Category: Problems

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Insulation power of snow

We only made it to -8°F (-22°C — I only really comprehend cold in celsius because of my time in Canada being the previously only time I experienced cold this low) when I got up this morning around 7am.

The gallon jugs in the makeshift faucet boxes were both very cold but unfrozen so I have hope for the pipes in the adjacent walls.

I was really fascinated to see the frost on the window this morning. There’s frost right down until the snow that’s piled on the sill. That snow is only an inch or two thick because of the depth of the window sill outside. Gives me hope for the strawberries buried under the snow! (At least if the cold before the snow didn’t kill them.)
I left the plant window completely open to the house this morning: no curtains or cat shield plexiglass. It only got to 50°F but ice still on bottom metal and on lower glass surfaces.
Amazingly, yesterday’s affected eggplant and peppers have not died. I wonder if it was just ice at the very bottom of the pots, where it touched the metal? Fingers crossed they will continue to recover. The Salvia cuttings also seem hopeful.
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Insulation for -12°F forecast overnight

That’s -24° Canadian.  Regular Winnipeg weather!

The Peruvian ground cherry I had been nursing along with towels and tubs and a hot water bottle every night succumbed to freezing last night (it was 3°F outside this morning around 7:30am). I have lots of babies in the plant window though.

Strawberries and oregano are under the tubs. There is some sedum along one wall and those poor little standing cypress along the back wall.
Foil and tissue under the regular foam cover, which is now covered by newspaper and cardboard, with a gallon jug of hot water sitting at the base.  We’ll change out for new water before bed.
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Unexpected freeze

One corner of the plant window froze!

The Salvia greggii cuttings and one set of seedlings got frozen. You can see how the dirt is expanded out! Seedlings lost were eggplants, bullnose pepper, and Craig’s grande jalapeño. You can see the plants just to the right appear to be fine with no frozen soil.
Juncos getting this morning’s sunflower seeds.
This one junco hopped around with snow on its back, presumably from overnight.
The heated bird bath is holding up well!
Several outside window sills show this neat layering from each round of snow yesterday.
The inside of several windows frosted. The blinds did a good job insulating in both directions! It all melts after I open the blinds.
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The drifting side of the house

The wind seems to be from the northwest and the front yard confirms that.

The most exposed strawberry patch has a good layer of snow!
The sheltered nook on the south side of porch is full of snow too.
Looks like a pretty good blanket on the raised beds too!
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Insulating blanket of FUN

We woke up to a snowy world! Briar has seen snow before and enjoyed it but was hesitant at first this morning. She got over that soon enough and subsequently went insane with happy bouncing.

Briar examines the herb bed. Only seeds there except a single low growing oregano from Judy under the bucket. You can see the plant window in the background.
Briar passes outdoor stratification native wildflower seeds in little pots. Heck of a cold stratification this time!
The front yard raised beds with Salvia greggii in front.
One of our four rosemaries.
The garlic!
Snow whiskers! You know it’s cold when your breath freezes on your snoot!
Lots of little plants safely under the snow now. I feel a lot better about the impending -9°F etc coming up in the next few days now. Below: safety. Above: bouncies!!
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Standing cypress babies

Having seen the two wilty front yard seedlings of standing cypress, I went to check on the backyard ones. Those two seem a little better, maybe, possibly, so maybe some will live? I think of them as a more southerly plant, so fingers crossed.

Front yard seedling is kinda tipped over and so was its neighbor.
The two backyard plants are more sheltered.
This one even has a protective rock.
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Snow and melting even at 18°F in the sun

The kale looks kinda wilted even under its glass cover.
Kohlrabi seems fine.
Spinach seems fine.
Not sure about the sugar snap peas.
Garlic has pretty snow and melted refrozen ce

Standing cypress seedlings look pretty wilty in the front yard but I have not checked the backyard ones yet. Lettuce, cilantro, and cabbages I’m unsure how they look (sort of like the sugar snap peas, they could go either way once it warms up).

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Leaves for strawberries

I had a nice bag of leaves for the compost pile that I decided could be better used as mulch right now. I put it all on the strawberries as those are the big investment relative to onion sets and potatoes seed eyes.

Piles of leaves around the towels and tubs. We’ll see what works best.
The northwest exposure corner of strawberries.
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A late night decision

This cold is ridiculous and last night I saw the forecast keeps getting lower and earlier. Got up to find 9°F this morning! -8°F forecast next week! That’s -22°C! That’s Winnipeg weather!!!

So, in anticipation of Canadian type cold on my poor strawberries, I added another pocket of insulating air with some plastic tubs. It won’t cover everyone but I tried to get the center of each variety. I’ll see about adding some leaves as mulch today in the daylight. Fingers crossed that snow is coming before the biggest cold!