How did everyone make out?

It seemed to hover around 32F if I was reading the temps right, so it was not as bad as I thought here at the jersey shore.

Good idea about the Christmas lights! Never thought of that. I threw some burlap and old blankets over the peach and plum. I did not cover the cherry trees though. They have buds on them but no where near flowering. I wonder if I should of covered them also.

Is it safe yet? Kinda need a update on bringing them back out. If the low is suppose to be 40, is this ok for new plants? Hey Bass...I always wondered where all the mennonites came from, there's a farmer that grows them. Please forgive me, I couldn't resist. :)

I brought my trees out this morning, it's about 38 degrees or so here and I may bring them back again on Thursday, just depends on how cold it's getting for me, but I may doing it wrong as well.

Yeah, I'm wondering the same thing guys, it's going to be 40 tonight hear which I think is fine and I have left my trees out at that temp, but they are predicting 37 a few days from now for the over night low. I'm wondering if that is ok for one night. I don't want to bring everything out for one 2 days.

I'm wondering too.  Most of my in-ground figs have started to bud out so I covered all of them.  I'm wondering if I should remove the covering tonight so they don't fry in the heat tomorrow (67 degrees).  Any advice from experienced growers?

Brought them all in yesterday here in CT. Good thing too because it got COLD outside last evening.

When you bring a fig tree inside for one day, you lose the photosynthesis that could have happened.  Also, presumably the leaves lose some of their tolerance for wind/light/etc.  I think that if it is just one day, there is no serious harm.  But if it was a month, there would be a lot of harm. 

In general, does anyone have an idea of about how many days indoors it takes before it starts to have a significant negative effect on the tree?  We're all trying to manage this situation of should I or shouldn't I bring the tree in.  We're asking what is the temperature at which damage starts to occur, which is a useful discussion.  But the flipside to me is how many days indoors before bad things start to happen. 

Specifically, I have about 5 trees that are actively growing now in full leaf, because I had them under lights inside for the whole winter.  I went through the process of gradually acclimating them to outdoor conditions already, because of how warm it has been.  So until yesterday, they were happy outside (I brought them in some nights).  But yesterday, with temperatures at 45 degrees with 30 mph winds, and today, with it being 35 degrees when I left for work, they have been indoors.  I am worried about them needing to be re-acclimated to outdoor conditions if I leave them inside for too many more days. 

Thoughts?

Tim- Unless they are covered with something (really) breathable like floating row cover, it should be removed every day or the temps will do really high and moisture will build up. My inground trees with little figs and leaves survived fine last night with row cover over them, and it does not get too hot for them in the day either. You are out in farm country, keep your eyes peeled for farms using it in April on their tomatoes and go ask them for a few pieces.

Rob- I would have to say it depends, if you put them back under the lights then they should still be half acclimated in a few days. But if they are not getting enough light they will start producing extra chlorophyll faster and need to adjust all the way again. I would spend a couple of weeks in April gradually getting them used to the sun again regardless of how March was.

Directly next to a house wall it is always 5 degrees warmer, more if it is brick or stone and it gets sun during the day. And maybe a little less if the wind is really whipping.

Another freeze warning for these areas on the map. Below freezing temperatures starting at 3am until 9 am tomorrow Friday 3/30

I went ahead and covered mine last night, even though I was technically just outside the advisory zone. Good thing I did, because there was some frost this morning. Fortunately everything came through the earlier frost fine apart from a couple of brown spots on my Lattarula.

I am having a pleasant surprise from the lone fig which I forgot outside on Sunday night. We had a  low of 25, ice on the water in the buckets, and  the fig has only a few brown spots on a few leaves.  Might have been because although it was cold we had no frost. or perhaps because the leaves had not fully opened and were still budding out. or maybe it's just one tough fig.

Grant
z5b

Cool weather coming Tuesday night for a few days. (Back to spring temps.) They say our overnight temps. will be around 47. I'm worried about my annual seedling that I have outside. I ran out of room under my lights.

3/31/12
Don't trust the weatherman! Now we are going to be in the 90's and not problem about cold temps. over night. Just make up your mind!

I brought all 30+ 1 gallon new figs back inside. I had a 6 in 3 gallon pots that are a year old so I decided to leave them out and see how they fair.

Yeah, that was a big mistake. About half of leaves fell/fried from the black mission, celeste, and magnolia but what I found funny was chicago hardy lost them all! Not so hardy I suppose.

Is there any chance for these fig trees in the 3 gallon pots to grow leaves back this year or do you think they cooked for the year?

They are going to be fine Vince, maybe a little bushier and later to produce figs though. It depends if the shoots died or not.

Thanks Brent! I brought the ones in the 3 gallon pots back in the garage for now.

All the 1 gallon pots are back in the 3 season porch doing fine. We have another bunch to pot up this weekend.

We (I) have visions of potted fig trees lining the edge of or driveway.

Looks like we have another frost watch again for tonight on the East Coast :(

Winter has been warmer than spring.

It seems that way, what's more annoying is that its warm for two days then cold again. I don't want to lug everything out for a day or two then back in. 

Hello.
I brought all my plants out this morning and brought them back in the garage tonight.
I built five dollies that are 4'x4' and put most of my plants on them to wheel them in and out.  It makes it a lot easier. 
Vito

I should probably do something like that, but I have to get it across a cobble stone drive way and then across the lawn. I would need to make it with big tires...

I made a really quick frame with 2 x 4s and then put agr19 floating row cover over my trees, it was up to 22 degrees Celsius yesterday but but drops down to about 2 degrees as well, I haven't seen damage yet so I have fingers crossed.  It really as an ugly sight but if it works I will be happy.

Chivas, where do you get your row covers? I need them for my cole crops. I can get them from my local nursery, but they seem pricey. Wondering if you had a source to recommend?

I have made last minute coverings too out of the clear plastic paint drop clothes they have at Home Depot, some tomato steaks, and line my plants up against the railings of my patio and just throw the cover over it. Looks hideous, but works to keep some heat in when you are dealing with times like this when it is just a night here and there that may go down to freezing.

Yes, the back and forth of warm and then cold is the most annoying part.  

I am in Canada and I bought from Vesey's I think it was 36 bucks for a 6 foot wide by 100 foot long row cover.  If you live the states Johnny's select seeds is a bit cheaper it looks like but I wanted to buy from Canadian company instead.

Alright who is sending there cold weather here cause my back is starting to ache from the fig shuffle now.
Was nice for a short while when the plants stood on driveway day and night but lately no as the little guys have to come in garage each night.
I suspect our friendly Canadians are to blame !

Fedco has row cover too, they beat Johnny's price most of the time for other things. Shipping may take a little longer though.