Gotta Go Find a Parka & a Shot of Courage

Why is it my brain automagically pops to "let's plant something" every time the temp drops? I spent the January ice storm and subsequent snow storm re-potting every plant in the house, much to my SO's chagrin. I set up tables in the other half of the living room, flung Not Dirt everywhere, and had an absolute blast while he watched TV and the dogs looked on boredly.

We've had a few days of pretty great weather in Flowery Branch, but this morning, it stormed. Following that, our temp is dropping faster than a hooker's drawers at a truck stop (yes I know, I'm not supposed to say stuff like that out loud). I went ahead and did all the "cold checklist" chores before sitting down at the computer this morning (clean out fireplace, fill humidifiers, lay the fire) to make sure everything's ready to go and I can keep my "identifies as tropical" self out of the frigid temps. 

I really, REALLY want to repot the plants I got on clearance last week. It's been DAYS. Agonizingly long days. I put them out of the way, on a bottom shelf - same as I do with all the new transplants - to try to keep myself from touching them until they acclimate. My self control is waning today.

The only thing keeping me from dumping them out of that horrid box store substrate is this: all the ingredients for Not Dirt are in the unheated, cement-floored garage. I'll have to go out there and STAY there for a while. Probably an uncomfortable, toe-numbing while, if we're being honest. With real shoes on. Ew.

Long enough to chisel off coir from a giant block while trying not to get dust all over the chest freezer, the floor, or myself. I took a shower today, and that's not an everyday for a work-from-home computer/plant lady, so getting coir in my hair isn't top of the list.

But, but, but. I've got these plants from when I left for cigarettes last week; Ficus elastica 'Tineke' and Peperomia obtusifolia variegata aren't going to just re-pot themselves, you know. Plus, I've been seriously wanting to up-pot the Ficus Audrey. I sort of was holding off because it'll up the price of them on the site. But really...the roots are looping in the 3.5" liners, and I'd like to get them out before I have cut the pots off of them.

And, funnily enough, I just got a notification saying we're under a freeze warning through tomorrow. Looks like I need to go out into the cold, cold - not just the garage - and get the planters into the garage for the night. I'd hate to lose the blueberry crop or that pretty yellow jessamine I just planted a couple of weeks ago.

Talk soon. Gotta go find a parka and a shot of courage.

Shop a Plant You Didn't Have to Pot

P.S. No blueberries were harmed in the making of tonight's freeze'pocalypse. Although getting a giant pot with a 5' tall blueberry bush into the garage on a dolly in the rain was...fun.