This past weekend was bad one day and nice the next. Fortunately, the nice day was a great time to get some stuff done that we haven't been able to do yet this year.
The grass is still dormant for the Winter but that didn't stop me from getting on the Zen Machine for the first time in a few months. That's always a good thing.
One of the things I like to do this time of y ear is mow down some of the areas that are normally overgrown. In the Winter, those areas are dormant and/or dead and easy to mow over. That's what I did in this area. The white line is where the weeds/grass were before I started. I was able to clear quite a bit in this spot.
What this does is give me room to get in there and work on those trees later in the season without having to machete my way through a jungle, ha. I was going to do more but it was a bit wet in some areas and we all know how that ended about this time last year, ha!
I did another project on the mower but I'l save that for another post since we'll have a question for you all.
Here is the surviving (?) pineapple.
The other one that several of you suggested we try to bring back to life, when I picked it up, it was all mushy in the center and it fell apart before I could even get it to the clay pot. Definitely a goner. This one looks a bit frostbitten but hopefully it will make it. If it doesn't, well, we can start some new ones again.
It's all about the journey, not necessary the destination at this point. We learn and we have fun, regardless of the outcome and we learn for the future. In this case we learned that pineapples are definitely very sensitive and we need to do better to protect them.
A small greenhouse perhaps?
An orangerie attached to the house. Okay, a greenhouse in the meantime. You will need an automatic opener for a window so plants don't burn up in your summer.
ReplyDeleteYou made a lot of progress in beating back the brush! Every year you reclaim more from the “jungle.”
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about your pineapple plant that didn’t make it. But it was worth waiting to give it a chance. The other one doesn’t look very well but it could still pull through. I think you even put more than one layer of protection on them. But with it being in the 20’s, tropicals have a hard time surviving. Part of the fun of gardening is trying new things. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t. But the process is always interesting.
After watching Houston weather on TV tonight, I decided that I’d better cover up some plants. My phone said 35 for a low here but Channel 13 said 33. So it looks like another freeze is possible in the morning. Sometimes a low of 33-34 might be predicted but then it may drop below freezing - I call these “sneaky” freezes. Since frost cloth still admits about 50% of the sunlight, you could cover your plants on a weekend if there is a chance of a freeze. Then uncover the next weekend.
Since you’re not there most of the time, I agree with you that a greenhouse would be a good idea. It would save you from unexpected weather changes and also would better protect your more sensitive plants. There are automatic vents for greenhouses available that open in case the weather warms up before you get back to the Farm.
Wow, it got cold quick this evening! And with the wind blowing so hard, it’s even colder. What a change - from 82 this afternoon to freezing tomorrow morning. Brrr!
It's small, take it back to town with you until the chance of freezing weather is gone. I wouldn't try to over winter tender plants like this until you are there full time and can put them inside somewhere.
ReplyDelete:-{ Sorry about your pineapple not making it and this one shown doesn't look so good but just maybe it will come out of it.
ReplyDeleteTropical plants like pineapple really need to be brought in where's it's warm; not just pineapples but other tropical plants as well.
Even with a greenhouse you will still need to provide a heat source of some sort during the cold, freezing temperatures.
We are to get down to 28 deg. Right now it's 32 deg. after just dropping a deg. within the hours. The forecast for these past few weeks is like being on a roller coaster. I will be glad when the temperatures starts to warm up and stay warm so that I can get some furniture & other projects that are just waiting for me in getting them painted. Just a bit too cold painting in the shed at the moment.
Take care and stay warm