BCSS - Forum

Eric Williams wrote:Hi all, just wondered how many of our plants on average are lost due to severe Winter weather, and what percentage of the collection.

Most winters 1 to 5 plants, well under 1%. Mainly at the end of the winter, going into spring - though that might just be when the loss becomes apparent.

2010-11 winter 85%. So it varies.

In early December I bubble wrapped my plants and placed them on my windowsill and left for vacation.
It certainly did not prepare me for the 57-year record low.

The night I returned (Jan 5th) my windowsill thermostat read negative 17 celsius and my diagnosis for severe panic attack at the time read positive.

The losses probably hit me harder compared to the seasoned collectors of this community:
Mammillaria carmenae
Copiapoa tenuissima
Leuchtenbergia principis
Eriocyse senilis
A few seedlings

Overall added up to a chunky 5% of my collection.
As a beginner this was not a pleasant experience

I just lost a large Mamm Linsayi (6" across x 3" tall). I first noticed a depression a couple of weeks ago at one point on last years flower ring and then grey mould on an unripened fruit. When I turned the plant out the compost was bone dry (so no drips from above) but the plant was soft and 100% discoloured internally. It seems to have succumbed to mould infecting an unripe fruit from a late second flowering last Autumn - always a danger in our damp winters.

It's not so much the complete loss of a plant that is a problem, more so scorch marks due to frost on certain plants that are sensitive. These marks are an opportunity for rot to set in at some point in the future.

Winter losses are rare, usually only a few plants that I deliberately expose to dubious temperatures. Even then I lose very few. Of course who knows if the summer losses were due to losing the roots over winter?

This morning we had a big storm. I heard three panes of my greenhouse are down. But the plants that were still in the greenhouse were supposed to be safe. But have to check for it myself. Won’t be until Saturday, so a bit anxious until then. There are winter active ones in a cold frame inside my greenhouse, but also some hardy ones without any cold protection. I hope the latter will stay dry…

Anyone else with storm damage (UK, maybe?), or was this just a local North Sea storm?

I hope you return to dry and happy plants Aiko.

A few reports of greenhouse damage close to me last night(20 miles north of London)

Windy enough here to wake us up in the early hours of the morning 70-80mph, no damage which was pleasing even the bubble wrap which I put on the outside of the side of the greenhouse this year is all intact.

Thanks for the interest regarding Wintre woes, nice to know for most of us that losses etc are minimal. I do lose a plant or two and put this down to low temps. I thus try to grow plants that can cope with these temps. Shows how our plants have the instinct for survival in heat and cold. Off subject, I am intrigued with Bill,s outside bubble wrap, why and how was it fixed to an alli. greenhouse ? Cheers

Why, far easier than trying to avoid cacti and get it down the back of the benches, beyond all the plants.

How the bubble wrap is stapled to the end battons and and they are screwed to the greenhouse frame, the rest of the battens are cut to an angle to wedge up behind the gutters and are screwed to the bricks at the bottom.