understand it, the USDA zone formulation, based on average yearly minimum temperatures, implies that temperatures for any given year may have a 50% or even greater chance of falling below the specified range for a particular zone. That is, if say at a particular location, the minimum yearly recorded temperatures for 6 years were -15, -12, -11, -9, -8, -5, the average yearly minimum would be -10, and the location would qualify as zone 6a (-10to -5) despite 50% of the low temperatures being below -10. Yet, it's common practice to choose plants that are hardy only to the lowest temperature in the zone description,and so these plants may be at risk many winter seasons, though perhaps for a small number of total days over many years.

Given this, I would think it sensible to invest time, effort and expense consistent with that alotted to other types of plant care protecting at risk plants during those few days of extreme cold. A good system for this purpose needs not only to be effective but to be quick and easy to install and later remove in the bitter cold. Also, I would think that target plants could be no larger than shrubs or dwarf trees. I invision something simple like huge plastic bags covering individual plants to prevent heat loss by convection, with a heat source such as a light bulb within the created chamber. Possibly this would be enough to supply that extra 5 degrees that will save the plant.

Appreciate any suggestions or other ideas for systems.

Alan Stein
Pittsburgh, PA
zone 6






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