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Minnesota winter and plants

15 years ago

Hi guys,

Sorry if this question doesn't deal specifically with orchids. I just moved to MN a few months ago and don't know much about the cold, cold weather here. I went to the hardware store today and bought some houseplants to keep my orchids company. The weather was in the single digits today. I took like a minute to get the plants into my car. When I got home, I noticed that some of the leaves had wilted. Now, hours later, many of the leaves on my plants have wilted, some looking frost bitten. Will they recover or can I expect to lose all of them?

Thanks:(

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Comments (8)

julysun
15 years ago
Amazing! We shiver and shake here in Houston when it is in the 30s! You must be tough.
new2orchids
Original Author
15 years ago
Julysun,

Hahaha... I came here from CA so I'm learning all sorts of interesting things about cold weather. It's been below 0 here for many days.
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aachenelf z5 Mpls
15 years ago
It kind of depends on the type of plants, if they were covered at all when you brought them outside and how long they were outside. I would suspect they probably aren't total goners, but I'm sure they will drop most of their leaves. If they weren't protected, they might die back completely, but might sprout from the crown depending on the type of plant.

Rule #1 about MN winters: Never, ever buy a plant especially an orchid or anything blooming in this kind of weather. Chances are almost 100% you'll get some kind of damage in transporting it from the store to your car even if it's wrapped. If it's a blooming orchid, expect almost total bud blast. Been there, done that.

Yes, this winter has been brutal. When I got up this morning I was so pleasantly surprised to see the temp was only -4 F. since the weather folk were saying -12 F overnight. We take what we can get I guess.

Kevin
new2orchids
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks Kevin. That gives me some hope. This morning I looked and I think each plant will have at least a few surviving leaves. The worst hit was a peace lily. I'm surprised no one at the store said anything to me or gave me a bag to cover them (they were completely exposed to the cold wind yesterday). I bought a single rose the other night for a friend and that cashier had insisted I put it in a large plastic bag. I hadn't made the connection. I've learned many valuable lessons already about extreme cold this season.
loloo
15 years ago
Paper bag, not plastic bag.
orchid126
15 years ago
And make sure the car is nice and warmed up first.
treehaus
15 years ago
When I buy orchids at a local orchid nursery this time of year, I usually get them double bagged in plastic, and run them out to the car which I always heat up a bit before I bring the plants out.
rockyfarm
15 years ago
I've seen quite a few blooming orchids transported successfully to orchid society displays during Maine winters, using ice chests to insulate from the cold. Been -17 to -22 degrees here over the past week.

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