Name: John S.
Status: other
Age: 30s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: Thursday, June 06, 2002
Question:
As part of a science report on the differences in
climate zones, my kid is trying to determine the temperatures necessary to
freeze common plants and weeds.
Replies:
This is not an easy experiment for several reasons: 1. Are you willing
to donate the use of your family's refrigerator for several weeks. I think the
answer is no. The alternative is to purchase a small "dorm" refrigerator for
$80-$150 from a discount store or maybe second hand. 2. There are a number
of variables that need to be decided. A. Type of plants. B. The
temperature(s), which must be set and kept constant for some period of time
(to be determined) -- or will the temperature just be a "cold snap" in the
freezer for an hour or so. C. The age of the plant -- young plants are more
likely to be sensitive than older ones. D. What is the criteria of
passing/failing? E. If the exposure time is more than a day or so, you may
need to water the test plants to distinguish freezing from dehydration.
Your son/daughter will need to think these things.
Vince Calder
Each of the following includes a table with frost tolerance/sensitivity of
different plants:
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