El Paso is not normally subjected to bitter cold temperatures, but the thermometer does dip below freezing on many nights throughout the winter, posing a real threat to frost-tender succulents. This season, to protect my collection, I built a simple lean-to greenhouse made of PVC pipes, plastic sheeting, and duct tape, with inexpensive clamp lamps providing light and warmth.
The plastic sheeting has some slits and windows cut into it, reinforced with the tape to prevent rips from occurring and to help with air circulation on relatively mild days. In the picture below, a large
Kalanchoe luciae (Paddle Plant) can be seen through the translucent plastic. A cold hardy
Echinopsis sits outside of the greenhouse.
