Frosted :(

[kevn357]

Frosted on May 25th in zone 6b. Such a sad night but oh well. I had 55 varieties in my first large garden. This is why I hate starting from seed instead of buying plants. I feel like I lost 200+ hours of my life for nothing... All my babies are gone I planted a week late too just to be safe and the weather forecasts predicted normal lows.

I would do it again in a second though. Oh well. Mother nature is cruel.

[Sun City Linda]

Oh no! I am so sorry. I start seeds every year and I feel your pain!

[guitar1580]

Sorry to hear. I just covered my plants at around midnite, due to frost warning here in WV. It's currently 35 degrees F. at 1:30 AM. Luckily my garden is not huge, and I didn't have everything planted yet, thanks to a thunderstorm which interrupted me.

I planted one other time in mid May, and ended up covering the plants several times that year also. I reluctantly planted on May 20 this year, against my own advice, and here I am, covering up.

From now on, I'm sticking to my rule of not planting before the last week of May. Even if there is no frost, it seems that the ground doesn't usually warm up enough for the plants to really take off before the end of May or first of June.

JT

[kevn357]

Originally Posted by Sun City Linda

Oh no! I am so sorry. I start seeds every year and I feel your pain!

I started my Tomato obsession in San Diego. I moved to Ohio and May 15th was the day to plant. I waited and waited when everyone else planted on May 1st. We all got doomed in the end. I miss San Diego so much lol.

[COMPOSTER]

Originally Posted by kevn357

Frosted on May 25th in zone 6b. Such a sad night but oh well. I had 55 varieties in my first large garden. This is why I hate starting from seed instead of buying plants. I feel like I lost 200+ hours of my life for nothing... All my babies are gone I planted a week late too just to be safe and the weather forecasts predicted normal lows.

I would do it again in a second though. Oh well. Mother nature is cruel.

I feel your pain also but in a completly different and confusing way and I need advice. I have been gardening for quite a while but just 3 years ago I began starting my own tomato plants from seed. Always have been able to plant out close to my projected date. Now I have 40+ plants in 4" pots that are screaming at me to put them in the ground. I didn't have frost but daytime temps were in low 50s yesterday and today and night temps low 40s. Soil is soaked from 4 days of rain, it is supposed to continue raining and be windy and very cool for the next 2 days.

If I don't plant in the next 2 days most if not all of the plants will spend another week in the pots. Plant or wait? Which is more stressful?

Glenn

[neoguy]

It looks like I dodged a bullet, it was 38 at 6:00 AM. I just came in from inspecting the plants and it looks like they all survived. I haven't put them in the ground yet because of a late start. All my plants are in cups sitting on ground in my backyard.

I'll have a few extras I can give you but I won't have an inventory until tomorrow at the earliest. I have to set aside all the promised plants and I'll see what I have left. I'll either post here or I'll send you a PM. I won't be able to get them to you before Tuesday, have to work today and Monday and plant tomorrow.

[Durgan]

A bit of frost last night 24\25 May. No damage that I can determine. There was a bit of white (frost) on the roofs.Temperature 4C at 0600, now 8C at 0830. Traditionally I have always felt safe after 24 May in my Zone 5.

[AprilMayJune]

Oh that is so painful! I'm sorry that happened to you.

[Barbee]

If its any consolation, this is NOT normal for our zone. I can usually plant out May 1 in Zone b with no issues whatsoever. We got down to 38 and no frost...so I feel like we dodged a bullet big time.

I will be finishing up plant out in the next few days and should have extra plants if you want to make the trip down to get them.

[Yak54]

kven357

I have a few extra plants I could give you. I probably will be driving out to the airport in the next day or two. I have been watching the weather forecast recently and decided NOT to plant my plants yet because of the cold night-time temps. Will probably put them in the ground in the next 4 or 5 days. Sometime you can get away with an early planting and sometimes you loose. I know how you feel. I have learned to wait till the end of May around here before I plant. Years ago I used to try to get them in around May 15, and had the same thing happen as you just did. Best of luck to you.

[Sun City Linda]

Originally Posted by kevn357

I started my Tomato obsession in San Diego. I moved to Ohio and May 15th was the day to plant. I waited and waited when everyone else planted on May 1st. We all got doomed in the end. I miss San Diego so much lol.

I grew up and spent most of my life in San Diego also. Beautiful place! In the late 1980s I relocated to the Dallas - Fort Worth area. No disrespect to the great state of Texas but after about two years, I couldn't wait to get home! The weather, not to mention the tornadoes are hard to get used to coming from San Diego. So, I guess I feel your pain on that one too!

[bughunter99]

Originally Posted by COMPOSTER

I feel your pain also but in a completly different and confusing way and I need advice. I have been gardening for quite a while but just 3 years ago I began starting my own tomato plants from seed. Always have been able to plant out close to my projected date. Now I have 40+ plants in 4" pots that are screaming at me to put them in the ground. I didn't have frost but daytime temps were in low 50s yesterday and today and night temps low 40s. Soil is soaked from 4 days of rain, it is supposed to continue raining and be windy and very cool for the next 2 days.

If I don't plant in the next 2 days most if not all of the plants will spend another week in the pots. Plant or wait? Which is more stressful?

Glenn

Wait if the soil is saturated. If some spots have drained, Plant some, hold some. Plant in the warmest spots and cover with row cover day and night to keep the warmth in.)

[bughunter99]

Originally Posted by kevn357

Frosted on May 25th in zone 6b. Such a sad night but oh well. I had 55 varieties in my first large garden. This is why I hate starting from seed instead of buying plants. I feel like I lost 200+ hours of my life for nothing... All my babies are gone I planted a week late too just to be safe and the weather forecasts predicted normal lows.

I would do it again in a second though. Oh well. Mother nature is cruel.

Did you cover them and still lost them or was it a surprise frost? Are they definitely dead? Sometimes they'll take a nip and come back.

Stacy

[feldon30]

Originally Posted by kevn357

Frosted on May 25th in zone 6b. Such a sad night but oh well. I had 55 varieties in my first large garden. This is why I hate starting from seed instead of buying plants. I feel like I lost 200+ hours of my life for nothing... All my babies are gone I planted a week late too just to be safe and the weather forecasts predicted normal lows.

I would do it again in a second though. Oh well. Mother nature is cruel.

Sorry to hear this.

I would seriously look at installing row cover and either installing it on day one and leaving it until mid-June, or installing it the day before frost is expected. You really need to trap some heat with the plants, so installling the row cover late at night is probably too late.

Also, you can run strands of old style Christmas lights to provide additional heat.

[Vespertino]

I'm sorry for your poor little babies, it must feel like a stab through the heart. Do you have any seedlings left over or are you going to buy some tomato plants?