Is sub 35 degrees to much for a container tomato plant?

[ninilie]

Just looked at the weather report for Santee, CA and it will be 35 degrees tonight but 28-30 degress for the next 3-4 nights. I have a fairly tom large plant that has been outside on the balcony for a week but not sure if I should bring it in tonight, I know I have to bring it in the colder days. The container it is in is fairly large so I will have to get my son to help me move it in. I put a trash bag over it and was hoping that would be good for tonight. I also have a kale and pak choi plants outside that I put a sheet over. Do you think this is sufficent protection or should I just lug them all in at night for the next several days? I usually dont start my toms this early but I have had the gardening fever and jumped the gun. I keep telling myself that it is almost summer .

[Doug9345]

I hope they made it through the night.
At 28 degrees any tomato leaves that touch the outside covering are most likely goners. The way I would do it is to cover it with a plastic bag, old sheet or whatever. Then I'd put another covering over that with something to space it away from the inner one. It could be a piece of styrofoam from packing, an empty cereal box, make a card board ring and lay it on top like it was a halo. You get the idea. I'd also do it early, not waiting until dusk to cover it. I've also used a string of those little Christmas lights put under a cover light that to provide a little heat. With them your tomato will be in great shape.

I've never grown Kale or Pak Choi. I suspect that kale is like other cabbage family plants and will take temperatures in the 20's. Pak Choi I have no Idea.

[ninilie]

Thank you both for the great info I never thought of Christmas lights or using cereal boxes. After posting I found out it would be closer to 32 degrees so I brought the tom in the house and covered the rest with a sheet. The ones left outside seem fine. I also had some left over peppers and carrots that made it (they were all under the sheet). Tonight I will leave the kale out and uncovered, I didn't want to lose it since it sat in my lap coming home from a trip to my parents house in Crescent City, Ca at my parents house this July. Next couple of nights will be 28-30 so I will bring my tom in the house each night (hope it likes the heater on).

[Cole_Robbie]

Originally Posted by Doug9345

I've also used a string of those little Christmas lights

That is a neat idea!

Cold nights make my tomatoes mushy, even when I get them to survive.

[livinonfaith]

My Ragged Jack and Lacinato kales are out there right now, happily growing through the Winter, with no cover. They say a freeze makes kale taste better and that seems to be true. I used some in sausage/ bean soup last week. Yum!

My tatsoi is pretty happy, too, and it is basically a form of Pak Choi.

I'm not completely sure about your Pak Choi, though. Since they are in the mustard/cabbage family, most varieties can take a frost, but there are apparently some varieties bred for summer growth that are less frost tolerant.

Doug covered the tomato issue well.

[livinonfaith]

I would be more concerned about the peppers than anything else. They really hate the cold and can't take more than the slightest frost without dying.

If I have a pepper plant left at the end of the season that still looks healthy, I stick it in the greenhouse to overwinter. There is a small heater that turns on if it gets into the forties. Those peppers keep slowly putting out fruit all Winter.

They do well in containers, too, and if you only face a few cool nights where you live, you could treat it like the tomato, bringing it in when necessary. If you want to keep it in the ground, you might invest in some kind of cold frame or cloche that will really heat up during the day and hold heat through the night.

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by livinonfaith

I would be more concerned about the peppers than anything else. They really hate the cold and can't take more than the slightest frost without dying.

If I have a pepper plant left at the end of the season that still looks healthy, I stick it in the greenhouse to overwinter. There is a small heater that turns on if it gets into the forties. Those peppers keep slowly putting out fruit all Winter.

They do well in containers, too, and if you only face a few cool nights where you live, you could treat it like the tomato, bringing it in when necessary. If you want to keep it in the ground, you might invest in some kind of cold frame or cloche that will really heat up during the day and hold heat through the night.

My jalapeño is about 6.5 feet tall. I actually can't touch the top of it on my tippy toes with my arms outstretched. My husband has to get the top peppers or I have to use the step stool. I don't think a pot would work for it. I have a hard time growing summer stuff in containers because of our extreme heat. the roots just cook. The jalapeño is some damage but I'm hoping it will survive since it has the most protected spot, a space heater and row cover.
Everything else, except the potted stuff that I brought in is looking very bad. Maybe the lemons will be okay.

[ninilie]

Wow, I have never had jalapenos grow that tall. Your plant is as tall as my husbad lol. I usually buy my plants from Home Depot and could do more to fert them i am sure. I did grow from seed Parks's sweet pickle pepper last year and it was very pretty plus had a good taste. I want to geta sweet banna pepper this year and will most like just buy the plant from a nursery that has more to choose from then HD. I am finding I want to try different types of plants and HD just has the same old same old each year.

[Rockporter]

Not to hijack the thread but you are from my hometown, Santee. I sure do miss it and I don't remember ever having a freeze so bad there, but I could be wrong and this is probably a big cold front unlike many we have had before. I know the citrus crops are in jeopardy and I do remember that being a problem each year.

Good luck with our veggies in the cold, I think you have been given some good advice on how to take care of it.

[ninilie]

I think it is a big cold front because I dont remember it being this cold in Santee before either. The weather report for tonight is below freezing for again. I had several jalepeno plants that I would leave out year round for several years, but dont remember it being this cold those years. I will go out and bring in my peppers tonight. I have managed to kill a couple of them this year, missing a day or two watering is fatal for containers. Peppers and tomatos love Santee weather around march. I count myself lucky if I can get anything else to grow in heat that we get. This year I decided to only do heirloom toms since I found out how tasty they are. The Hill Crest farmers market has several people selling heirloom toms and they are so great.

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by ninilie

I think it is a big cold front because I dont remember it being this cold in Santee before either. The weather report for tonight is below freezing for again. I had several jalepeno plants that I would leave out year round for several years, but dont remember it being this cold those years. I will go out and bring in my peppers tonight. I have managed to kill a couple of them this year, missing a day or two watering is fatal for containers. Peppers and tomatos love Santee weather around march. I count myself lucky if I can get anything else to grow in heat that we get. This year I decided to only do heirloom toms since I found out how tasty they are. The Hill Crest farmers market has several people selling heirloom toms and they are so great.

Yes, I think it's a huge cold front. They were predicting it for at least a week. When they have a chart with the record lows listed on the NWS forecast discussion page you know you're in for it!

[ninilie]

I was talking today with a grower at the farmers market today who is in Ramona, CA and grows tomatos. He said that he picked as many of his heirloom toms yesterday because of last nights frost. He was not sure if his plants would make it or not. He said that he does not have them in a green house they are just outside in the ground. He grows oranges as well so I assume he had heaters out for those. My potted tom that I am moving in and out looks okay but it has dropped 2 flowers.

[livinonfaith]

Tracydr, I keep forgetting how rare this weather is for you and that so many of the things that I think of as annuals are perennials out there. When I think of peppers, I'm thinking 3 ft., tops. That makes it twice as hard for you guys!

So so sorry that so many T-ville members are going through this! It sounds like you are doing everything you can. Best of luck keeping as much as you can.

[LDx4]

Ninilie, your temps in Santee are colder than what we've had, since we're a little closer to the coast. Still cold though, it's been 34-35 degrees the last two nights. My tomato plants in containers are turning purple from the cold, but I've got too many to move indoors.

For different pepper plants (and tomatoes too) you could try Walter Andersen nursery in the Sports Arena area later in the spring. I bought some unusual ones there a couple of years ago. I've been starting my peppers from seed the last two years.

Lyn

[ninilie]

Thank you Lyn I will defenitely try to get to Walter Andersons and take a look. I remember my father taking me many years ago to a nursery by the the sports arena wonder if it was the same place. Armstrongs has a better selection then Home Depot so I sometimes get stuff there but they also are kind of limited. I would love to check out a new place. My parents kept telling me to go to Simpsons farm but when I looked it up they said they are retired lol.

Tracy sorry to hear about your plants in the other tread. I hope your plants make it. It seems a shame to lose the huge pepper plant.

Darjones I was there in July 2012 and the weather was actually very nice. It was so sunny on the 4th that my brother even got a sun burn, which he says has not been a problem for him for several years. I have tried to visit at two other times Dec and April and it was so cold, windy, and raining we couldn't do everything we wanted to do. I love that my parents have the redwood forest practically in their backyard. Also my kids love that they have chickens, doves, and to us a huge garden 1/2 acre.