Wish me luck - sudden frost is coming...

[rainbowgardener]

Intellicast is now saying our current temp is 34 (out at the airport). It should be starting to warm up a bit soon. They revised our forecast for today down a bit too, now saying 42 tonight, but that's a lot better than 34!

I put hoops over the peppers and basil and covered it with a tarp and put the squash plants that are still in pots under there. The tomatoes that are in cages with deer netting around the outside, I wrapped the whole thing in row cover. Too early/dark yet to see how they all did, just keeping my fingers crossed.

Hate this! we are down close to record lows for the date. But tonight should be the last in the 40's. After that the 10 day forecast is all with lows in the 50's, which gets us out to May 7... by then even the record lows for the date are above freezing and average low is mid 50's.

[Duh_Vinci]

Keep em' crossed, RG, and keep plants covered!

Light is out, but still too early to tell how they did, going to wait couple of hours before taking any covers off - thermometer showing just below the freezing mark, and all the open areas of the grass is frosted white...

Weather is so odd this month! Tonight back in the 30's, and later in the week into 60's at night! Go figure.

Good luck RG!

Regards,
D

EDIT:

[img]https://drphotography.smugmug.com/photos/850461439_qY5iK-XL.jpg[/img]

[img]https://drphotography.smugmug.com/photos/850461381_fXgMe-XL.jpg[/img]

Yeah... How is that for a "fancy" covering?

[Duh_Vinci]

So, now that the morning is here - RG, Apple, and everyone with the low temps - how did we do?

I removed all of the covers and upside-down pots, so far "0" casualties!!! Garden looks like one big mess, but, since I'll have to cover everything back up tonight (sincerely hope for the last time), leaving all of the supplies right there!

Hope everyone survived in your garden!

Regards,
D

[gixxerific]

Maybe leave that black plastic laid out on the beds to help warm the soil during the day, that might help a little tonight if it's going to get cold again.

Just a thought.

[rainbowgardener]

I went out and peeked (don't want to take the covers off, til it warms up more), everything looks pretty good! I think we came through it!

This is why I plant as early as I do... we always end up going through this and everything always seems to make it. And all those tomatoes and peppers have been putting out roots all this time. Once we get a good warm up (coming soon!), they are set to take off!

[gixxerific]

This is why I plant as early as I do... we always end up going through this and everything always seems to make it. And all those tomatoes and peppers have been putting out roots all this time. Once we get a good warm up (coming soon!), they are set to take off!

Exactly. I have been so worried about planting like always do....EARLY. Trying to go by the suggested plating times I have been driving myself crazy. Of course I ignored all the hoopla and planted when I felt like it was right like I always have done.

You guy's will be okay, never fear, you all know what you are doing. It's not like last year when we here had that late hard freeze that was devastating to even the commercial growers.

[rootsy]

No "delicate" items in the ground right yet. Potatoes are just poking through and the swiss chard is going strong... transplanted broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and lettuce last week.

Was 29 F this morning at 6 am... Turned the heater on last night in the greenhouse... was about 45 - 50 in there this morning when I opened the vents.

Didn't turn the heat on Monday night and some of my small melon seedlings which were close to the walls sustained a bit of frostbite on the ends of their leaves... They should make it... Was 28 F yesterday morning.

Tomatoes, peppers and eggplant are all in the basement under florescent yet... Kind of crowded down there at the moment... One more "slump" in the forecast for next week then I should be home free... The peppers need to get out to the greenhouse so they can put some size on before I transplant.. They were started end of March and are just now developing their second set of true leaves... not quite 2" tall yet. Tomatoes are thriving though...

Need to get stuff in the ground as I am about out of room both in the basement and in the greenhouse... Time for a larger greenhouse I guess... 120 sq feet doesn't cut it.

[GardenJester]

crud... Frost killed 2 of 3 of my zukes. all 3 toms I had under milk jug suffered partial frostbite. strange thing is my snow peas actually seemed to perked up from the frost. Should I just snip off the affected leafs and hope for the best?

[Duh_Vinci]

I feel your pain!

By mid day - I noticed that 4 plants didn't make it: Green Copia, Pink Berkley TD, Lithuanian Crested Pink and Tzar Kolokol. Two I have replacements for, the other two - I don't...

Covered again for tonight, dropping to the same temps again... Good thing I'm off this entire week to do all this cover/uncover.

Again - good luck!

Regards,
D

[Annemieke]

Annemieke - that indeed works! Mini-greenhouse... Unfortunately, 5 gallon is the smallest bucket/container I could use, all the plants in the main garden are growing... And container planted are pretty 2'-3' tall by now.

Hmm, my trick with the bottles is almost over too. Within some days my plants are to big.

regards back,

Annemieke

[GardenJester]

2 nights of frost in a row... I'm kissing all the seedlings good bye.

[rainbowgardener]

Yeah, I just looked at the weather now and it is currently saying 37 and it's already light, meaning it may have gone down a degree or two less than that. Last time I had looked at the forecast yesterday it was only forecasted to get down to 42, so I didn't cover things. I'm not looking yet, just assuming that everything was well hardened off and will be ok. But that was really the end! Tomorrow's day time high will be mid 80"s!

[Duh_Vinci]

Sad indeed if some wouldn't make it - but life goes on!

Second frost last night - we have not had frost entire month of April, go figure! And forecast of the night temps was 38F - yeah, right! 30F this morning on the thermometer, and every bucket covered with frost... In the 80's and 90's over the weekend, what a swing!!!

Just had a "gut" feeling, brought 12 plants in containers into garage last night, glad I did! Those maybe the only ones to survive, worth the work for the May tomatoes

Good luck to all!

Regards,
D

[applestar]

Good thinking DV. Hope your other plants made it too. I buried Mr. T with extra leaves the night before last and he didn't come out of his leaf pile all day yesterday, so I doubled-covered my stuff last night again. I don't think there was frost -- 36'ish this morning. Waiting for things to warm up a bit again, then ALL covers are off because it's supposed to be 80's/60's -- 60's! for LOW! -- for the next three days.

Good luck everyone.

[farmerlon]

My problem this year was planting too many tomato plants early. I've had excellent survival... but, just too many plants to cover on the cold nights.
I've been covering them all; it just takes more time than I would like.

Next year, I will do a better job of staggering my seed starting... so I can put a few plants in the garden early, and save the rest for planting around the first or second week of May.

[GardenJester]

well... all my zuke and toms killed by the frost. I guess it's a small comfort that it was only a small test batch, and I still have backups.

[Duh_Vinci]

Sorry to hear, but as you said, at least it was only a few!

Amazing how we go from 30F at night and 60F during the day into 75F at night and 93F during the day!!!

So my total loss was 4 tomato plants, all were covered. But the odd thing, about a month ago, I set in the ground Rutgers, one plant, was not in the plans to keep it, merely used the packet of seeds to test germination in specific soil-less mix. The plant is now over 3' tall, and I had nothing to cover it with. So it stayed in the open that night...

Not a single leaf with the frost bite!!! Hardy little plant! Granted, it is protected from 2 sides (garage and raised bed with tall garlic right beside it), but still, no frost bite? And no blossom drop? Come on

Most of the tomatoes are in the ground as of today, peppers go in tomorrow, just wish we had an overcast day - not a chance though!!!

Regards,
D

[rainbowgardener]

We have rain all weekend here...

I didn't lose a single thing to our two nights of near frost (the NEAR probably making the difference), even the two squash plants that were already in the ground seem fine.

[Zapatay]

We've been blessed with sunny warm days (70's) and rain at night. I'm so tempted to put out my peppers and tom plants but am worried mother nature will dip, once again.

I feel awful hearing you lost plants - Are you starting from scratch or do you have other ones growing under lights?

Anywho - temps should be average and no reference to frost... perhaps I"ll take my chances and put some out .....

[tedln]

Weather is weird. Last week Duh_Vinci was concerned about protecting his plants from frost in Virginia. This week in North Texas, they are already forecasting temps in the low 90's. I will need to protect some of my plants from the heat. Oh well, I guess the tomatoes will go into a growth spurt now. I am looking forward to that.

Many of my tiny little heirlooms and hybrids have already set a few small fruit. I think the plants that truly amaze me are the Brandywine. Simply germinating from seed, they took off like they were in a race with all the other plants to grow largest, fastest. They have started blooms and the blooms are huge for tomato blooms. I've had some concerns about the Brandywines not producing many blooms and not setting much fruit, but I think they will be okay. I am giving them a little shake to help pollination along daily.

Ted

[Duh_Vinci]

Weird - yeah, that's the "least" I can say at the moment...

Tonight - changed from 44, to 41, to 39 and now 36!!! And again, that means I will have frost on the ground. By now - plants are too big for containers to be covered with (except few newer seedlings)...

I did cover what I could, mostly cukes and squash (very young seedlings), but aside from that - I'll have to hope and pray! And the odd part is - today, is what considered to be the absolute date with no chances of frost, Mother's day. All locals usually would plant everything out this weekend...

Oh well... Will see...

Regards,
D

[tedln]

Kinda frustrating ain't it Duh_Vinci?

Ted................

[Decado]

I understand your frustration, we had the first march and april without snow for the first time in over a hundred years and only had about 3 frosts throughout both months. Then, the first weekend of may we get snow (can't remember the last time we had snow in may) and frost one night and frost the next night. Luckily I only lost the tops of my tomatoes poking through the wall'o'waters and all my seedlings (sunflowers, peas, spinach, swiss chard, kohlrabi) survived. Although even though my kohlrabi survived the frost it was all eaten by something later that morning.

On a side note, because of this stupid warm then cold weather, my fern garden was completely wiped out, which wouldn't have happened normally because they'd just be barely poking out of the ground as opposed to 2 feet tall. Stupid indecisive MN weather.

[rainbowgardener]

Ohhh.... that's really sad. A fern garden sounds lovely and much harder to replace than say tomato seedlings. So sorry!

[applestar]

Ohh. I agree. So sorry to hear of your troubles, Decado -- including the Kohlrabi!

In my garden, the ferns are completely confused as well. I ended up barely picking the Ostrich fern fiddles this spring, because they were hardly up one day, then a few days later, they were ALL unfurling, and in another couple of days, I had knee-high ferns. I guess this year, they'll replenish, and I'll get a bumper crop next spring.

Your ferns may yet come back. I've noticed in previous years that a lot of shoots do come up later on after the first flush, especially after a good rain.