So far my coleus look OK. It's still pitch dark, and wet because it rained overnight, but they look OK. Tonight's supposed to be a few degrees colder. The real bummer is that it's supposed to get warm again after tomorrow, and they could live a while longer, if it weren't for these few cold days and nights.

Karen

we are supposed to go back up on monday too

Finding my warm clothes is my priority today. My dresser is full of shorts and tees... I'm ready for corduroy, sweatshirts, thermals, and polartec.

Karen

Ok I know this coleus trick.
Get those extra bed sheets out and drape them over your coleus "bushes" before the sun goes down. In the morning remove after the sun is shining.
In Jacksonville I could get months doing this on cool nights.
I purchased most of my sheets for this purpose at yard sales, etc.
It might get y'all another week or so.

I know I could do this, and I have sheets for that purpose too. While I don't mind doing it in spring for late frost, it's harder in fall. I know that it's just going to delay the inevitable by a very short time. Most often I just let Mother Nature have her way in fall. In spring I fight her tooth and nail.

Karen

It's 37° now. I just went out to check on my coleus- can't tell how much damage yet. (another hour and a half 'till sunrise).

Karen

The constant low temps at night will make the coleus drop their leaves.My deck garden has gone lanky ,I will take plants out of containers while the soil is moist so I dont loose potting mix in big root clumps.
Thats my Monday job.

Mine are mostly planted in the ground. One has dropped a lot of leaves already, and has bare legs. Still, the overall effect of all those coleus together has remained pretty- much better than a bare naked yard in winter.

I only have a few in pots this year. I've been going to dump the last 4 into the compost for days but haven't made it yet. It was too cold and windy for me yesterday- I stayed in the house all day. I've let those pots dry out so they're not so heavy to carry to the compost so they're pretty pathetic. I'll have to wet the soil again to be able to get it out of the pots. The wind has blown them all over the place.

Some years I dump the potting mix into the compost. Other years I've just dumped them into garden beds, letting them eventually become part of the soil there.

Karen

nothing wrong with working smarter... mine look ok so far

How cold is it there, Allison?

The sun is up now, and heavy frost is visible on rooftops, lawns. Still 37°, but now that the sun is up temp should start to rise. So far my coleus look OK- I just went out and checked again.

It's supposed to warm up again- 61° today, then 68 tomorrow, then back into the 70s. Nights in the 40s. So if they're OK in the next few hours...

Karen

48 now.. high of 66 today

Forty eight! That's a heat wave!

36° now. I don't know...

Karen

still at 57 here

It got pretty nice here- up to around 60 and sunshine.

I dumped my last 4 pots into the compost. Also flipped two bins full of compost and most of a 32 gallons garbage can (just to store it for a week or 2). I'm exhausted.

Karen

I couldn't do it yet.. keeping my fingers crossed they will go for a bit longer

All of my in-ground ones in the front beds are still there. But recent storms and wind had blown those pots- even big pots- all over the place. I was sick of all the potting soil dumped in piles all over the porch and deck when they blew over. And the pots were looking pretty bad anyway.

The only pots that are left here are my 2 Bloomaster baskets. They still look OK.

Karen

woo hoo.. everything is standing tall

It didn't get as cold last night- it's 41° now.

My in ground ones are doing well, all things considered. I imagine they stay warmer than pots. A few have bare legs (Twist and Twirl is the worst) but some are still looking great. I guess Pinata got too much sun during our bad heat waves, and it faded badly. More shade for it next year. Electric Lime looks great, so do El Brighto, Henna, Cranklin' Rosie, all of my trailers... quite a few.

It looks better without all those beat-up pots though.

Karen

all the plectranthus are full of blooms.. the huge tub in the back of the yard is massive and would pout if they mushified already