first frost/freeze

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needmore
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first frost/freeze

Post by needmore »

This morning saw the first frost of the season and it also brought a mild freeze along with it. Our last frost was in very early April, so this was a slightly longer growing season than normal for us. I have at least a half dozen species of bamboo with unbranched shoots so it will be interesting to see how they do after this. The native A Gigantea has wintered over branchless shoots twice in the past enduring -28C & -25C and then the shoots began growing again in the spring - truly remarkable hardiness.

The tomatoes, peppers, Castor, Alocasia, and Musa Basjoo look very sad this morning, the ginger appears to be hanging there.
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Post by Thuja »

We've had several mild freezes during October but more decisive freezes the last 3 nights: 24 & 25*F on Thurs & Fri. Oct. 27th & 28th. This has been an unusually long growing season for us. I have a Harbin-Inversa unbranched shoot, maybe 3' tall that seems ok so far. I don't hold out much hope for it tho. We'll see.
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Cool breeze

Post by Iowaboo »

First light frost of season was September 29. First freeze was October 7. How's that for the great prairie?
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first frost/freeze

Post by bambooweb »

The first frost here was in the first week of September and my vegetable garden froze out the last week of September. We have been having an 'Indian summer' but the forecast looks like lows in the 20s for the next two weeks.

On the unbranched shoots of T. tessellatus, I am planning to slide foam pipe insulation over them when the temperature goes below 10 deg.

Bill
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Freeze

Post by Steve in France »

Still warm here ,very strange, 23 C today and no sign of frost yet, lots of bamboo shooting ,running.Yunnan 3a shooting a lot, Fargesia Scabrida shooting, most Ph Bamboos just running thankfully.Very good growing season here and I hope for fantastic progress from the Ph Bamboos next year, waiting to see what Ph vivax Huangwenzhu Inversa does and Shanghai 3, I'm really annoyed I don't have the money to go drive up to Holland to get my Ph Parvifolia at Andrew in Hollands place ( Fellow Canadian ), he has been kind enough to put it in his Greenhouse for the winter.Thanks Andrew
Later
Steve
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Post by foxd »

I am amazed how green the last days of October are this year. My tomato plants are still green and growing, but then again, they certainly didn't put any energy into producing tomatoes. *grumble*

Already I'm looking forward to seeing how my bamboos do next year. I expect a number of them to "leap!"
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Post by Markj »

Amazed by the long growing season over you're way, last frost here was early June and with ground frost mid Sept, the season is well short. It's no wonder the Phyllostachys don't get going, the bambusoides forms only just manage to leaf out before the first frost.
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Post by Oregonbamboo »

Still waiting for our first frost........The borindas are still shooting!
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frost

Post by kstanwick »

We have a few nights with some mild frost. I know because i start my truck @ 5:30....but nothing real heavy yet. We have had some real nice days here in November. Very "abby-normal" for me here. I'm loving it though, It has extended our fall colors. I don't remember such a great fall season. This weekend i plan on doing my lawn and spread all the clippings/leaves on my boos. something i didn't do last year. Curious to see any differences.
Kurt Stanwick
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Post by BooKing »

No frost yet and I don't want one. :evil: I am spoiled with the 70degree weather this week... :D
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Post by Mike,Marietta,SC,z8a »

No frost here yet, although there is plenty of frost damage evident on the kudzu and burmuda grass lawns in the surrounding region. Have been having lots of upper 60's/lower 70's F days and lower 50's F nights this past week.
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Post by BooKing »

Darn it. I am going to have my first frost and freeze the same night-this thursday.My newly planted bamboo[late October] has just received a 2feet high mulch of chopped leaves as an added layer of protection on top of the 6inches of cedar mulch.All my potted bamboos[20 of them] are tucked away now in the garage and the greenhouse till spring.Wish I lived in a warmer climate so I could just leave containers out year long. :cry:
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2007: -17*F.

mice?

Post by Thuja »

What do you do about mice. I'm afraid to bury my stuff this early on account of mice nesting. I moved a bail of straw today and there was a nest of baby mice underneath. Last year they chewed up one of my Rivercanes.
--Mike
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MIce , go away.

Post by Iowaboo »

I don't know what we , as northerners, suppose to do about certain mulches and threats of mice and other rodents. I started mulching the bamboos and mom said its too early to mulch because mice will live in it. I have to mulch sometime. So I am mulching and hopefully not everything is damaged by next spring.
I write this, sitting here pondering :?: what all that white stuff covering the landcape is. :idea:
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Location: Wisconsin, USA zone 4b;
1951: -37*F;
1996: -29*F;
2005: -10*F;
2006: -17*F;
2007: -17*F.

Post by Thuja »

Ya, we have the white stuff covering the ground here too. Now if I could count on the snowcover lasting thru the winter my troubles would be over. As a rule, I wait until Thanksgiving to mulch, but I'll wait longer if it stays mild. I think most Phyllostachys seem to suffer when it gets below 10*F (-12*C) or so, and really suffer below 0*F/-18*C. That's when it's time to really pile it on. :shock: 32*F/0*C is no problem. It's almost tropical. :wink:
--Mike
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