Frost tonight here as well, maybe tomorrow too...
Tunnel covers works great, all the cool weather crops and herbs are still alive and well, and the lonely, in-ground single tomato plant just keeps putting on the flowers and setting fruit in clusters. Frost blanket and Christmas lights kept the temperature inside the cover at 65 while the coldest we've had so far 26F.
Looks like next year, I will set 2 earliest in the ground in very early as well...
Regards,
D
I've officially decided it's safe for me to plant. The ground here never froze, so it is completely thawed. Temperatures have been consistently above 60. Usually in the 70s.
Every day that I've waited has been killing me -- especially when I think about how big my plants would be by now! The cucumber seedlings I started aren't quite ready yet (and something happened to our tomato and squash ones...they didn't quite make it), but we're headed to a nursery on Wednesday to pick up some extra tomatoes, peppers and some squash.
It should be okay, right? I can always cover them, worst case scenario...
Every day that I've waited has been killing me -- especially when I think about how big my plants would be by now! The cucumber seedlings I started aren't quite ready yet (and something happened to our tomato and squash ones...they didn't quite make it), but we're headed to a nursery on Wednesday to pick up some extra tomatoes, peppers and some squash.
It should be okay, right? I can always cover them, worst case scenario...
The ground hasn't froze here at all...Heck I don't think it even froze this winter! I have snowpeas, beets, carrots, herbs, lettuce and artichokes out right now. I just put the artichokes out last week. I have tomatoes and melons started and I REALLY want to put them in the ground but it's so cold now. It was up to 90 last week! Now we're down in 40s at night and 50s during the day. Even down to upper 30s! Jeez. I just want to get all my stuff in the ground. The melons are NOT liking being in pots and I doubt they'll transplant into the ground well. I might ditch them. I have seeds to use.
The weather has indeed been a roller coaster in VA! We too had few frost nights, but everything survived. Kinda glad that I didn't plant but 4 tomatoes in the ground, makes it so much easier to cover them up in the evening hours...mattie g wrote:It's ugly out there. Temps are threatening to drop into the mid-30s once or twice this week, so I'm a little on edge since I'll be gone all week!...
On the positive note, tonight may actually be the last "possible frost" night here in the boonies. So Friday - here I come, warm weather crops to be planted!
And two days of the steady rain was a certainly welcome. I think it's been about 1.5 months with out it. All the cold weather crops seem to just get a huge boost of growth overnight!
Regards,
D
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hendi_alex
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 3604
- Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:58 am
- Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina
We just barely dodged the bullet last night. Temps dropped down to 38 degrees. I ran the sprinklers from 3 a.m. until about 9 a.m. this morning. No harm done that I can see. We have lots of 4 foot to 5 foot tomato plants in the ground and in very large containers, way too much to cover or heat. Thankfully the temperatures didn't drop further.
We're still holding tough in the high 40's mid 50's at night here.... just put a big max pumpkin plant in the ground- a risk, I know, but I guess there's only one way to find out! Still holding onto the watermelon- daytime temps are mid 50s almost 60s- but windy. They're already hardened off so I;m not quite sure if I should be bringing them back inside or not!
No kidding!mattie g wrote:Looking like this weekend could be a chilly one in the eastern half of the country...
I watched the weather forecast and Sunday's weather has changed about a dozen times in the past two days, going to as low as 46 daytime and 34 night times to now up to 51 and 39, which still means frost for me little micro climate...
Frost we had on the windows this morning and grass... 2 Cukes and 4 Tomato plants were covered though, and doing just fine. 6 tomato plants in containers are flat up against the southside of the garage, so it stays warmer there, and I parked a car intentionally next to them, just a little barrier, so uncovered, all survived just fine.
Anywho, doesn't look like I'd be planting anything until Monday now... Oh well, that's the fun of gardening, adapt as we go!
Regards,
D
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gixxerific
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 5889
- Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:42 pm
- Location: Wentzville, MO (Just West oF St. Louis) Zone 5B
I was in STL Saturday for my cousind bachelor party. That was some hail storm. We were also right near the tent when it blew over. Is was complete chaos downtown for about an hour. There were 10 of us stuck under an awning trying to dodge golfball sized hail, not fun.gixxerific wrote:The weather is warm here but the bae ball sized hail yesterday was not.