Winter Lies, but Cold Doesn't

It’s 70 degrees today.

That’s a lie.

Winter isn’t finished with us yet, so the protections stay in place.

Our citrus trees are still young, not yet hardened enough to take South Carolina cold snaps on their own. So this winter we built temporary shelters — simple PVC frames secured with rebar stakes and wrapped in vis queen to hold warmth while still letting in sunlight. On the coldest nights, low-wattage chick heaters come on and take the edge off the freeze.

The delicate plants have moved into the greenhouse, where we built a smaller, insulated enclosure inside the larger structure. That little pocket stays 10–15 degrees warmer — warm enough for a pineapple to keep developing in the dead of winter.

None of this is permanent. Someday the citrus will stand on its own, and there will be a proper hot house for the tropical plants.

Until then, this is what care looks like: temporary structures, steady attention, and planning for the weather we know is coming — not the weather we’re enjoying today.