cybersix said:
Open boxes are commonly called "traps for cats", they just can't resist when they see a box of whatever material they have to get inside!
Yes, that's what I was thinking. You don't think the suggestions I made above for dealing with that would work?
cybersix said:
I am not really concerned about adult plants, they all survived to their first winter, I'm afraid for the little seedlings, giving that I will put them in pots and not in the ground (I haven't decided yet, I have to clean a big spot before and don't know when I'll be able to do it).
A home made cold frame should be fine if the winter will be very cold, otherwise they will be in open air. Could it work?
Seedlings indeed can be less hardy than they would be once they've "grown up" but your climate doesn't get very cold. A danger is if the temperature suddenly dropped a great deal before they have had time to acclimate to cold, and you are right that being in a pot makes them more vulnerable to temperature fluctuations. Yes, a cold frame would work, you just have to make sure not to keep it tightly closed when it is sunny, and you may need to put some shade cloth or a shade wash on the glass/plastic.
Again, with the door to the cold frame open or ajar, you may have problems with cats getting in - after all they do like to sit where it's warmer!
The average lowest winter minimum for zone 9 is -6.6 C (20-30F). I don't think you need to worry about the seedlings being outdoors except on nights when it might actually get to that lowest temperature or progresses nearer to zone 8. On nights when it is expected to go below freezing you could bring them into the house or cover them.
Do the leaves of your adult plants die back in the winter there?
