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The Kitchen Table

Winter Myths

15 years ago

I knew most of these... but not all.

Moni

Here is a link that might be useful: Winter Myths

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Comments (5)

nodakgal
15 years ago
Thanks Moni!
I haven't had a cold for quite awhile again. Many mornings I am out with hair still wet from my shower shoveling snow. Even -20.
#2 I really might argue a bit though, depression in the winter time after being already housebound for months is a big thing up here.Knowing you still have 3 to 4 months of winter and being housebound and cold is awful. So many people I've talked to last month are really struggling with it!! But since its close to SAD in the symptoms that could be it.
#3 I believe in chicken soup! LOL
Everything else I agree with!
vala55
15 years ago
Thank you sharing that with us. I didn't know about heat/hat. I will share that with my sisters. I believe chicken soup can help but no more than any soup that's mostly liquid and hot.

I used to stay after school for swimming and walked a mile home in the cold. Mom told me my hair would be frozen, never hurt me.

A funny thing, people often don't want to hear that the things they have always believed in are myths. I find that interesting. I like hearing the truth when I am wrong, I stop repeating it.
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I've grown gardenias in the DC area for several years. II started with a few from nurseries in the early 2000s. After some mistakes with overwatering in summer and freezing in winter I finally got the hang of it and have only lost two plants since 2008. I have four which are thriving, one is three feet by two feet by two feet in a large windowbox. The key here unless you have a VERY sunny window in winter is to overwinter them in very cool conditions. I keep mine in my unheated garage. They will tolerate long periods of darkness when cold (30-45F) and if it's warmer than that they can go outside. About a quarter of the winter days here are warm enough to leave them out. Temperatures below 25F damage the flower buds and newer growth. Conversely in summer I give them 4-6 hours of sun, preferably morning sun. In spring and fall they get full sun. WIth this regimen, I get small flower buds in November. THese overwinter and start growing in April. Around Memorial day I get flowers and they bloom until about July 4. After that they start dropping buds and generally don't do as well in midummer heat. (low 90s days, mid 70s nights). From mid July to sometime in late August they don't seem to make buds and just grow leaves but after that they make buds again. Late August buds start blooming in early October and I just got my first three today. Cool weather from mid November on seems to slow the big buds enough that they just die on the plant, very slowly. Small buds do okay. I never let them dry out but don't keep the soil sodden either. Their pot will keep them moist for two sunny dry days so I try to keep it on the dry side when I am not on vacation or otherwise gone and water it to half capacity. Overwatering in summer is lethal. I use pro-mix for potting soil although I am not happy with it for long term (years) use. Every few years I cut them back hard to main branches. There is a second type I have found in my neighbor's yard. THis has 5" typically fragrant flowers in June (fall flowering is not as good as the florist types) and is fully hardy here in Zone 7. It is at least 20 years old, has 6" trunks and is obviously thriving. It gets full midday sun. I just got cuttings (with permission) this summer; they've rooted and I'll see how they do. He does not know the origin of the plant but the local Home Depot sells a very similar one which is said to be hardy. I've never tried it. The point here is that like the Spokane WA poster earlier, gardenias will tolerate a lot of chilling and light freezes. They do not like the combination of warm, dry, stagnant and dark that they get in a typical house in winter.
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danihoney
15 years ago
I have cought myself, more than once, telling my kids to put on a hat/sweatshirt before going outside. I say "You're going to catch a cold" and I absolutely know that isn't true. I don't know why I've said it. DH just laughs and the boys say "We're fine mom".

Yeah yeah, I know.
jannie
15 years ago
I believe all of them. I tend not to be a doubter.
cynic
15 years ago
With the exception of #4, with which I take exception both to their suggestion and their analogy, I knew the rest. I still argue and have read enough supportive that the head and shoulders lose a lot of heat. Their argument of going out in shorts with a hat is out and out stupid. Experts tell you if you insulate your house, and need to choose between insulating the roof and the walls, the roof is more important than the walls, but nobody (credible) suggests having open walls and an insulated roof so their argument is totally ludicrous. But, feel free to leave your hats at home and freeze your ears in -30ÃÂ° weather. You can always say "that article said it didn't help!" :)

Just last night I was chilly reclined in the recliner with a blanket over me. I pulled a towel over my head and felt much warmer in a short time. but was still chilly on my shoulders even though I had a sweatshirt on me. I pulled the blanket over my shoulders and tucked it behind me on one side and it was comfy shortly while the other shoulder wasn't as comfortable until I tucked it under there too.

This is an example of a magazine giving bad information by exaggerating purported facts to fit the situation. Although it's been demonstrated that chicken soup is good at relieving symptoms and making a person more comfortable it won't "zap a cold" either!

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