Temperatures are due to take a dip, tonight

[Liz M]

In the northern part of the country the forecast was to go down to 3C tonight. That's ridiculously cold for August, so I hope all those up here have taken note and got the more tender species protected.
Last night was forecast to go down to 8 or 9C and instead went to 5.5C, which was really too chilly for some stuff. So, I put a lot of plants out of harms way today and plan to put up insulation and am seriously considering heat this winter as I can't bear to lose so much again. It's only August, what's going on?

[Aiko]

I think most of your warmth-loving plants can take a few nights with low temperatures, especially in a greenhouse with closed windows. Three degrees Celsius is probably outdoors and on ground level, not indoors and on the height of your tablets, I take it?

I won't be bringing in my warmth-loving plants up until the end of September. Maybe besides my Pseudolithos. It is their first winter with me, so I think I should be careful with them this first winter (and probably every winter...). All other warmth-loving plants will go indoors in a few weeks, and everything else will follow between midway October and end of November, depending on the wheater. Last year I got them inside to shelter for the winter around 25-27 November.

[jfabiao]

Send me your adress and I'll post a few degrees for you to keep your plants safe: 42C yesterday here in Lisbon...

[iann]

Frost! Just a touch on the grass. Inside the greenhouse stayed much warmer after such a sunny day. The cold frame stayed open, an early autumn for all the winter growers

[Peter]

A ground frost here in Shropshire, too. And so many trees already starting to lose their leaves. Weird.

[Roger Mann]

Here in Essex I hope to be able to keep my large Aloes outside for a few more weeks. At 8pm to night in the greenhouse it was 60. F. Clear skies outside. By the way I have lots of grapes still growing outside........Roger

[matchat]

You mention heavy losses Liz, which plants suffered for you? I was going to go unheated this winter as my collection is mainly cacti, most of which are capable of growing unheated quite happily I'm told. I'm just worried about my Echeverias and few other succulents and wondering which would need to live indoors or possibly be passed on to another grower.

[Liz M]

Over reaction on the part of the weather forecasters, it went down to 5C again, probably the same tonight.
Autumn is coming early, I've seen lots of trees starting to go red and gold, I have a few myself.
But today was glorious, wall to wall sunshine and so good for the plants, at last.
Matt , I lost Echeverias, Aeoniums, Gasterias, Aloes and some Crassulas. Some I managed to salvage a few bits, which have grown well this year, the rest i have had to replace. Part of the problem was that I am sure some plants were still damp when winter set in. We had had a dry and fairly warm Autumn and when Winter arrived,it came in with arush and I was unprepared. It won't be the same this year, I will stop watering in September and insulate and heat, I'm not taking any chances again.

[Mark B]

Bubble wrap ordered not taking any chances this year. We had a light ground frost the last two days.

[IanW]

It's sunny now at least, thank god the rain has stopped, but it's certainly pretty cold out, and very cold on a night still!

The temperature looks set to increase by the back end of the week though, back towards 11c/12c overnight, so fingers crossed it was just a cold snap. Sun/Clouds all the way until Sunday and then just clouds, perhaps we will get a sunnier September after all. Importantly though at least it seems sunny enough that my Arrojadoa are deciding to flower- 3 of them!