Heavy frost last night

[gumbo2176]

Unusual for New Orleans but last night we had a pretty heavy frost and I woke to find my entire garden layered in the icy stuff. I'll wait to see how it fared once the sun comes up and melts it away but I'm sure the few remaining tomatoes are done. The salad greens and just about everything else remaining survived much colder temps for a longer period of time last year so I think this crop will survive this time around too.

My wife and I pulled all the potted plants indoors 2 days ago so they are fine.

[garden5]

Gumbo, that's too bad. I wouldn't think that New Orleans would get much frost. Do you only get a few each year?

The tomatoes are probably done, but all of your root-crops and greens should probably make it.

[gumbo2176]

[quote="garden5"]Gumbo, that's too bad. I wouldn't think that New Orleans would get much frost. Do you only get a few each year?

We probably get less than 10 nights of at or below freezing each winter and most of that comes between Jan. and Feb. Last winter we got 3 or 4 days in a row of below freezing weather and everything survived except my tomatoes. Kale, chard, leaf lettuces, collards, broccoli and brussel sprouts did fine and I'm guessing they will do fine this time around too. My outdoor thermometer showed 29 degrees at 6 a.m. when I went out to check things. The garden, yard and neighboring rooftops looked like someone sprinkled powdered sugar on everything. MMMMMM, powdered sugar on begneits with cafe au lait at Morning Call. Back in an hour.

[wordwiz]

Our chard is still producing (much to my husband's disappointment!).

Last summer, a project for the county fair was a raised bed in which I planted about 25 different types of veggies and herbs, and even a few cotton plants. I was the site yesterday and much to my surprise, despite the soil being completely frozen, when I looked at the Swiss Chard, the inside stems where still alive and well and even had a bit of green leaf on them.

This hasn't been a brutal winter by Cincinnati standards; the lowest temp I've had was 3. But we had 20 some days in December where it never got above freezing and the ground was covered in snow for two weeks. I was amazed!

There was also one beet that didn't get taken and its top was still greenish.

Mike

[rainbowgardener]

Yes, I still have green (though rather wilted) swiss chard in my Cincinnati garden also. It may well over-winter and start growing again in spring. Some years it does, some years it doesn't.

@Mg - you can use swiss chard any way you use spinach, including "spinach" lasagne made with swiss chard. The hubby may like it better that way. I have decided I actually like swiss chard lasagne better than spinach. I have one more pan full in the freezer, that I made this fall and froze, that I will pull out for some occasion...

[gumbo2176]

@Mg - you can use swiss chard any way you use spinach, including "spinach" lasagne made with swiss chard. The hubby may like it better that way. I have decided I actually like swiss chard lasagne better than spinach. I have one more pan full in the freezer, that I made this fall and froze, that I will pull out for some occasion...

RG, Agreed, I've used swiss chard many times in lasagna and it is great. I also like it better than spinach. I find it goes a lot farther since the leaves are not as delicate as spinach. I do cook my spinach or chard down to release most of the moisture first so as to not water down the red gravy of the lasagna.

What's leftovers???? When I make it, it seems to disappear rather quickly.

[rainbowgardener]

What's leftovers???? When I make it, it seems to disappear rather quickly.

Agreed... these weren't leftovers. Every time I made it, I made two big pans full and froze one.


Mg I like the bread suggestion, I never heard of that one. Will have to try it sometime! thanks