Starting to bring plants inside for the winter

If the weather reports are accurate, temperatures will drop to 30°F on Tuesday night. That would be the first freeze of the season. Even though most of our plants should be able to handle a light freeze, I’ve started to bring some potted specimens indoors. These aren’t necessarily the wimpiest plants I have, but they are the ones I definitely do not want to lose.

The first batch of plants went on this rack in the dining room. It is lit by an OttLite floor lamp. While not real a growing light, it did the trick last year.

The plants on this rack include Manihot esculenta, Kalanchoe orgyalis, Agave guiengola ‘Crème Brulee’, Encephalartos ferox, Euphorbia ambovombensis, Euphorbia bupleurifolia, Euphorbia cylindrifolia subsp. tuberifera, Pilosocereus pachycladus

The other plant holding areas are in the loft upstairs. The window sills are a bit narrow but they do allow the plants to receive maximum light.

Dorstenia gigas, Dioscorea elephantipes

More plants are going on a cedar chest pushed against the wall below the big window.

Kalanchoe luciae ‘Fantastic’, Encephalartos longifolius × horridus, Dendrosicyos socotranum, Caesalpinia pulcherrima + Melocactus azureus

Kalanchoe luciae ‘Fantastic’

As you can see, there is plenty of room left. I’m sure I’ll bring more plants indoors as winter progresses.