Sad plants

Lindacol 4/9/2011, 5:11 pm

Last night we had a cold (for So CA) storm go thru. Some wind, a couple of thunder storms but not much rain and the temps were supposed to get down to 40. So I thought no problem, its above freezing and the plants have been in the ground for a few days to well over a month.

My tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, strawberries, cantalope and of course onions and lettuce are fine. But the potatoes in trash cans that are growing great have their tops wilted and the 4 squash plants in the bed right beside the strawberries have their top leaves wilted.

Do I assume they froze? And will they resume growing? I was more concerned about the tomatoes and strawberries but they look fine.

middlemamma 4/9/2011, 6:15 pm

If it didn't get the tomatoes it wasn't frost/too cold....IMO.

Tomatoes just have NO tolerance for frost/freeze/cold of any kind. Potatoes are way hardier...

I don't know what it is...but it wasn't cold...maybe they were windblown?

Sometimes I notice a little wilting after we get a lot of wind....But that is a totally unsubstantial idea...I have ZERO to back that up....

Jennie

Lindacol 4/9/2011, 8:02 pm

Here are some pictures:

!st picture is the potatoes from 4/3

These next 2 are the potatoes this afternoon. They were healthy with lots more growth yesterday.

The squash bed on 4/3 - spaghetti squash in front by the strawberries & Tromboncino in back:

The spaghetti squash today:

Tromboncino today:

**camprn** 4/9/2011, 9:43 pm

Yeah, I am seeing frost damage in these photos. HOWEVER, it looks to me that your plants are likely to survive, give them a drink, watch the weather forecast, if it looks like its going to get below 40 again, cover them up. I think they will bounce back. Sad plants 311672

dizzygardener 4/9/2011, 9:43 pm

Potatoes and Squash do not like cool temperatures. It doesn't have to get to freezing for them to show signs of damage. Your potatoes should recover just fine. Your squash may also recover. It looks like it still has some healthy leaves on it. Just keep an eye on it, and be sure to cover your plants when cold weather is forecast.

middlemamma 4/10/2011, 12:03 am

yeah, that definitely looks like cold damage....it really amazes me your tomatoes were not affected.

And I 2nd what camp and the other poster said...they look like they may survive. When I lost plants to frost once they were BLACK....there was no saving the poor things.

I hope you save them!

Jennie

elliephant 4/10/2011, 11:10 am

I bet the squash will survive (no experience with potatoes). I planted 2 of each squash seed. When it came time to snip one and keep one I couldn't bring myself to do it. I lifted the "extra" of each kind out and plopped it in a bucket of MM and gave it a drink. In the middle of a 90+ day. Most of the leaves looked a lot worse than that after a few days, totally black on the edges, but they survived and are producing squash only a couple weeks behind the ones that stayed put! Squash are survivors.

BackyardBirdGardner 4/10/2011, 12:09 pm

Could it be that there never was frost. But, instead a very quick, and substantial, temperature drop? Wouldn't that shock the plants, too?

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