Restarted Frost Bitten Plants
 

One week ago the overnight low was forecasted for 40. Unfortunately it got down to 31 with a lot of frost and my young brassicas got blasted. Boy, that forecast sure was a miss! All around us in towns 7-10 miles away the lows were 40 except in Augusta down on the Savannah River where it did get down to 31. I guess since this property is somewhat down between two ridges, we got some colder air. I can't remember such a forecast miss so it ticks me off. If I had known, stuff would have been covered.

At first the central growth points on the plants seemed OK but yesterday afternoon I decided to reseed all six broccolini, four of the cauliflower and the four collards. The only good thing is that because I'm doing staggered starting, there are four more 4 cauliflower ready to be set out as well as the other four broccolis being set out today. The kale did just fine but the demise of the collards surprised me. Not old enough, I guess. Stuff sure will be staggered now!

[QUOTE=GoDawgs;727608]One week ago the overnight low was forecasted for 40. Unfortunately it got down to 31 with a lot of frost and my young brassicas got blasted. Boy, that forecast sure was a miss! All around us in towns 7-10 miles away the lows were 40 except in Augusta down on the Savannah River where it did get down to 31. I guess since this property is somewhat down between two ridges, we got some colder air. I can't remember such a forecast miss so it ticks me off. If I had known, stuff would have been covered.

At first the central growth points on the plants seemed OK but yesterday afternoon I decided to reseed all six broccolini, four of the cauliflower and the four collards. The only good thing is that because I'm doing staggered starting, there are four more 4 cauliflower ready to be set out as well as the other four broccolis being set out today. The kale did just fine but the demise of the collards surprised me. Not old enough, I guess. Stuff sure will be staggered now![/QUOTE]

That’s too bad. It’s really frustrating when forecasts are off that much ...

I had some pretty terrible looking cauliflower come back to life after I thought that they were dead after a frost last year.

Yesterday I planted out the second set of cauliflower plants which have now become the first ones since the real first ones got burned. A new "second" round has been started so I'll still end up with two sets of plants, just staggered later. The second broccolis went out as well as the Wakefield cabbage, which finishes later than the Stoneheads planted out a week ago.

Today I'll sow some French Breakfast radish seed as well as some Opolanka, a Polish variety that's a dead ringer for French Breakfast. Pickles will be setting out her potatoes today. Just one 18' row, half Yukon Gold and half Red Pontiac. That will be enough to get eaten or put up by the time they get too old.

I think I will also plant half a dozen garlic cloves today as a test just to see how they do once it gets hot here. Just scratching the curiosity itch. :roll:

I planted my potatoes on Feb 21st. I checked yesterday. Roots and sprouts are forming.
Your garlic experiment sounds interesting.
Because down south we have short cool spring,/early summers, probably garlic planted now migbt not bulb up.. but you can use them as green garlic, as we use green onion.
Now that you brought it up, I will plant some too, to use them green.
I have direct sown salad greens , cilantro, and carrots too. I am not going to try Broccoli. Probably too late now. Plus , it does not do quite well down here.

[QUOTE=Gardeneer;728572]
Your garlic experiment sounds interesting.
Because down south we have short cool spring,/early summers, probably garlic planted now migbt not bulb up.. but you can use them as green garlic, as we use green onion.
Now that you brought it up, I will plant some too, to use them green.

Gardeneer, you might want to try a spring planting of a turban variety or two. Some information passed on at a recent Garlic Festival near here indicated that some growers in warmer areas were having success getting a full crop planting turbans in spring and harvesting around 4 months later

[QUOTE=GoDawgs;727688]Yesterday I planted out the second set of cauliflower plants which have now become the first ones since the real first ones got burned. A new "second" round has been started so I'll still end up with two sets of plants, just staggered later. The second broccolis went out as well as the Wakefield cabbage, which finishes later than the Stoneheads planted out a week ago.

Today I'll sow some French Breakfast radish seed as well as some Opolanka, a Polish variety that's a dead ringer for French Breakfast. Pickles will be setting out her potatoes today. Just one 18' row, half Yukon Gold and half Red Pontiac. That will be enough to get eaten or put up by the time they get too old.

I think I will also plant half a dozen garlic cloves today as a test just to see how they do once it gets hot here. Just scratching the curiosity itch. :roll:[/QUOTE]

The one time I tried French Breakfast they looked right but came out so peppery they shocked everyone. Has that been your experience?
I’ts led me to stick with Cherry Belle and various types of watermelon radish since, but I love the look of French Breakfast. Opolanka is new to me.
- Joyce

[QUOTE=PlainJane;728580]The one time I tried French Breakfast they looked right but came out so peppery they shocked everyone. Has that been your experience?
I’ts led me to stick with Cherry Belle and various types of watermelon radish since, but I love the look of French Breakfast. Opolanka is new to me.
- Joyce[/QUOTE]

The FB's have been very mild for me except when the weather starts to turn warm. They grow well for me but Cherry bells do not. Go figure. You'd think a radish is a radish. Opolanka is a Polish radish I got at baker Creek. Turned out to be pretty much a clone of French Breakfast in size and color.

I also do two kinds of daikon when I remember to put them in. :surprised: One is a winter radish called 'Gauljeojang', one of the fat chunky types of daikon. Got the seed at a little Korean grocery and everything on the packet is in Korean so I can't give any more into. The other daikon is Minowasi, a long narrow type supposedly for summer but the sweet and crispy radishes turn hot as blazes when the weather turns warm here.