Outside all year in Texas?

[ktulu]

So I moved down here to Texas, San Marcos to be specific, to go to school in August. Now that I am nice and settled I was thinking of expanding my plant collection beyond the VFTs that I have and was thinking I would like a nice nep. I am wondering if there are any Neps that would do well outside year round here in Texas. The locals I have talked to tell me it rarely freezes here and if that was the case I would move my plants inside to protect them from the weather as dead plants aren't much fun. My balcony is east facing and gets plenty of direct sunlight in the morning and still is quite light during the day. I would prefer easier neps to start with since I do not have much experience with them. If there are not plants that would do well then I will just have to look into making some indoor growing space though right not that is going to be very difficult.

Thanks
Ktulu

 

[growergray]

Hmmm...I would be more worried about the scorching temps during the summer...but I don't know. I'm curious to see what others have to say, too.

 

[Overmind1632]

I agree, wouldnt summer in Texas be way too hot and dry?

 

[scottychaos]

heat would be ok..if its also humid.

heat+dry=bad for neps.

I know nothing about Texas, never even been there, so I went to google,
found this:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/san-antonio/26575-what-s-humidity-really-like.html

wow..I would have just naturally assumed central Texas is dry as a bone!
apparently not..
all these people are saying its very humid.

I get an elevation of 650 feet for San Antonio,
and 600 feet for San MArcos...so looks like the climate is probably about the same..

If the humidity is really that high in San Marcos, you might be good for outdoor neps!

Scot

 

[ktulu]

To say humidity is high in this area is an understatement. I used to live in Michigan and spent a summer living on Lake Michigan and that is the only other time I have experienced humidity this high. The humidity here makes most days miserable during the summer days I have been down here. So keeping it humid wont be a problem its the temperatures that will be an issue if neps cant take heat. That said it also gets down to the 50's and 40's sometimes in the winter is that going to be an issue? Also for the heat if need be in the summer I can move the plants to the back of the balcony which would mean they would only get direct sun for about an hour at most in the morning before the overhang of the balcony would shade them.

Also yes the climate for San Antonio is very similar to ours as its quite close to San Marcos.

 

[phissionkorps]

Houston is never dry. Ever. THe lowest humidity I've ever seen here was in the 50s. I'd get some sort of tolerant complex hybrid...LL x HL or preferably 2 LL species and 2 HL species mixed together. The winter is pretty cold here on a couple days, so a pure lowlander won't do it, and good luck ever trying to grow a highlander outside.