Cold Snap AND Windy

**sfg4uKim** 3/26/2012, 5:28 pm

After weeks of 70s & 80s (lows in the 50s and high 40s) it's going to dip close to freezing tonight!

The problem is that it's also WINDY and my plastic tunnel isn't staying put very well.

quiltbea 3/26/2012, 5:41 pm

We in Maine having same probs. 70s and 80s last week and tonite it'll dip to 20*F. Brrrrr. I took the greens I had hardening off in the A-frame inside for the nite. Covered last fall's garlic green tops with straw again and put a heavy towel over the bed of sown pea seeds. I even upturned a bucket over the chives that overwintered just fine and were so green and growing. I knew I started many seeds too early, but wanted to chance it. If I lose them, I have plenty more seeds. In the meantime, I'll see if coverings will help at all.

I borrowed 'Four-Season Harvest' from the library to read up on Eliot Coleman's fall and winter growing ideas here in Maine. Hope to jot down lots of info I may need for fall and find out what crops to grow. I'm going to try to extend my season this year with my coldframe and A-frame.

For now, I'll muddle thru this cold again spring weather and hope for the best.

**walshevak** 3/26/2012, 6:04 pm

Not quite a frost here in zone 8 but forecast for 36 tonight. Plan to turn the lights on and zip up the greenhouse. Even though I took all the plastic off, everything in the beds should make it, only cool weather crops. Planted raspberries and grapes today. They are leafing out so hope they make it. I was hard but I resisted putting out tomatos, peppers and eggplant. And I've got some extra collards and kale seedlings still in the greenhouse.

The wind is wicked.

Kay

GWN 3/26/2012, 6:10 pm

That was us last week, I looked out once and the entire plastic had blown off.
My hoop house I have the plastic now stapled to long pieces of wood to weigh it down, and I have put bricks on those to hold them down with the wind.

I think we must have gotten all the great weather you had last week.

Quilt bea. I read colemans book a few years ago and feel for the very first time i am actually DOING IT. Inside the unheated hoop house I have celery and spinach and salad greens growing in the ground. We have had several cold below freezing nights and they seem to be just fine.
I am hoping to put my tomatoes and peppers out at least 2-3 weeks earlier than usual following his guidelines (moving up a zone or two)
best of luck

AranMC 3/26/2012, 6:59 pm

I'm in Ontario, and it was so warm last week we had the spring melt and most of the snow is gone... Our temp is down to zero centigrade today and colder tonight, we're expecting some snow this week... not unusual... I can't plant outside until end of May. But this year because of the new potting shed and fluorescent lights I have seeds started early...
I have Tomatoes, Pak Choy, Collards, Cabbage, Thyme (summer and winter), already transplanted out of the seed trays into individual little pots... yaaay... I have pickling onions already 4 inches tall in their trays...

Aran

**RoOsTeR** 3/26/2012, 7:15 pm

The temps are fantastic here in Colorado! To bad the darn wind is blowing 60 mph today Evil or Very Mad

Too Tall Tomatoes 3/26/2012, 7:18 pm

RoOsTeR wrote:The temps are fantastic here in Colorado! To bad the darn wind is blowing 60 mph today

Great day to go fly a kite.

I haven't done that in ages.

**sfg4uKim** 3/26/2012, 9:27 pm

Well, the wind's calmed down a bit and my county is only supposed to dip below freezing for about an hour. SOOOOO with the poly tunnel and some towels over that, everything should be fine.

Gurney's sent my dwarf fruit trees right before vacation so I only had time to heel them in - they're all in one huge pot covered by a blanket.

offtheporch 3/26/2012, 9:35 pm

My three-year old grandson just called me to tell me to put blankets on my plants tonight! I actually had forgotten about bringing in a couple of seedlings that I had outside for the day! What a helper.

GWN 3/27/2012, 10:33 am

so how did it go?.... the freeze? or not

AranMC 3/27/2012, 10:56 am

I went down to minus 10 Centigrade last night and it's zero Centigrade right ow.... brrr.....

Aran

GWN 3/27/2012, 11:04 am

For me, last night was the first night it did NOT freeze. Very Happy

**sfg4uKim** 3/27/2012, 11:42 am

I think everything did well.

quiltbea 3/27/2012, 12:31 pm

I just uncovered my coldframe and A-frame and peas so they can enjoy a little cold sunshine (36*F). Wonder of wonders, my greens are starting to show growth in the A-frame. Amazing. I'll have to cover them all again tonite against another 20s nite.

kimberlee 3/27/2012, 5:35 pm

I put garden fabric on top of my 4x4 yesterday afternoon. I think our low last night was close to freezing but not quite - we're close to the Chesapeake Bay so that actually helps keep us a few degrees warmer during spring cold snaps. At 7:15 this morning it was 35 degrees. I checked my seedlings (lettuces, arugula and spinach) this afternoon and all seem to have made it through. I think the spinach even grew some more since yesterday! Very Happy

Kim

BackRiver_SFG 3/27/2012, 6:20 pm

I took a gamble and planted early this year. (3rd week of march) It was so windy here and COLD yesterday. I tied down my cold frame lids and ran a heating pad out to it. I don't think it did much though. My Oregon scientific thermometer registered a low of 25 F last night. Brrr!
My cold weather crops lived up to their hype so far (as of 3pm) this afternoon. I don't think I lost anything. (knock knock).

Fingers crossed for tonight. My brocolli and cauliflower are still covered under a board with towels over it. My cage held it down. I hope they made it. If not I have a few seedlings under the lights inside still.

Good luck out there all!

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phewww! One night down, 1 to go.

Re: Cold Snap AND Windy


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