If you enjoyed this video, please "Like" and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😊TIMESTAMPS for convenience: 0:00 How To Protect Trees From Cold Introduction 1:55 The Tropical Fruit Trees I Can Now Grow 2:24 How To Protect Trees With Christmas Lights 4:09 How To Make Free Heaters With Pickle Barrels 6:29 Where To Find Pickle Barrels 7:09 The Unified Cold Protection Method 8:19 Using Plant Jackets To Hold In Warmth 9:37 Weather Station Data PROVING This Works! 15:40 Adventures With Dale
We do not have any external electrical outlets at our old building and there is. parking pad between the building and the garden bed so using electricity is impractical. We would have to run a very long extension cord across the driveway. Thanks for this alternative.
Don't forget the cost of the Water. In the 'Suburbs' those on _City Water_ should calculate that cost as well because in certain STATES it could be very high.
It worked great through the 8 day cold spell we just had. The citrus in my rear property never dropped below 29F despite three nights in the teens. It consistently added 15 degrees of protection.
I love this so much! Last year we used the 5 gallon water containers (camping) for our avocados. For the large one we used 2, one on each side of the tree. We wrapped them in 2 or 3 layers using cotton sheets and the final layer 4-6 mil plastic. Worked perfect. Our lowest temp was 21 degrees and our 2+ year old avocado held onto blooms, leaves, everything. We are so looking forward to more fruit this year. p.s. Our setup was not breathable so we had to unwrap when temps climbed up again, but we only had to do this 3 times the entire season so it wasnt too bad. Thanks for sharing this. I've told everyone that will listen... so excited that this really works.
This pickle barrels work much better than the 5 gallon jugs since they, obviously, hold onto far more heat. They're really fantastic and worth setting up. Mine haven't moved for 2 years, and they probably never will.
Sorry to tell you, but it's dropping to minus 50 this weekend in Canada and we're sending some of the cold air your way too. Hope the heating system works for you. I just took my greenhouse plants into the house for a few days. I don't think my tomatoes can survive even in my greenhouse. I use the 6x8 harborfreight one and a 1500 watt electric heater. Last year my little greenhouse survived one night at minus 29 outside and dropped to freezing point inside, but not below. Even the tomatoes survived. Absolutely amazing. I also use some passive heating as you just described in my little greenhouse. I have 4 kitty litter jugs that hold 3 gallons of water each. I painted them black and on sunny days they warm up in the greenhouse and give off the heat through the night. For any northern commenters that read this, I found that just by adding a 100W regular light bulb in the greenhouse the plants grow better than on only the little speck of winter sun we get here. Good luck everybody.
My broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and collards are alive after the 11, 15, 17 degree nights because of this video. The large Christmas lights with the sheets over my raised beds kept my crops alive here in Charlotte NC. Thank you ever so much.
I'm going to definitely do this for my greenhouse, the lights and 5gal jugs of water like your other subscriber said. I'm in NJ Zone 6a so I will be moving my garden family outside to there new home till may! This is such an Amazing idea, with lights and water! I get about 8hrs of sun on my greenhouse so this is just what I needed! love your channel. It's so nice that I see other Gardners that I follow drop you a comment. Cheers ! Brad.
Physics in action. 👍🏼 Probably why folks say you should water your plants before a big freeze. Also, lived through the Texas freeze. Power went down because the power stations were not hardened against the cold, not due to downed power lines. Also a bunch of natgas power stations were down for maintenance. Also Texas’ grid is not tied to any other state. So a cluster all around. 😂
Thank you for the tips!! People in my FB gardening group were just asking how to overwinter pepper plants. I have about 15 plants, each in 7 gallon canvas bags. I WAS going to bring my crop inside but, thanks to your video, I’m going to use your method! Thank you!
My mom told me this morning to put a 5gal bucket of water for my plants, then I see this video. It's a sign!! Lows in the 20s this weekend for South Alabama highs in the 70s for NYE. Gotta love it.
Thank you for doing such a nice job creating helpful, educational videos, with links for products you use. You are really a joy to listen to and follow. I appreciate what you are doing with your plants and trees. Thank you, and I wish you blessings of every good thing. 🎉
Here's wishing You, Dale and everyone else a safe and protected few days with this Canadian cold front coming in! Just bought my protective Jackets for my Lila and Brogdon Avocados...
@@TheMillennialGardener In Central Florida, Just took all my Chef's choice, Big Beef, Sun Gold and Sweet 100's picked as mush as possible and then took out all plants, bummer. Peppers as well, best of luck
You could also try filling the pickle barrels with compost material. Having an active compost pile in the pickle barrels should also provide the warmth you need to make it through the cold spells. You need to keep turning the pike though to keep it active. You could also try using a compost bin that spins so turning the pile would be very easy. The compost method would also work in a grid down situation were you don't have any power.
This video answered my question of where to find the pickle barrels. I want to try growing an Owari Satsuma and will definitely be trying this method here in zone 7b. Crossing my fingers I can keep the tree alive but it's worth a try.
I would get 2 barrels and put one on each side of the tree, then cover it in a stand of C9 lights and envelop them both in a large plant jacket. It'll stay pretty toasty in there. When we got down to 24.8F the other night, my avocado tree was sitting pretty at 40F.
Super vid! Here's one thing I tried, and it works for me. I bought a 32 gallon plastic trash can, 🗑, put it in my greenhouse and filled it with water. I bought a good quality fish tank heater with a thermostat and a temperature gauge. I put the heater in the water near the bottom of the can after setting my desired temperature. This has been wonderful supplemental heat for my greenhouse( I use a small space heater as my primary source). My greenhouse is 20x10x7 and I may add another water can set up so maybe I won't have to turn my electric heater on quite as much. It's much cheaper to keep the water warm than to run a heater. It would be nice if I could make my heater the supplemental heat.
I have to say, I really don't like this. Fish tank heaters are designed for indoor use. Your greenhouse is probably considered an outdoor space, and using indoor-use-only equipment inside outdoor greenhouses is very dangerous. I understand it's worked for you so far, but please consider the fire hazard aspect. I get really nervous when I see people running extension cords and indoor heaters inside kit greenhouses. It's an accident waiting to happen. If you have a real, contractor-built greenhouse with proper electric installed and it's considered an indoor space, that may be different, but if it's a DIY high tunnel or a kit greenhouse, it's actually an outdoor space.
You're welcome! They're really great, and when you buy them, they literally still smell like pickles. Sometimes, they also hold olives or olive oil, so you may get one that has a residual olive oil smell, too.
Dale looks so handsome and festive. Thanks again for sharing such good information on protecting plants during winter with easier methods. We've been out last few days tucking all plants in for winter. From coast to coast we will all see how this goes next couple weeks. Stay safe all and Merry Christmas.
I'm not looking forward to this weather. It seems the bad weather *always* coincides with time off from work. The 4 days around Thanksgiving had terrible weather, and now the whole time off around Christmas is going to be a loss. Oh well, I guess. Hopefully, we get all the cold weather out of the way early and we get an early spring.
I've heard the incandescent Christmas lights work but just wanted to double check. Thanks for pointing out you get more warmth from the larger bulbs. I also drape metallic mylar blankets over my citrus trees (found them online) but I draw them back in the day to let the sun in. These are all really great tips. Learned alot. Thank you.
Im in zone 8 up in bc canada. i have grown Meyer lemon inground for 8 years. And this method works only works if you have sun in the day and warmer day temps. We often have weeks at minus -8 c or -10 as daytime highs and lows. So lights are the only option
Not anymore 😅 The cost of living here was great when I moved here in 2017. Now, that gap between here and the Northeast is mostly gone. My pickle barrels were $27, so they're basically the same price. $28 is a fine deal. They'll last forever, and you can also convert them to rain barrels if you wish to save money on irrigation costs. All they have to do is save one tree and they'll pay for themselves 100 times over.
Extremely helpful info! We are facing a few nights of freezes coming up in SE Texas, and your quantified, measured analysis will hopefully help my trees to emerge unscathed! Thanks very much for taking the time to do this analysis and share it. So much better than just anecdotes - the numbers really tell the tale.
Just a quick update - we had five nights where temperatures went below freezing in the night, along with one full day where temps didn't get above 32. We also had two nights where the lows dropped below 20 F. Thanks to water barrels, incandescent Christmas lights, and a plant covering that you recommended, all of my citrus, avocado, and even a passion fruit made it through with flying colors. Thank you!
Fascinating data! You hear of these methods but the numbers are never there. Thank you for doing the leg work on this. I know there are a ton of variables but it really gives people an idea of what can be achieved with protection.
You're welcome! I like to go the extra step and actually verify these methods work. Most youtube videos are anecdotal. I like actual verification, which is rare, because it's a lot of work 😂
Love your videos. I was watching this and thought that you could use fish aquarium water heaters to make those barrels more efficient. Put them on a timer get them nice and warm before sun down. Thanks for your videos again
I would *never* do this. Those heaters are likely for indoor use only. You are going to set up a major fire hazard running indoor-use-only equipment outdoors. It's very important when designing systems for outdoor use that every single component is rated for outdoor use in all weather conditions. Otherwise, these cobbled together systems can have disastrous consequences. You'd have to make sure any heater you use is designed for outdoor use in all weather conditions. I doubt an indoor aquarium heater will make the cut.
They make outdoor water heaters, I have one in my koi pond. Tx 8a . I am going to use your method on some of my trees this winter. Thank you.@@TheMillennialGardener
Amazing! Thank you for sharing. Also, if you put plastic layer on top of the breathable one, it will be even warmer, will work like a green house. It’s only can be used safely during below freezing temperatures.
Wish i had done this on some of my decorative plants this year. I put blankets over them but this year we dipped into the low to mid 20's and I lost a number of plants. I knew I should have used the christmas lights but didnt. I regret it now. Lesson learned.
The good thing about these barrels is once you set them up, they can stay put forever. I set my original barrels up over a year ago and they're still there with the original water. They don't budge, and they probably never will. I would recommend getting some, because I'm sure we have more cold outbreaks coming. We're only 1 week into winter, and we have a long way to go!
Love the Dale!!!!! I have squeezed toys everywhere it seems. Pick them all up at night and in the morning, the toy box is half emptying. Some people dislike the squeaky toys, but to me it is Joy. Maybe if “hoomans” (as in dog talk) had a dog, they could see their Joy and remind them to find their Joy too!
When my few citrus trees were small, grapefruit, oranges, tangelo & lemon. I put the Christmas tree lights in the trees & covered with a sheet. I am in central San Joaquin valley of California so don’t get a lot of freezing nights but do get a few. In the summer get the horrible 100+ heat & drought we have been enduring for many years 😞 Hope people will employ your methods😁 Love your channel.
@@kaybonette actually that is where I live. 3 miles east of the Exeter light in the Yokohl area on 198. My son moved to Tennessee about 6 years ago & I am planning on moving back there also. Where do you live now?
Thank you! Shade cloth will be a valuable tool for you. Check out this video from last summer, because it makes an enormous difference: ua-cam.com/video/iifj4qDW9xM/v-deo.html
All of your videos about fruits trees are very helpful! I didn’t think I could grow citrus trees in my area (30 miles east of Charlotte)but maybe I could! Thank you.👍😊
I think it's possible, particularly with something like a Yuzu tree. Maybe even a Brown's Select satsuma and kumquat if you protect them exactly the way I do.
When we had the freeze in TX, I had left a camping bed on the ground. When I lifted it up it was still green. Other options are sleeping bags for the base. If you have old ones to use. Meyers lemons did not like that cold. I lost them. You can use igloo water coolers to cover your plants and use straw around it.
Something like that is going to hold in the ground's heat, no doubt, which will prevent the ground from freezing in that exact spot for a little while longer. That's not going to work well for trees, though, because wood doesn't hold onto heat like the earth does. Wood has a very low specific heat value. Ground has a very high specific heat value. You need to add a medium with high specific heat, which is why I recommend the water barrels. Simply wrapping a tree won't do much of anything, but if you put that water barrel inside the wrapping, you're creating a huge thermal mass.
I will add the black barrel for the Meyers Lemon and I can insulate the striped pink lemonade, and I have to cover my lime tree as well. Cattle panels for the dome to encase them with the barrels. Thank you
Temperatures in my part of north Florida are predicted to be in the low 20's. I recently bought many sensitive plants but most are still in pots. Those are going into my garage, I have two avocados and 10 small citrus trees I am just going to wrap up. I hadn't thought about Christmas lights. Hopefully they will have some on sale after Christmas.
The good lights - the C9's - are tough to find. I actually bought mine in October when stock was fresh. Once they sell it, they're gone, it seems. One year, Home Depot had them online for $5 a box, and I ordered a bunch when I saw that price, but that was pure luck. They're tough to find online for a fair price.
On another channel he used an aquarium heater in his barrels. I'm just north of you. And I am looking forward to using some of your ideas. Installing the lean to greenhouse that arrived last week. It's going in over a window with a thermostat controlled fan to exhaust warm air into the house. Merry Christmas
These things can be very dangerous. Having non-outdoor rated equipment running outside is not a good idea unless they’re specifically designed to operate in those conditions. I cringe watching UA-camrs run extension cords to space heaters inside Harbor Freight greenhouses. Even greenhouses are not indoor environments and are still considered outdoor structures in most cases. You have to be extremely careful, because many of these methods promoted on UA-cam are a house fire waiting to happen.
@@TheMillennialGardener Exterior gfci plugs ! The the Duct fan is Exterior rated. I didn't add the safety equipment . Thinking it SHOULD be common sense. Moisture and electricity don't go well together.
I just wanted to say THANK YOU. I added the lights and a water barrel for my citrus. They made it. My striped pink lemonade was covered in a white barrel with lights. And only a few leaves were lost. Meyers Lemon and Limes made it by using corrugated tin around the base and trampoline covers with blankets since i don't have the covers you have. I criss-cross the cattle panels to protect them easier. Even the blooms made it I am so grateful 🙏
Outstanding! I'm not sure where you're located or how cold you got, but just keep in mind that sometimes cold damage takes 1-2 weeks to show. Plants often look fine the next day, but it takes awhile for any damage to show. Keep an eye on them and keep them covered to minimize stress until it's safe.
I am in Texas near Corpus Christi on the coast. We were in the teens, and the windchill was close to 2 degrees. The trampolines are really thick and provide pretty good coverage. I am watching the news to make sure I don't take down the covers too early
I love your channel! Your videos are so instructive! You could take your pickle barrels a step further and put heaters in them, the kind that keep animal water troughs from freezing.
Thanks! The barrels will *never* have heaters in them. That is a major fire hazard. Running indoor heaters and extension cords is extremely dangerous. Any method you use to provide warmth outdoors has to be very carefully designed with safety as the #1 consideration. Hacked together projects can result in a house fire.
@@TheMillennialGardener Sorry, I meant one of those submersible water heaters that keep horse troughs from icing over in the winter, and not an indoor space heater. Like the kind you'd find at Tractor Supply.
Dale's a good play buddy. He's learned to be gentle with his play while still going hard. He used to be like a wild animal, but now he's become a really good companion. He's an expert at this point 😆 Merry Christmas!
Thanks! I figured out the growling thing a couple years ago. I was teasing him, and then he started doing it back and fighting harder. Now, we do it all the time. He’s such an actor 😂
Good video dude. I'm in va. beach. I have palms that absolutely do not grow here but for years I've had them using lights and plastic. Never thought of the water barrel. Good idea, I will be using.
Love all the ideals and instructions, you have definitely made my greenhouse better. I live just north of you in Topsail area, we are expecting several nights of 17 degree temps this week, please document for us. Show us how you get ready, how it's going during and results. You inspired me to visit Mr. Mackenzie and purchase some citrus to put in the ground this spring. Thanks for all you do. Keep Dale warm :)
I don't baby them. I just know their limits. They get cold protection, because they're not supposed to grow here. They get very little else aside from the bare minimum (annual pruning, mulch and compost, etc.)
He LOVES that ball! It is his favorite toy by a mile. I'm getting him new one for Christmas, because this one is a year old and is finally getting beaten up. If you're interested, I added it to my Amazon Storefront under Dale's Favorite Things. I think it's like $13. Totally worth every penny.
This is really fascinating. How do you think these methods would hold up in subzero temperatures? I’m in Zone 4 with 1-2 instances of -40ºC/F, and I’m wondering if this would help protect peach trees.
Yes, Feb 2021, snow storm then ice storm then another snow storm. No power for 5 days, it got to 6 degrees for the low. I had some fruit tree twigs in some barrels planters right, and they survived, then May hit and it rained the whole month, and the pots couldn't drain fast enough, the too much rain killed the trees.
I saw another youtuber who heated his greenhouse using a barrel with a submersible heater. That might be something to consider if it get very cold for very long. Well, that an a generator. Weather here in NC tends to be more ice storms than snow, and takes out the power.
Some of these setups can be dangerous. Everything must be outdoor-rated and designed to operate in all weather conditions. If you have a real insulated greenhouse with electricity professionally installed inside and it's considered an "indoor" space, it may be okay, but if you have a hobbyist greenhouse or a basic homemade high tunnel running extension cords, you can create a major fire hazard if the heaters you're using are for indoor use only. Some of these youtube videos promote really dangerous things with little concern for safety, so please keep that in mind. Most greenhouses are not indoor environments and are actually considered outdoor environments inside of them, and everything you operate inside of them must be outdoor-rated. These videos where people are running extension cords to space heaters inside their Harbor Freight greenhouses terrify me.
@@TheMillennialGardener Absolutely, safety first! There are submersible pumps made for Koi ponds, definitely made for outdoor use. I was thinking it could be plugged in wherever you are plugging lights if you need more heat than they can provide. Assuming they would provide more heat!
Nice. we had our satsuma insulated 3 foot up the tree with a black tractor tire and we had lights on it. Although we had no power failure the tree froze back and never fruited again. Same with our Myer lemon. Bummer Think about a bucket heater it wouldn't gain a great deal but might help some. We use one in our 30 gallon open water through
So for the exact situation you were referring to…. We lived through it. Miserable week and busted pipes everywhere. My only thought I would say is that we didn’t have ANY sunshine that week, and once those barrels got cold that week (first day) they would have frozen quickly. My dogs toys were frozen to the driveway. Unfortunately nothing made it that week. Even the plants I had in my greenhouse under heat lamps. The temp came up and I opened things up and not sure if the shock got it or what. But Houston texas spent a ton of money in new plants last year.
Even when it's overcast, the barrels will warm up somewhat. However, when it is overcast, the low temperatures usually aren't bad. If it's cloudy at night, chances are it won't frost or dip below freezing where I live. The only time when it's truly a problem is when a cold, clear night follows with overcast in the day and clear at night again, which is pretty unlikely. It can happen, but usually the coldest nights have clear days that warm the barrels back up. If something terrible *were* to happen, you could always stick a hose in the barrel and turn it on to flush out the existing water with fresh water, because fresh water from the ground or water line is going to be pretty warm. The water comes out of the spigot here at around 55-60 degrees in the winter.
They're awesome! They're not perfect, and a long spell of overcast days can cause problems, but here in the Southeast, it's rare to have more than back-to-back overcast days that are often cold. Usually, overcast days mean mild weather, so it's worked out well. That being said, there's a reason why I add lights, too. I like having a backup plan.
I see your name is Marc … Hey from N. Central Texas…YES, 😢grid went down, it is very inefficient still, yet construction is everywhere, I’m praying we don’t suffer that again. My power was out Mon. 6:30am-Wed. 8:40pm. I’m a Plumeria grower, all plants, 6” to 8’, overwinter (for 20+ yrs.) in my home, temps were down in 30s, all trees safe from wind, ice and snow. It was 41 inside, my son came, got me Tues. morning his power rolling. I have a question. Do you collect rainwater from your roof ??? I saw it leaches petroleum from shingles which goes into water containers, not good for plants ! Thanks for another great video. DD n Tx.
I’m looking to help protect my planted plants on my patio. It’s a covered patio. I wonder if the pickle barrels could get enough heat from the sun to warm them
My mom would fill our kiddie pool in the spring with warm water because our well water was like ice. She would hook the garden hose to the hot water heater. That might be an option to fill the barrels with hot water during this cold front.
The real test is coming up this weekend. The forecast for me (west of Charlotte) is calling for 14 degrees F on Friday night. Wilmington is calling for "only" 20 degrees F.
It says “only” 20, but it’ll be 16-19 degrees here if that’s the case. It is ALWAYS 3-4 degrees colder here than forecast. Our forecast of 29 last night was a 24.8 degree reality. They’re always way off, and due to the swampy nature of the area, the microclimates are insane. If you look at the WUnderground weather station maps, houses a couple blocks away can vary by 5-7 degrees thanks to our wacky soil makeup and weird cold drains with the sloping swamps.
Even at crazy cold temperatures, the temperature of the water barrel will stay at 32F. The barrel will have to freeze all the way through for that to get any lower, which will probably never happen in your climate.
What would you recommend for large trees like a palm tree during a freeze that can’t be covered due to their size? Would the Christmas lights be the best option?
We are getting a super freeze in Nashville this weekend. Maybe as low as 1 degree at night. Is there a need to cover small lemon tree that we overwinter in our garage?
Covering something inside a room won't do anything, since the only purpose of a cover is to keep frost off (which won't form inside a garage). At this point, you'll need to keep the garage sufficiently warm. You'll want to make sure that garage doesn't get colder than 30F or so depending on the variety of the lemon. The safest thing is to just bring the lemon inside the house for a few days until this passes.
Loved the video and subscribed. Question though-would you see more consistent protection by adding a heater such as those used in cattle water toughs or aquariums to the pickle barrel rather than using the incandescent lights on the trees?
I think these videos are intended to show us the capability of passive assistance. At some point after planting a lot of things, you have to ask yourself "Do I really want to run electricity to every corner of the yard?"
Do you only fill the barrels (with cold water I assume?) once? Won’t it ever freeze? I’d assume it could drag the temperature down quite a bit after a cold night untill heated again. And on cold days without sun will it heat up at all? Would like to see the experiment with just some aquarium-ish heater in the barrels. Or on a heat mat maybe. What do you think? What is your cost of electricity btw per kwh? Ours (In Denmark) is rather high still due to Putins war 😖 It had trippled not long ago!🥴 Merry christmas brother🙏
The amount of persistent cold it would take to freeze a 60 gallon barrel of water solid is huge. Where I live, it isn’t possible. Even with record cold, it is going to warm up enough during the day with the heavy black barrels absorbing heat. If you live in a climate where a black 60 gallon HDPE barrel would freeze solid, you probably can’t plant anything that would benefit from cold protection. These methods of protection are for marginal zones where you need to protect against those handful of Arctic air outbreaks each year, and if you’re in a place where you need that warmth very day to protect a plant, it’ll never survive longterm. The water in those barrels is 2 years old. I never touch them once filled. I think my cost per kWh is about $0.12. It is fairly low where I live now compared to where I used to live.
you could add salt(lightly)/ alcohol the water to prevent any freeze , Maybe invest in small solar panel / battery set up to provide electric, I been I thinking of how to make water cisterns for the drought years and this seems like these would work to catch spring rains .
I would be interested in how these methods could apply to a raised (ie. sitting on top of water filled tote box) and an in ground cold frame. I created home made low tunnels from ag fabric and hoops and got an additional 10 weeks season of cool crops.
These work well inside of tunnel enclosures. If you have a high tunnel, you can line the south wall with water barrels. They will recharge during the day and radiate all night. Obviously, if your area drops to -30 degrees, it may not be enough, but for most climates, it will make an enormous difference.
I have 4 small outdoor plants in planters that I need to protect in winter. Would it work to put hot water in small jugs next to them each night...with a cloth plant cover?
No. Running extension cords and heaters outdoors is very dangerous. Everything used must be certified for outdoor use in all weather conditions. Besides, the trees are too far away in the rear property to run cords. Otherwise, I'd just use incandescent lights like the others.
a question what if bought you solar panel and battery set up and use fish tank water heaters to get warmer water during the day time ,kinda like the ones farmers use to on live stock fences , 2nd do you empty out the barrels and use them to capture rain water after the frost has stopped ?
That would be a very expensive and outrageously expensive setup. I'll put it to you like this: if the sun is so weak that it can't warm these pickle barrels back up, there is no way a very inefficient solar panel+battery setup is going to do it for you. If the sun is strong enough to charge a battery to run a heater, it's strong enough to warm the barrels back up. I also hate the idea of running indoor heaters outdoors. That's a fire hazard waiting to happen if you ask me. This is why I only use incandescent Christmas lights UL-listed and rated for outdoor use to warm my trees. Messing around with heaters and extension cords outdoors worries me. These water barrels have been sitting in place for 2 years and still has the same water in it from 2 years ago. They stay there all summer, because I don't feel like messing with them. If you want to make rain barrels, I would suggest buying additional barrels. They're so cheap that it's worth having some extra for projects like that.
I’m in the same zone. I have a few rain water collection barrels that I emptied for the freeze. The manufacturer recommended this do they don’t crack. How do the pickle barrels handle the very freezing temps? So they crack?
I've never had a problem. In Zone 8, it's virtually impossible for one to freeze through. If you're concerned, simply leave it 3-4 inches low. That way, if the water starts to freeze, there is enough volume in there to handle the expansion.
I think you need to add a third layer of protection independent of the power grid any thoughts? What if the power grid shuts down and the sun never comes out ? Plus those pickle barrels take up too much space most people don't even have enough room for a few trees? Or do high density planting they can't fit those barrels between their trees. How about a fuel generator?
I have a new fig tree that is about 4 feet tall. It is a Chicago cold. I live in zone seven. Can you please tell me how to protect it during the winter. Rarely our temperature will go below zero. I watched your video on plant covers and Christmas lights and pickle barrels. Will that suffice or do I need to wrap the tree etc.?
I live in Tx...and yes two times I had lost many of my trees and plants...first artic front killed 90 percent of my trees and plants, this year I lost many of the small plants that i had under a hoop house even with a first layer of 4 mil plastic, and then i put a 6 mil black plastic, close gaps and the works even so i lost about 20 percent of plants...but my trees survived...I have my trees in tubs so i can move them in winter...
Be careful using plastic. Plastic only holds heat when the sun is out. As soon as the sun sets, the plastic will immediately lose the heat and freeze through *unless* you have a heat source underneath. Plastic itself offers no protection without a source of heat, be it the sun, water barrels, warming lights, etc.
Do zones really matter anymore? 🙄 Soooo I got one of those Amazon greenhouses and used the fish tank heater in a bucket method- It worked great keeping the internal temp 5° higher than the outside. Even had flowering plants. Noticed the Christmas deep freeze approaching so decided to get a heater I could control via app. I was surprised to see it keeping the GH at temps 70 +. It was windy all night so I stayed up monitoring the situation. Actually I was paranoid leaving a heater on out there. At 5A I passed out and guess what? POWER LOSS 😢 - when I woke up at 8 the outside temps had dropped to 17F and the greenhouse temp at 31. I was livid. The frost got to many of my plants but I did manage to save some including my meyer lemon. It’s hard to believe these pickle barrels would provide enough heat to prevent my situation but I would definitely consider it after this weeks drama
If you enjoyed this video, please "Like" and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😊TIMESTAMPS for convenience:
0:00 How To Protect Trees From Cold Introduction
1:55 The Tropical Fruit Trees I Can Now Grow
2:24 How To Protect Trees With Christmas Lights
4:09 How To Make Free Heaters With Pickle Barrels
6:29 Where To Find Pickle Barrels
7:09 The Unified Cold Protection Method
8:19 Using Plant Jackets To Hold In Warmth
9:37 Weather Station Data PROVING This Works!
15:40 Adventures With Dale
We do not have any external electrical outlets at our old building and there is. parking pad between the building and the garden bed so using electricity is impractical. We would have to run a very long extension cord across the driveway. Thanks for this alternative.
Don't forget the cost of the Water. In the 'Suburbs' those on _City Water_ should calculate that cost as well because in certain STATES it could be very high.
@@Ms.Byrd68 You only have to fill them once. When spring/summer rolls around, those same barrels can be used to collect rainwater.
Excellent Advice 😊
Over the years I've used many things to keep plants warm, but never a pickle barrel. Great idea!
It worked great through the 8 day cold spell we just had. The citrus in my rear property never dropped below 29F despite three nights in the teens. It consistently added 15 degrees of protection.
I love this so much! Last year we used the 5 gallon water containers (camping) for our avocados. For the large one we used 2, one on each side of the tree. We wrapped them in 2 or 3 layers using cotton sheets and the final layer 4-6 mil plastic. Worked perfect. Our lowest temp was 21 degrees and our 2+ year old avocado held onto blooms, leaves, everything. We are so looking forward to more fruit this year. p.s. Our setup was not breathable so we had to unwrap when temps climbed up again, but we only had to do this 3 times the entire season so it wasnt too bad. Thanks for sharing this. I've told everyone that will listen... so excited that this really works.
This pickle barrels work much better than the 5 gallon jugs since they, obviously, hold onto far more heat. They're really fantastic and worth setting up. Mine haven't moved for 2 years, and they probably never will.
Sorry to tell you, but it's dropping to minus 50 this weekend in Canada and we're sending some of the cold air your way too. Hope the heating system works for you. I just took my greenhouse plants into the house for a few days. I don't think my tomatoes can survive even in my greenhouse. I use the 6x8 harborfreight one and a 1500 watt electric heater. Last year my little greenhouse survived one night at minus 29 outside and dropped to freezing point inside, but not below. Even the tomatoes survived. Absolutely amazing. I also use some passive heating as you just described in my little greenhouse. I have 4 kitty litter jugs that hold 3 gallons of water each. I painted them black and on sunny days they warm up in the greenhouse and give off the heat through the night. For any northern commenters that read this, I found that just by adding a 100W regular light bulb in the greenhouse the plants grow better than on only the little speck of winter sun we get here. Good luck everybody.
My broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and collards are alive after the 11, 15, 17 degree nights because of this video. The large Christmas lights with the sheets over my raised beds kept my crops alive here in Charlotte NC. Thank you ever so much.
I’m glad to hear it! The lights work wonders. They’ve allowed me to grow so many things that “won’t grow in North Carolina.”
I'm going to definitely do this for my greenhouse, the lights and 5gal jugs of water like your other subscriber said.
I'm in NJ Zone 6a so I will be moving my garden family outside to there new home till may!
This is such an Amazing idea, with lights and water!
I get about 8hrs of sun on my greenhouse so this is just what I needed!
love your channel.
It's so nice that I see other Gardners that I follow drop you a comment.
Cheers !
Brad.
Physics in action. 👍🏼
Probably why folks say you should water your plants before a big freeze.
Also, lived through the Texas freeze. Power went down because the power stations were not hardened against the cold, not due to downed power lines. Also a bunch of natgas power stations were down for maintenance. Also Texas’ grid is not tied to any other state. So a cluster all around. 😂
Thank you for the tips!! People in my FB gardening group were just asking how to overwinter pepper plants. I have about 15 plants, each in 7 gallon canvas bags. I WAS going to bring my crop inside but, thanks to your video, I’m going to use your method! Thank you!
My mom told me this morning to put a 5gal bucket of water for my plants, then I see this video. It's a sign!! Lows in the 20s this weekend for South Alabama highs in the 70s for NYE. Gotta love it.
Hopefully, everything is still standing for New Years.
Gardening is all about SIGNS!
Hi, when it’s snowing and temperatures drop to 24F degrees, does water get frozen? And the barrel broke?
Thank you for doing such a nice job creating helpful, educational videos, with links for products you use. You are really a joy to listen to and follow. I appreciate what you are doing with your plants and trees. Thank you, and I wish you blessings of every good thing. 🎉
Here's wishing You, Dale and everyone else a safe and protected few days with this Canadian cold front coming in! Just bought my protective Jackets for my Lila and Brogdon Avocados...
Thank you. It's going to be a rough 4 days 😔 Best of luck.
@@TheMillennialGardener In Central Florida, Just took all my Chef's choice, Big Beef, Sun Gold and Sweet 100's picked as mush as possible and then took out all plants, bummer. Peppers as well, best of luck
You could also try filling the pickle barrels with compost material. Having an active compost pile in the pickle barrels should also provide the warmth you need to make it through the cold spells. You need to keep turning the pike though to keep it active. You could also try using a compost bin that spins so turning the pile would be very easy. The compost method would also work in a grid down situation were you don't have any power.
I just heard, water your out door plants before a hard freeze. So what your showing make sense 👍🏾
And this is why I love this channel.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate it.
My dog loved to hear Dale squeaking his toy.. then growling.. when you tried to get it back! Thanks for your gardening videos!
He’s a good play buddy 😊 Thanks for watching!
This video answered my question of where to find the pickle barrels. I want to try growing an Owari Satsuma and will definitely be trying this method here in zone 7b. Crossing my fingers I can keep the tree alive but it's worth a try.
I would get 2 barrels and put one on each side of the tree, then cover it in a stand of C9 lights and envelop them both in a large plant jacket. It'll stay pretty toasty in there. When we got down to 24.8F the other night, my avocado tree was sitting pretty at 40F.
@@TheMillennialGardener will do👌
Super vid! Here's one thing I tried, and it works for me. I bought a 32 gallon plastic trash can, 🗑, put it in my greenhouse and filled it with water. I bought a good quality fish tank heater with a thermostat and a temperature gauge. I put the heater in the water near the bottom of the can after setting my desired temperature. This has been wonderful supplemental heat for my greenhouse( I use a small space heater as my primary source). My greenhouse is 20x10x7 and I may add another water can set up so maybe I won't have to turn my electric heater on quite as much. It's much cheaper to keep the water warm than to run a heater. It would be nice if I could make my heater the supplemental heat.
I have to say, I really don't like this. Fish tank heaters are designed for indoor use. Your greenhouse is probably considered an outdoor space, and using indoor-use-only equipment inside outdoor greenhouses is very dangerous. I understand it's worked for you so far, but please consider the fire hazard aspect. I get really nervous when I see people running extension cords and indoor heaters inside kit greenhouses. It's an accident waiting to happen. If you have a real, contractor-built greenhouse with proper electric installed and it's considered an indoor space, that may be different, but if it's a DIY high tunnel or a kit greenhouse, it's actually an outdoor space.
this is one of the most helpful videos Ive seen. Thank you
Thanks Soo much I'm looking on craigslist right now. I love the way those pickle barrels look!
You're welcome! They're really great, and when you buy them, they literally still smell like pickles. Sometimes, they also hold olives or olive oil, so you may get one that has a residual olive oil smell, too.
Just what I needed to see. I’ve tried barrels, I’ve tried incandescent lights, but never together! Thank you , what a difference this will make.
It doubles the protection, and if one method fails, you have a backup.
Dale looks so handsome and festive. Thanks again for sharing such good information on protecting plants during winter with easier methods. We've been out last few days tucking all plants in for winter. From coast to coast we will all see how this goes next couple weeks. Stay safe all and Merry Christmas.
I'm not looking forward to this weather. It seems the bad weather *always* coincides with time off from work. The 4 days around Thanksgiving had terrible weather, and now the whole time off around Christmas is going to be a loss. Oh well, I guess. Hopefully, we get all the cold weather out of the way early and we get an early spring.
I've heard the incandescent Christmas lights work but just wanted to double check. Thanks for pointing out you get more warmth from the larger bulbs. I also drape metallic mylar blankets over my citrus trees (found them online) but I draw them back in the day to let the sun in. These are all really great tips. Learned alot. Thank you.
Im in zone 8 up in bc canada. i have grown Meyer lemon inground for 8 years. And this method works only works if you have sun in the day and warmer day temps. We often have weeks at minus -8 c or -10 as daytime highs and lows. So lights are the only option
Pickle barrels here in N Florida are $28 for the cheapest I could find. We lived in Hickory NC 3 years ago. Everything is cheaper in NC.
Not anymore 😅 The cost of living here was great when I moved here in 2017. Now, that gap between here and the Northeast is mostly gone. My pickle barrels were $27, so they're basically the same price. $28 is a fine deal. They'll last forever, and you can also convert them to rain barrels if you wish to save money on irrigation costs. All they have to do is save one tree and they'll pay for themselves 100 times over.
Extremely helpful info! We are facing a few nights of freezes coming up in SE Texas, and your quantified, measured analysis will hopefully help my trees to emerge unscathed! Thanks very much for taking the time to do this analysis and share it. So much better than just anecdotes - the numbers really tell the tale.
You're welcome! I don't like guessing. I want to prove these methods work, and you need data to support it.
Just a quick update - we had five nights where temperatures went below freezing in the night, along with one full day where temps didn't get above 32. We also had two nights where the lows dropped below 20 F. Thanks to water barrels, incandescent Christmas lights, and a plant covering that you recommended, all of my citrus, avocado, and even a passion fruit made it through with flying colors. Thank you!
Fascinating data! You hear of these methods but the numbers are never there. Thank you for doing the leg work on this. I know there are a ton of variables but it really gives people an idea of what can be achieved with protection.
You're welcome! I like to go the extra step and actually verify these methods work. Most youtube videos are anecdotal. I like actual verification, which is rare, because it's a lot of work 😂
Love your videos. I was watching this and thought that you could use fish aquarium water heaters to make those barrels more efficient. Put them on a timer get them nice and warm before sun down. Thanks for your videos again
I would *never* do this. Those heaters are likely for indoor use only. You are going to set up a major fire hazard running indoor-use-only equipment outdoors. It's very important when designing systems for outdoor use that every single component is rated for outdoor use in all weather conditions. Otherwise, these cobbled together systems can have disastrous consequences. You'd have to make sure any heater you use is designed for outdoor use in all weather conditions. I doubt an indoor aquarium heater will make the cut.
They make outdoor water heaters, I have one in my koi pond. Tx 8a . I am going to use your method on some of my trees this winter. Thank you.@@TheMillennialGardener
Amazing! Thank you for sharing.
Also, if you put plastic layer on top of the breathable one, it will be even warmer, will work like a green house. It’s only can be used safely during below freezing temperatures.
Wish i had done this on some of my decorative plants this year. I put blankets over them but this year we dipped into the low to mid 20's and I lost a number of plants. I knew I should have used the christmas lights but didnt. I regret it now. Lesson learned.
The good thing about these barrels is once you set them up, they can stay put forever. I set my original barrels up over a year ago and they're still there with the original water. They don't budge, and they probably never will. I would recommend getting some, because I'm sure we have more cold outbreaks coming. We're only 1 week into winter, and we have a long way to go!
@@TheMillennialGardener I agree completely..... I will start looking today.
Love the Dale!!!!! I have squeezed toys everywhere it seems. Pick them all up at night and in the morning, the toy box is half emptying. Some people dislike the squeaky toys, but to me it is Joy. Maybe if “hoomans” (as in dog talk) had a dog, they could see their Joy and remind them to find their Joy too!
When my few citrus trees were small, grapefruit, oranges, tangelo & lemon. I put the Christmas tree lights in the trees & covered with a sheet.
I am in central San Joaquin valley of California so don’t get a lot of freezing nights but do get a few. In the summer get the horrible 100+ heat & drought we have been enduring for many years 😞
Hope people will employ your methods😁
Love your channel.
We used to live in Exeter near Visalia.
@@kaybonette actually that is where I live. 3 miles east of the Exeter light in the Yokohl area on 198.
My son moved to Tennessee about 6 years ago & I am planning on moving back there also.
Where do you live now?
@@connienelson3162 near Jacksoville Fl
My late husband and I used to own the Lemon Cove bed and breakfast. The people we sold it to changed the name. We were there from 1989 to 1996.
Thank you! Shade cloth will be a valuable tool for you. Check out this video from last summer, because it makes an enormous difference: ua-cam.com/video/iifj4qDW9xM/v-deo.html
Perfect timing for this video❄️❄️👍👍
I like to film what I’m doing so they’re always time sensitive 😊
Love that temperature comparison chart! Amazed.
Glad it was helpful!
All of your videos about fruits trees are very helpful! I didn’t think I could grow citrus trees in my area (30 miles east of Charlotte)but maybe I could!
Thank you.👍😊
I think it's possible, particularly with something like a Yuzu tree. Maybe even a Brown's Select satsuma and kumquat if you protect them exactly the way I do.
When we had the freeze in TX, I had left a camping bed on the ground. When I lifted it up it was still green.
Other options are sleeping bags for the base. If you have old ones to use.
Meyers lemons did not like that cold. I lost them.
You can use igloo water coolers to cover your plants and use straw around it.
Something like that is going to hold in the ground's heat, no doubt, which will prevent the ground from freezing in that exact spot for a little while longer. That's not going to work well for trees, though, because wood doesn't hold onto heat like the earth does. Wood has a very low specific heat value. Ground has a very high specific heat value. You need to add a medium with high specific heat, which is why I recommend the water barrels. Simply wrapping a tree won't do much of anything, but if you put that water barrel inside the wrapping, you're creating a huge thermal mass.
I will add the black barrel for the Meyers Lemon and I can insulate the striped pink lemonade, and I have to cover my lime tree as well.
Cattle panels for the dome to encase them with the barrels.
Thank you
Awesome winter protection tips 🤩 Thanks for sharing!
You're welcome!
Temperatures in my part of north Florida are predicted to be in the low 20's. I recently bought many sensitive plants but most are still in pots. Those are going into my garage, I have two avocados and 10 small citrus trees I am just going to wrap up. I hadn't thought about Christmas lights. Hopefully they will have some on sale after Christmas.
The good lights - the C9's - are tough to find. I actually bought mine in October when stock was fresh. Once they sell it, they're gone, it seems. One year, Home Depot had them online for $5 a box, and I ordered a bunch when I saw that price, but that was pure luck. They're tough to find online for a fair price.
Thank you for the info. I enjoy your videos. Very informative.
On another channel he used an aquarium heater in his barrels.
I'm just north of you. And I am looking forward to using some of your ideas. Installing the lean to greenhouse that arrived last week. It's going in over a window with a thermostat controlled fan to exhaust warm air into the house.
Merry Christmas
These things can be very dangerous. Having non-outdoor rated equipment running outside is not a good idea unless they’re specifically designed to operate in those conditions. I cringe watching UA-camrs run extension cords to space heaters inside Harbor Freight greenhouses. Even greenhouses are not indoor environments and are still considered outdoor structures in most cases. You have to be extremely careful, because many of these methods promoted on UA-cam are a house fire waiting to happen.
@@TheMillennialGardener Exterior gfci plugs ! The the Duct fan is Exterior rated. I didn't add the safety equipment . Thinking it SHOULD be common sense. Moisture and electricity don't go well together.
Hey. I'm in ENC also. Thanks for the videos.
You’re welcome! Stay warm. It is so cold right now, but next week is going to be way worse.
Loved the information! Dale looks fun to play with! 😁👍
Thank you! Dale is a great play buddy. He plays hard, but is gentle about it at the same time.
I just wanted to say THANK YOU. I added the lights and a water barrel for my citrus. They made it.
My striped pink lemonade was covered in a white barrel with lights. And only a few leaves were lost.
Meyers Lemon and Limes made it by using corrugated tin around the base and trampoline covers with blankets since i don't have the covers you have.
I criss-cross the cattle panels to protect them easier. Even the blooms made it
I am so grateful 🙏
Outstanding! I'm not sure where you're located or how cold you got, but just keep in mind that sometimes cold damage takes 1-2 weeks to show. Plants often look fine the next day, but it takes awhile for any damage to show. Keep an eye on them and keep them covered to minimize stress until it's safe.
I am in Texas near Corpus Christi on the coast. We were in the teens, and the windchill was close to 2 degrees.
The trampolines are really thick and provide pretty good coverage. I am watching the news to make sure I don't take down the covers too early
I’m going to try this with my small fig tree and my little southern magnolia tree. Thanks.
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
I love your channel! Your videos are so instructive! You could take your pickle barrels a step further and put heaters in them, the kind that keep animal water troughs from freezing.
Thanks! The barrels will *never* have heaters in them. That is a major fire hazard. Running indoor heaters and extension cords is extremely dangerous. Any method you use to provide warmth outdoors has to be very carefully designed with safety as the #1 consideration. Hacked together projects can result in a house fire.
@@TheMillennialGardener Sorry, I meant one of those submersible water heaters that keep horse troughs from icing over in the winter, and not an indoor space heater. Like the kind you'd find at Tractor Supply.
Nothing like a good game of tug football with dad!
😁
Great post...thanks for the detailed knowledge!👍
Merry Christmas!🎄💕
Dale's a good play buddy. He's learned to be gentle with his play while still going hard. He used to be like a wild animal, but now he's become a really good companion. He's an expert at this point 😆 Merry Christmas!
Top-notch my friend!
Excellent video!! Glad I'm not the only one who growls at my dogs when playing 🤣
Thanks! I figured out the growling thing a couple years ago. I was teasing him, and then he started doing it back and fighting harder. Now, we do it all the time. He’s such an actor 😂
Good video dude. I'm in va. beach. I have palms that absolutely do not grow here but for years I've had them using lights and plastic. Never thought of the water barrel. Good idea, I will be using.
Glad it was helpful!
Love data! Keep it coming!
I don’t like guessing. I like knowing 😀
Blessed Christmas 2 all!
Same to you!
Love all the ideals and instructions, you have definitely made my greenhouse better. I live just north of you in Topsail area, we are expecting several nights of 17 degree temps this week, please document for us. Show us how you get ready, how it's going during and results. You inspired me to visit Mr. Mackenzie and purchase some citrus to put in the ground this spring. Thanks for all you do. Keep Dale warm :)
I love how you baby your tress. I need to do better
I don't baby them. I just know their limits. They get cold protection, because they're not supposed to grow here. They get very little else aside from the bare minimum (annual pruning, mulch and compost, etc.)
Wow! Just what I need to know!
This next week is going to be awful for most of us.
Great info. That squeaky football of Dale's got all my dog's attention at the end.
He LOVES that ball! It is his favorite toy by a mile. I'm getting him new one for Christmas, because this one is a year old and is finally getting beaten up. If you're interested, I added it to my Amazon Storefront under Dale's Favorite Things. I think it's like $13. Totally worth every penny.
This is really fascinating. How do you think these methods would hold up in subzero temperatures? I’m in Zone 4 with 1-2 instances of -40ºC/F, and I’m wondering if this would help protect peach trees.
Yes, Feb 2021, snow storm then ice storm then another snow storm. No power for 5 days, it got to 6 degrees for the low. I had some fruit tree twigs in some barrels planters right, and they survived, then May hit and it rained the whole month, and the pots couldn't drain fast enough, the too much rain killed the trees.
I saw another youtuber who heated his greenhouse using a barrel with a submersible heater. That might be something to consider if it get very cold for very long. Well, that an a generator. Weather here in NC tends to be more ice storms than snow, and takes out the power.
Some of these setups can be dangerous. Everything must be outdoor-rated and designed to operate in all weather conditions. If you have a real insulated greenhouse with electricity professionally installed inside and it's considered an "indoor" space, it may be okay, but if you have a hobbyist greenhouse or a basic homemade high tunnel running extension cords, you can create a major fire hazard if the heaters you're using are for indoor use only. Some of these youtube videos promote really dangerous things with little concern for safety, so please keep that in mind. Most greenhouses are not indoor environments and are actually considered outdoor environments inside of them, and everything you operate inside of them must be outdoor-rated. These videos where people are running extension cords to space heaters inside their Harbor Freight greenhouses terrify me.
@@TheMillennialGardener Absolutely, safety first! There are submersible pumps made for Koi ponds, definitely made for outdoor use. I was thinking it could be plugged in wherever you are plugging lights if you need more heat than they can provide. Assuming they would provide more heat!
Nice. we had our satsuma insulated 3 foot up the tree with a black tractor tire and we had lights on it. Although we had no power failure the tree froze back and never fruited again. Same with our Myer lemon. Bummer
Think about a bucket heater it wouldn't gain a great deal but might help some. We use one in our 30 gallon open water through
Great information 💁♀️
Thank you!
So for the exact situation you were referring to…. We lived through it. Miserable week and busted pipes everywhere. My only thought I would say is that we didn’t have ANY sunshine that week, and once those barrels got cold that week (first day) they would have frozen quickly. My dogs toys were frozen to the driveway. Unfortunately nothing made it that week. Even the plants I had in my greenhouse under heat lamps. The temp came up and I opened things up and not sure if the shock got it or what. But Houston texas spent a ton of money in new plants last year.
That’s what I thought. If pipe burst how can the the water barrel still not frozen? Any experience?
Thanks! Fabulous idea! I always love seeing Dale too.
You're welcome! Thanks for watching! Dale says hello.
@@TheMillennialGardener Hope Santa Paws is good to Dale!
Great job demonstrating it all👍
Thank you!
This works good as long as it's not overcast for the cold days
Even when it's overcast, the barrels will warm up somewhat. However, when it is overcast, the low temperatures usually aren't bad. If it's cloudy at night, chances are it won't frost or dip below freezing where I live. The only time when it's truly a problem is when a cold, clear night follows with overcast in the day and clear at night again, which is pretty unlikely. It can happen, but usually the coldest nights have clear days that warm the barrels back up. If something terrible *were* to happen, you could always stick a hose in the barrel and turn it on to flush out the existing water with fresh water, because fresh water from the ground or water line is going to be pretty warm. The water comes out of the spigot here at around 55-60 degrees in the winter.
Really great ideas 💡
Thank you! I appreciate it.
Excellent video! Water barrels make a great thermal battery 🔋
They're awesome! They're not perfect, and a long spell of overcast days can cause problems, but here in the Southeast, it's rare to have more than back-to-back overcast days that are often cold. Usually, overcast days mean mild weather, so it's worked out well. That being said, there's a reason why I add lights, too. I like having a backup plan.
@TheMillennialGardener I like the light addition too.
I want to try a dugout greenhouse for season round warmth
I see your name is Marc … Hey from N. Central Texas…YES, 😢grid went down, it is very inefficient still, yet construction is everywhere, I’m praying we don’t suffer that again. My power was out Mon. 6:30am-Wed. 8:40pm. I’m a Plumeria grower, all plants, 6” to 8’, overwinter (for 20+ yrs.) in my home, temps were down in 30s, all trees safe from wind, ice and snow. It was 41 inside, my son came, got me Tues. morning his power rolling.
I have a question. Do you collect rainwater from your roof ???
I saw it leaches petroleum from shingles which goes into water containers, not good for plants ! Thanks for another great video. DD n Tx.
Thank you so much!! Do we keep the plant jacket through out winter ?
I'm going to do this but in a smaller scale for containers I planted and are under plastic. 🎉 the weather is all over the place in my area.
Would this also help warm greenhouses?
Thank you for this video, really enjoyed the data
Glad you enjoyed it!
I’m looking to help protect my planted plants on my patio. It’s a covered patio. I wonder if the pickle barrels could get enough heat from the sun to warm them
Thanks again for sharing your information it is very helpful 💚✨
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
My mom would fill our kiddie pool in the spring with warm water because our well water was like ice.
She would hook the garden hose to the hot water heater. That might be an option to fill the barrels with hot water during this cold front.
I love this video, do you think this could work with citrus trees in Maryland? And if not, could a small water heater maybe help?
Hi, I would like to wish you happy holidays. Jessie from Arkansas
Thank you! Happy holidays to you as well.
Love your videos, a lot of helpful and great ideas. Thank you and Merry Christmas.
Thank you! Merry Christmas!
The real test is coming up this weekend. The forecast for me (west of Charlotte) is calling for 14 degrees F on Friday night. Wilmington is calling for "only" 20 degrees F.
It says “only” 20, but it’ll be 16-19 degrees here if that’s the case. It is ALWAYS 3-4 degrees colder here than forecast. Our forecast of 29 last night was a 24.8 degree reality. They’re always way off, and due to the swampy nature of the area, the microclimates are insane. If you look at the WUnderground weather station maps, houses a couple blocks away can vary by 5-7 degrees thanks to our wacky soil makeup and weird cold drains with the sloping swamps.
Even at crazy cold temperatures, the temperature of the water barrel will stay at 32F. The barrel will have to freeze all the way through for that to get any lower, which will probably never happen in your climate.
What would you recommend for large trees like a palm tree during a freeze that can’t be covered due to their size? Would the Christmas lights be the best option?
Fantastic thank you
You’re welcome!
Central north NC
Great tip!!
Thanks for watching!
We are getting a super freeze in Nashville this weekend. Maybe as low as 1 degree at night. Is there a need to cover small lemon tree that we overwinter in our garage?
Covering something inside a room won't do anything, since the only purpose of a cover is to keep frost off (which won't form inside a garage). At this point, you'll need to keep the garage sufficiently warm. You'll want to make sure that garage doesn't get colder than 30F or so depending on the variety of the lemon. The safest thing is to just bring the lemon inside the house for a few days until this passes.
Loved the video and subscribed. Question though-would you see more consistent protection by adding a heater such as those used in cattle water toughs or aquariums to the pickle barrel rather than using the incandescent lights on the trees?
I think these videos are intended to show us the capability of passive assistance. At some point after planting a lot of things, you have to ask yourself "Do I really want to run electricity to every corner of the yard?"
Do you only fill the barrels (with cold water I assume?) once? Won’t it ever freeze? I’d assume it could drag the temperature down quite a bit after a cold night untill heated again. And on cold days without sun will it heat up at all?
Would like to see the experiment with just some aquarium-ish heater in the barrels. Or on a heat mat maybe. What do you think?
What is your cost of electricity btw per kwh? Ours (In Denmark) is rather high still due to Putins war 😖 It had trippled not long ago!🥴
Merry christmas brother🙏
The amount of persistent cold it would take to freeze a 60 gallon barrel of water solid is huge. Where I live, it isn’t possible. Even with record cold, it is going to warm up enough during the day with the heavy black barrels absorbing heat. If you live in a climate where a black 60 gallon HDPE barrel would freeze solid, you probably can’t plant anything that would benefit from cold protection. These methods of protection are for marginal zones where you need to protect against those handful of Arctic air outbreaks each year, and if you’re in a place where you need that warmth very day to protect a plant, it’ll never survive longterm. The water in those barrels is 2 years old. I never touch them once filled.
I think my cost per kWh is about $0.12. It is fairly low where I live now compared to where I used to live.
you could add salt(lightly)/ alcohol the water to prevent any freeze , Maybe invest in small solar panel / battery set up to provide electric, I been I thinking of how to make water cisterns for the drought years and this seems like these would work to catch spring rains .
We going to need em this weekend here in tn
I saw wind chills around -10 to -20 in west TN. That's insane considering Memphis is technically a weak Zone 8, but Zone 8 nonetheless.
I would be interested in how these methods could apply to a raised (ie. sitting on top of water filled tote box) and an in ground cold frame.
I created home made low tunnels from ag fabric and hoops and got an additional 10 weeks season of cool crops.
These work well inside of tunnel enclosures. If you have a high tunnel, you can line the south wall with water barrels. They will recharge during the day and radiate all night. Obviously, if your area drops to -30 degrees, it may not be enough, but for most climates, it will make an enormous difference.
I have 4 small outdoor plants in planters that I need to protect in winter. Would it work to put hot water in small jugs next to them each night...with a cloth plant cover?
Your the best! Thanks
Thank you!
Have you looked into adding a bird bath heater to your water barrel? That should give you an even bigger advantage.
No. Running extension cords and heaters outdoors is very dangerous. Everything used must be certified for outdoor use in all weather conditions. Besides, the trees are too far away in the rear property to run cords. Otherwise, I'd just use incandescent lights like the others.
a question what if bought you solar panel and battery set up and use fish tank water heaters to get warmer water during the day time ,kinda like the ones farmers use to on live stock fences , 2nd do you empty out the barrels and use them to capture rain water after the frost has stopped ?
That would be a very expensive and outrageously expensive setup. I'll put it to you like this: if the sun is so weak that it can't warm these pickle barrels back up, there is no way a very inefficient solar panel+battery setup is going to do it for you. If the sun is strong enough to charge a battery to run a heater, it's strong enough to warm the barrels back up. I also hate the idea of running indoor heaters outdoors. That's a fire hazard waiting to happen if you ask me. This is why I only use incandescent Christmas lights UL-listed and rated for outdoor use to warm my trees. Messing around with heaters and extension cords outdoors worries me.
These water barrels have been sitting in place for 2 years and still has the same water in it from 2 years ago. They stay there all summer, because I don't feel like messing with them. If you want to make rain barrels, I would suggest buying additional barrels. They're so cheap that it's worth having some extra for projects like that.
I’m in the same zone. I have a few rain water collection barrels that I emptied for the freeze. The manufacturer recommended this do they don’t crack. How do the pickle barrels handle the very freezing temps? So they crack?
I've never had a problem. In Zone 8, it's virtually impossible for one to freeze through. If you're concerned, simply leave it 3-4 inches low. That way, if the water starts to freeze, there is enough volume in there to handle the expansion.
I think you need to add a third layer of protection independent of the power grid any thoughts? What if the power grid shuts down and the sun never comes out ? Plus those pickle barrels take up too much space most people don't even have enough room for a few trees? Or do high density planting they can't fit those barrels between their trees. How about a fuel generator?
That's a great idea 👍🏼
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
I have a new fig tree that is about 4 feet tall. It is a Chicago cold. I live in zone seven. Can you please tell me how to protect it during the winter. Rarely our temperature will go below zero. I watched your video on plant covers and Christmas lights and pickle barrels. Will that suffice or do I need to wrap the tree etc.?
I live in Tx...and yes two times I had lost many of my trees and plants...first artic front killed 90 percent of my trees and plants, this year I lost many of the small plants that i had under a hoop house even with a first layer of 4 mil plastic, and then i put a 6 mil black plastic, close gaps and the works even so i lost about 20 percent of plants...but my trees survived...I have my trees in tubs so i can move them in winter...
Be careful using plastic. Plastic only holds heat when the sun is out. As soon as the sun sets, the plastic will immediately lose the heat and freeze through *unless* you have a heat source underneath. Plastic itself offers no protection without a source of heat, be it the sun, water barrels, warming lights, etc.
@@TheMillennialGardener thank you so much for the info...i honestly believed that plastic was enough...now I know better...thank you again.
Do zones really matter anymore? 🙄 Soooo I got one of those Amazon greenhouses and used the fish tank heater in a bucket method- It worked great keeping the internal temp 5° higher than the outside. Even had flowering plants. Noticed the Christmas deep freeze approaching so decided to get a heater I could control via app. I was surprised to see it keeping the GH at temps 70 +. It was windy all night so I stayed up monitoring the situation. Actually I was paranoid leaving a heater on out there. At 5A I passed out and guess what? POWER LOSS 😢 - when I woke up at 8 the outside temps had dropped to 17F and the greenhouse temp at 31. I was livid. The frost got to many of my plants but I did manage to save some including my meyer lemon. It’s hard to believe these pickle barrels would provide enough heat to prevent my situation but I would definitely consider it after this weeks drama
Did you ever measure just the lights with the blanket? If your not trying to protect trees can you use a smaller water container?
Brilliant
Thank you!
Is there any type of solar light that could be used to keep outdoor small plants warmer overnight?
You are so clever!!
Thanks for watching!