A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion New Members Dreams of Florida

Hi! My name is Chris, I'm 42 years old and a professional ASE certified mechanic here in Forked River, New Jersey. It might seem strange hearing a guy that works with dirty greasy cars all day likes growing plants but it is very relaxing and therapeutic. I had Grandparents in Florida and spent most of my childhood summers there. I fell in love with Florida and always cry when I have to leave. Its a dream to move down there that my Daughter and I share and hope to make a reality this spring. In the meantime I created my own tropical paradise on my enclosed front porch. I never expected it to get to this point but my Home Depot and WalMart palms and cacti have flourished! I repotted them with the proper soil and with some reading learned how to water and feed them. I have a complete Florida room on my front porch that any retiree would envy. The problem is winter is here and I have been cramming in all the research I can about overwintering my tropicals and I am about to invest in a large grow light setup to get my kids through the cold months. Any advice I can get will be greatly appreciated because I am very busy at the shop and out of fear of losing them to a frost I moved all my palms and plants into the kitchen window which will make a perfect spot for my hanging grow lights.

Welcome, Christopher. I already answered to the best of my ability in your other thread. And you have answered my question about your zone. Good luck!