Climate Frost warning

[DazedandConfused]

Temps dipping down to 30 tonight. Frost warning Got about 35 Tomato,Pepper and Squash plants I need to protect.

Will covering them with straw work ?

 

[Border Collie Dad]

Last night was the second time I ever used frost cover.
Wednesday night was the first.
I was covering cabbage and cauliflower-2 cold hardy plants.

I don't think it worked.
My plants look pretty bad

 

[Marseydoats]

Dad always put buckets over tomato and pepper plants. You will have to be out bright and early to get them off before the sun comes up good or they will cook. One of my not fun teenage memories is covering 100 plus plants in the late afternoon and then having to get up earlier than usual to take them off.
I think you will have to put some type of frost covering over the squash, not sure straw will work.
Last week the low was supposed to be 46 and we had a HARD freeze. My little tomato plants survived it. Last night the low was supposed to be 40, I brought them in the house. HARD freeze again. The low tonight is supposed to be 27 --- it will probably be 19. I'm just going to put them out in the sun a little after lunch and bring them in again about 4 pm. Our last frost date is supposed to be May 1st.
Good luck!

 

[summerthyme]

Pails, sheets... for 30 degrees, almost anything will work. Straw, piled deeply enough, will work.

We were up in the garden in the dark last night, covering 1500 onion plants. The Reemay was freezing to the ground as we worked, despite a stiff breeze. It got down to 22 degrees (and we had single digit windchills)... I'm seriously afraid I may have lost the onions, and I'm worried that my fruit crop may be gone as well, even though most of my trees are in tight bud stage, if that. I know the sweet cherry, which was in full bloom, is toast :-(

Summerthyme

 

[TxGal]

A few good articles on this cold snap on the Grand Solar Minimum thread. Fingers crossed for everyones' gardens. This is certainly not a good year to be losing any crops.

Solar - Grand Solar Minimum part deux

While this is not being attributed to climate change, I'll bet a lot of these insect infestations are the result of it. https://www.theblaze.com/news/washington-state-emergency-gypsy-moth?utm_source=whatfinger The Evergreen State has had quite a 2020 so far. First, it had the early cases of...

www.timebomb2000.com

 

[TxGal]

Dupe

 

[Jackpine Savage]

There's some snowflakes coming down here this morning. A possibility of 1-2" by the end of the day. We had temps in the mid 20's for the last few days and it looks like that will continue for a couple more.

We've got some peas, onions, and potatoes just poking out of the ground. I guess we'll see what happens.

 

[Raggedyman]

I haven't got ANYTHING in the ground yet but my two huge cold frames are chock full of plants wanting to be out and in the dirt. I've put white potatoes in as late as mid may and they've always done fine - its never been the frost that's hurt them but the wet that will rot the seed. sweets NEVER go in before the last week of may, first week of june.

I intended to plant after mothers day but I'm beginning to wonder here in WNC if I shouldn't wait an extra week just to be safe?

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Dad always put buckets over tomato and pepper plants. You will have to be out bright and early to get them off before the sun comes up good or they will cook. One of my not fun teenage memories is covering 100 plus plants in the late afternoon and then having to get up earlier than usual to take them off.
I think you will have to put some type of frost covering over the squash, not sure straw will work.
Last week the low was supposed to be 46 and we had a HARD freeze. My little tomato plants survived it. Last night the low was supposed to be 40, I brought them in the house. HARD freeze again. The low tonight is supposed to be 27 --- it will probably be 19. I'm just going to put them out in the sun a little after lunch and bring them in again about 4 pm. Our last frost date is supposed to be May 1st.
Good luck!

I always put buckets over all my garden plants if frost is a possibility. Did that last night for my squash. You're right about not leaving the buckets on the plants during the day. Down here, plants will cook under them if hit by direct sunlight in the heat of the day. Squash is all I have planted right now, because of the cold weather hitting us, too. Our last frost usually is the middle of April, so this is causing problems for everyone's gardens here. Until this cold spell is over, I'm not planting anything else. Taking the tomato plants out during the day, and bringing them back in at night. Cukes and green beans haven't been planted, either. I hope the squash survives.

 

[Marseydoats]

Pails, sheets... for 30 degrees, almost anything will work. Straw, piled deeply enough, will work.

We were up in the garden in the dark last night, covering 1500 onion plants. The Reemay was freezing to the ground as we worked, despite a stiff breeze. It got down to 22 degrees (and we had single digit windchills)... I'm seriously afraid I may have lost the onions, and I'm worried that my fruit crop may be gone as well, even though most of my trees are in tight bud stage, if that. I know the sweet cherry, which was in full bloom, is toast :-(

Summerthyme

I'm so sorry. It's hard to work your butt off and then loose it all to mother nature. I haven't even looked at my fruit trees.
I've had potato plants completely die from the frost, turn black and snap off, and then come back, so maybe your onions will as well.

 

[DazedandConfused]

I guess I'll go with plastic sheeting seems to be the safest thing to do ..weird weather last frost here in my part of NC is mid April

 

[Publius]

We got down to 30F last night and it's supposed to do it again tonight. About an hour ago we had some snowflakes blowing around on the wind. Part of the state may get some snow coverage how much I don't know.

Edit Add: Its been 22 years the last time it was this cold here.