Looks like the frost will get me

[ContainerTed]

Like so many others around here, I put out some things early in the garden. Now, the weather report forecasts the overnight temp will be 35 in town. Out here in the country away from the heat-island of town, we always get 2-4 degrees lower. That means 32 will be a virtual certainty.

I have the following planted - Cabbage, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Onions, Turnips, Radishes, Peas, Okra, Beans, and Potatoes. Everything is up except for the Okra. The beans are about 6 inches high. The Potatoes are 4-6" high. The cabbage, broccoli, and brussel sprouts were sets purchased locally and are 10-14 inches tall. The peas are just coming up well - about 4 inches tall.

I also have 4 large, mature tomato plants (3 feet tall) that I intend to dig up this afternoon.

Anyhow, I took a chance and I guess that now it's time to pay the piper. Any wisdom on the frost/freeze survival capabilities of any of the above would be appreciated.

On a postitive note, I haven't set any other tomatoes or any peppers out yet, so my Dwarf plants and the group of plants I call "the main crop" are still safe.

Sadly,



Ted

[platys]

I have cabbage, potatoes and radishes out. We've hit just freezing a few times since I put them out, and the cabbages and radishes are doing great. My potatoes are just coming up. They are supposed to like the cold.

[OneoftheEarls]

containers, plastic...cardboard...get them covered....can also spray with water like they do with orange trees

[cloz]

I was born in Finland and we always grew our own potatoes there. We always used to cover any of the first green shoots that came up with dirt until it was no longer possible to cover them. This way the potatoes grew in mounds. We had a special broad hoe that we used to pull the dirt from between the rows and create rows of mounds that were about a foot high. The dirt would surely protect the potato shoots. I don't ever remember us having a problem loosing potatoes to frost.

[salix]

Ted, I think only your beans are in real danger. Can you cover them with floating row cover for a degree or two of frost protection? Hoping for the best outcome for your garden.

[lurley]

I would only worry about the tomatoes, beans, and okra. The rest can take a light freeze no problem.

Sent from my X10a using Tapatalk

[ireilly]

Sprinklers at 3 AM!

Hope you miss out on frost.

[ContainerTed]

Thanks to everyone for your advice and knowledge. I've got the 4 tomato plants in a wheelbarrow out in the garage. I have the clock set for 4:30 and the hose strung out down to the garden. I guess I'll make a call on what to do when I get down there in the AM.

I know that I can till up and plant again. It's just that the beans are really looking very good and we were hoping for some early harvest. This is our first time doing potatoes and we've had 100% of the sets push up some greenery.

So, 160 feet of 3 kinds of pole beans and 40 feet of Yukon Gold and Pontiac potatoes are going to be my main concern.

I'll post again tomorrow to let y'all know how we fared. We're supposed to have a 5-10 mph wind. I hope so. That will keep the entire air mass at one temperature and take away the "cold pockets" that give us "patchy" frost.

Thanks again everyone.

Ted

[Heritage]

Ted,

Maybe someone else can verify this but I'm pretty sure it's true:
If you turn the sprinklers on for frost protection make sure you leave them on until all danger of frost has passed. in other words, don't just spray your plants with water and then go back to bed... it will cause more harm than doing nothing.

Also, if your dew point is in the 30 to 40 degree range you will have better luck with frost protection than if the dew point is in the teens or 20s. When moisture in the air turns to a liquid state (dew) it releases heat and keeps the tempeature from dropping rapidly.

Good luck!
Steve

[BigdaddyJ]

Since Okra isn't up worry about the beans only....Good Luck!

[Sherry_AK]

Good luck, Ted.

Sherry

[sprtsguy76]

Hope everything works out, I have a good feeling it will.

Damon

[ireilly]

Originally Posted by Heritage

Ted,

Maybe someone else can verify this but I'm pretty sure it's true:
If you turn the sprinklers on for frost protection make sure you leave them on until all danger of frost has passed. in other words, don't just spray your plants with water and then go back to bed... it will cause more harm than doing nothing.

Also, if your dew point is in the 30 to 40 degree range you will have better luck with frost protection than if the dew point is in the teens or 20s. When moisture in the air turns to a liquid state (dew) it releases heat and keeps the tempeature from dropping rapidly.

Good luck!
Steve

This article supports your caution, Steve. Adding more water prolongs the process until sunrise.

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasc...1/gen01348.htm

Also, as alluded to in the article and your post, the enthalpy (heat) of condensation (vaporization) and enthalpy of fusion (freezing) are both exothermic, so heat is liberated when water passes from vapor to liquid and from liquid to solid. That, plus the insulating effect of snow/ice, and some other processes help keep the fluid in the plants from crystallizing and damaging the cells.

Watering's a tricky game though and only works when the temperature briefly dips only slightly below freezing.

Good luck (what's the alternative - might as well try)!

[ContainerTed]

It's 7:15 and I have 38 degrees with FOG. No sign of ice forming anywhere. I came back up to the house to get some hot coffee (hurray for fog and Keurig coffee makers.

Lot's of good info here. Maybe this thread will help someone else as well.

I put straw over the taters last night.

Right now, I have only 200 yards visibility and the sun is coming up in a cloudless sky. Maybe I have dodged the bullet.

You know. I'm beginning to like fog.

Ted, who is "sleepless in Tennessee".

[mjc]

Lucky you...

I had light frost this morning.