I wouldn't, just for the simple reason that they're in a good place now - why move them into a really artificial environment, only to turn around and possibly have to remove them at night, especially since in two months (or less!) you'll turn them completely outside where they can frolic in total Nature?

if the jades are hummel's sunsets than i would move those. it is possible to burn jades as i learned last year, i do not have a greenhouse though. and it was later in the start of summer. it certainly wouldn't hurt to experiment. i would guess if you took the jades out in the greenhouse now the sun is not as strong as it is going to be in a month or 2.

I have found that strong sun alone is not the culprit in sunburned victims - rather, it is the combination of sun plus poor air circulation and/ or heat.

A fan blowing constantly at full strength in a greenhouse works wonders to prevent "sunburn" damage.

x

My thinking was that I would be improving their environment in the greenie vs. the south window. I.e., more 'all-around' natural sunlight vs. one-sided sun through the window. Plus, a more pronounced day to night temperature differential outside vs. my living room.

So, what I ended up doing was not much - I put up the shade cloth, but I only put my saguaro and a Yucca rostrata seedling out there along with a couple of european olive bonsai (and the pines and wisteria that were already out there). I plan to keep using the heater on cold nights to keep the temp around 40. The only risky window is when I leave for work in the morning - I turn off the heater and open the flaps when it is still pretty cold, but once the sun starts in it warms up pretty quickly. Thermometer shows 80 in there when the sun is fully out.

My large Y. rostrata and a pot of Opuntia humifusa has been outside at the top of my driveway against the house in a pretty sunny, shielded spot for two weeks now (I do bring them in at night when the temps are going to dip well below freezing...which has been every night recently!). I am too chicken to leave them out exposed when the temps are supposed to go down to the low to mid twenties...

I think I will wait on the other c and s's for a bit.

Tom

Cold? Who's worried about cold? I took these photos this past Tuesday morning when I got hit with a surprise overnight snow:

Aloe polyphylla
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Aloe dichotoma, with Macrozamia moorei to the left
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My greenhouse has been packed since the beginning of March. The heater adds about 20oF overnight, while daytime temps easily hit 90oF when the sun comes out even if its only 40oF outside.

Lots of buds forming on the cactuses. Should make for a nice show in May and June.

x

x -

Shadecloth, or straight-up on your greenhouse?

Our night temps have been mid-twenties by me. Heater keeps it above forty...

I'm thinking next weekend I start moving a bunch of my plants out there.

BTW, we got that snow, too. We have been pretty darn cold since then...

T

no shade yet - that goes up when I can no longer control the heat with standard ventilation. I find that daytime temps in the upper 60's with all vents open and fans running full blast need the shade. I always mount it on top of the structure, not inside. It is more efficient that way. I use 2 layers of Aluminet. Even on the hottest days over 100F it never exceeds the low 90's inside.

The last few nights we've had upper 20's but the current cold spell is coming to an end on Tuesday and most likely that will be the end of it until December.

x

X,

Those photos are great - it's such a complete antithesis of what one expects with Aloes (dinosaur-like creatures and languid, semi-humid airs). You also should charge admission to see the Drakensberg and the Richtersveldt relocated to La Manzana Grande.

X, that A. polyphylla is cool even when covered with snow! Nice pics!

Nancy

Aren't you worried about the A. dichtoma in the cold?

X,
That polyphylla is awesome! I just picked one up today. It's only about 6" wide and not spirally yet but it looks like I won't have to worry about the cold.

CMcH - More like "La Isla Largo", not "Manzana Grande"

Wantonamara - nope, not worried about a minor frost and snow at all. It all melted away once the sun came out.

My A poly has seen low 20's several times with no evidence of damage. Summer heat is a bigger concern, and more difficult to deal with, than a few cold snaps.

x

I was not worried about the A. poly but the A. dicotoma has a mild rating on it on Brian Kembles Aloe cold hardiness list (upper 20's). I am speaking from a position of ignorance . How cold have you had it and for how long? I am always on a lookout for cold and heat tolerant aloes. I can't grow the A poly because of the heat down in Texas.

X,

So you're growing Aloe polyphylla on what used to be potato fields? Awesome transformation.

Mara,

I think low temperatures with the 'harder' - leafed Aloes are easy, as X's pictures show and has been proven elsewhere. I understand it can get quite cold in the Richtersveldt, too (but no snow). It's when their roots get cold and wet that they have problems, I suspect.