Argh, freeze warning

Of *course we have unseasonably warm weather for, oh, the past 5 months and as soon as I put some of my plants in the ground we get a freeze/frost warning. I guess I'll be digging out some old sheets and tucking my beds in for the next couple of nights.

A few questions, though. Onion sets (is that the right word? tiny dry bulbs), some with sprouts...do they need a blankie? What about lettuce and radish seeds that haven't emerged? Also, I have to leave for work at 4:45am so the sun won't be up warming the babies. Would it be better to leave them covered until I'm home for lunch around 9:30am or to uncover them right before I leave for work?

I would cover. Even if I only had a tarp, I would cover.

It won't get THAT warm the next morning, will it? When you get home I'd uncover and see how they did. The sun is still warming up everything at 9:30am.

The onion sets and the seeds should be fine. What is your expected low temp?Have you thought about putting a temporary hoop over the bed?

Ava, I'm very much in the "covering can't hurt" camp at this point. Crazy weather!

camprn wrote:The onion sets and the seeds should be fine. What is your expected low temp?Have you thought about putting a temporary hoop over the bed?

Depends on which weather service I look at LOL! The freeze warning lists temps from 28-34, but we are one of the southernmost counties in the warning. Accuweather says 36, Weatherbug says 32. So at any rate, I don't expect a hard frost at all, just a light one. Still it is freaking me out since I got crazy and planted warmer season stuff so early. Old timers around here use Mother's Day as a guide for when the bulk of the garden goes in.

As to the hoop house, I've gone back and forth with it. But apart from the next 3 days, we are looking at 70's during the day, high 50's at night. I worry that I don't really understand them well enough not to cook anything.

Gena575 wrote:Ava, I'm very much in the "covering can't hurt" camp at this point. Crazy weather!

camprn wrote:The onion sets and the seeds should be fine. What is your expected low temp?Have you thought about putting a temporary hoop over the bed?

Depends on which weather service I look at LOL! The freeze warning lists temps from 28-34, but we are one of the southernmost counties in the warning. Accuweather says 36, Weatherbug says 32. So at any rate, I don't expect a hard frost at all, just a light one. Still it is freaking me out since I got crazy and planted warmer season stuff so early. Old timers around here use Mother's Day as a guide for when the bulk of the garden goes in.

As to the hoop house, I've gone back and forth with it. But apart from the next 3 days, we are looking at 70's during the day, high 50's at night. I worry that I don't really understand them well enough not to cook anything.

Oh yeah, they are fine to go as is. Now don't be gettin' all crazy and put tomatoes in next week

Lettuce, radishes and onions should be fine tonight. But, I did cover my beds, just to keep my soil warmer. I have peas coming up and from what I read, they can tolerate up to 24 degrees without a problem. Still, I am in the cover up camp, because the weather man does not seem to be right anymore. Plus, a few nights as we are expecting of below or freezing temps has a more profound effect on your plants than just one night.

I read in the news today that every state in the US had the warmest march on record.
Every states average was warmer than any time since they have started measuring it 1897.
Then again, I wonder what April will hold?

Not western Washington... ours was below normal in temps.

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/09/11098960-us-sees-record-for-warmest-march-and-first-three-months-of-a-year


I think that they were talking about the state as a whole..but apparently every state except Hawaii and Alaska recorded record warmest March

We've been in the high 80's, I planted all my summer plants. Cold front came thru, 80 during day, then 35 at night. Going to give my plants and me a heart attack!

Jo

The babies are all tucked in. I'm hoping the weather folks are wrong and we are spared a frost, but at least if it happens they should stay warm enough.

Gena575 wrote:The babies are all tucked in. I'm hoping the weather folks are wrong and we are spared a frost, but at least if it happens they should stay warm enough.

I am in the same zone as you and my spinach just sprouted and now frost!!! Since they are in my SFG all I could think to do is cover it for black ground fabric Hope it keeps them going for the nextfew days as next week looks better.

My seeds ( not true babies yet ) are under the hoops with blankets on top of the plastic! I lost my lettuce starts the other day when it got too hot ! wow, this weather.

kbb964 wrote:My seeds ( not true babies yet ) are under the hoops with blankets on top of the plastic! I lost my lettuce starts the other day when it got too hot ! wow, this weather.

I am in zone 5a, as I think you are. I have not yet put out my lettuce seed. It is a difficult thing to live in the North and want to garden early...

I took my black plastic off a bed yesterday...planted peas, lettuce, arugula, and calendula...then put plastic on the hoop..I figure ground won't freeze under the hoop..so should have a head start on the seeds lol..

My tom and peps and such are still in the greenhouse with hubby's heater set on 55°..they are comfy...

NOAA says 26 to night then back into the 30s for low Wed night with gradual warm up...so should be ok for tonight..

camprn wrote: Now don't be gettin' all crazy and put tomatoes in next week

I knew two weeks ago not to buy a tomato plant, but I did! Now I've got three blooms. It is now 54 degrees, winds from the north east, humidity is 50% dew point 35 degrees. Didn't cover and nerves are shot!!

Gena575 wrote:...since I got crazy and planted warmer season stuff so early. Old timers around here use Mother's Day as a guide for when the bulk of the garden goes in.

Same here! Only our guideline is the first week of spring. If you put your tom starts in before that, they'll generally collapse. Up until that week nights are below 50 and it's possible to have a late, low snow in the mountains which could give us on the coastal areas a frost. When tjat possibility happened in mid-March I had 3/4ths of the garden planted.

I didn't cover because no one told me what was possible...and thankfully the snow was higher than 2500 feet!

We're expecting rain and cold tomorrow and Friday...but it's not cold enough to freeze. Just for sweaters indoors!

I knew two weeks ago not to buy a tomato plant, but I did! Now I've got three blooms. It is now 54 degrees, winds from the north east, humidity is 50% dew point 35 degrees. Didn't cover and nerves are shot!!

grand pop, has anyone told you how cute you are?

TWC currently says 18 for my locale. More the norm for here, but I want HEAT! We have been spoiled with the great spring so far.

grand pop, has anyone told you how cute you are?

Well, I really try not to think about it a lot, but I do get a lot of cat calls when I go out to the garden store. I remind myself of the Mac Davis song (he wrote it for me, I think):
Oh Lord it's hard to be humble
when you're perfect in every way.
I can't wait to look in the mirror
cause I get better loking each day.

Then there is the line

I used to have a girlfriend, b
but I guess she just couldn't compete
with all those love starred women
who keep glowering at my feet
I probably could find me another
I know they all in love with me (this line I have never been sure of)
I guess its got something to do with the way that I fill out my skin tight blue jeans......

True, but

Well I prob'ly could find me another
but I guess they're all in awe of me.
Who cares, I never get lonesome
cause I treasure my own company.

Grandpop wrote:

camprn wrote: Now don't be gettin' all crazy and put tomatoes in next week

I knew two weeks ago not to buy a tomato plant, but I did! Now I've got three blooms. It is now 54 degrees, winds from the north east, humidity is 50% dew point 35 degrees. Didn't cover and nerves are shot!!

Cover tonite...then you can relax. I waited on tomatoes.. but I still have a bunch to cover for tonite..

So it's been sooo warm. I've got tomatoes, peppers, romaine lettuce, watermelon, cantaloupe and some herbs. Tonight we're having a low of 36... weather.com says just tonight, the local guy on the tv says it's the next two nights. Should I do something tonight? Throw a sheet over the bed? I can do a sheet or I've also got some of the plastic that I used for underneath my beds that I can throw over the beds for the night. ORRR should I just leave them alone uncovered? They are in the back of my yard, protected on two sides by privacy fence and behind the fence on one side is woods.
Question two: I bought some sweet potato slips.. I've also got a squash that needs to be planted. Thing is I'm going out of town tomorrow (Thursday) through Sunday. I had planned to put them in the ground today, but now I think I'll plant them before going. I'm not going to be home to care for them and figure they'll be less likely to dry out in the bed than if they stay in their little pots. I may be able to get the kid that is going to watch our cat to water, but worry about how careful he'll be...

Carolina girl when is your average last frost date?