Getting scared about tomorrow nights temps.

jsvand5 · April 6, 2009

It is supposed to get down to 37 degrees here tomorrow night. There should not be any frost because of how windy it is, but can they take 37 degrees? My plants are way too big now to bring in or properly cover. I could probably throw a sheet of plastic over them, but I can not get the plastic all the way to the ground so I don't know if it's worth trying. I am really hoping it stays just a couple degrees warmer than they are predicting. Will they be ok as long as there is no freeze or frost? They are all loaded with blooms/fruitlets is there any chance they make it through? I was able to get all of my pepper seedlings into the greenhouse so at least I won't lose everything if it gets even colder than expected.

huntoften · April 6, 2009

Any frost will burn them like you put them in a microwave. They can handle 37 degrees, but I'd cover with a floating row cover or sheet of some sort. Avoid plastic touching the leaves if you use that. All my plants are in my greenhouse with two heaters on...supposed to be 20 tonight!

Worth1 · April 6, 2009

Just too add, your plants will do just fine as long as they don't freeze or get frosted on.

If you know it wont get to freezing then don't worry about it, in a couple of days they will never know it happened.
Mine get that cold all of the time.

Worth

jsvand5 · April 6, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by huntoften

Any frost will burn them like you put them in a microwave. They can handle 37 degrees, but I'd cover with a floating row cover or sheet of some sort. Avoid plastic touching the leaves if you use that. All my plants are in my greenhouse with two heaters on...supposed to be 20 tonight!

I should not have to worry about the frost. The winds are supposed to be around 20 mph so I think that should keep the frost away. I am most worried about the fruilets that are already set. My brandyines both have a few fruitlets, and with brandywines reputation for fruit set I really dont want to lose the early fruits. The scorcing heat is just around the corner. Good luck with yours. I am sure you will be fine in the greenhouse. I wish my greenhouse was big enough, but all of my GH space is reserved for my tropical fruits

jsvand5 · April 6, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

Just too add, your plants will do just fine as long as they don't freeze or get frosted on.

If you know it wont get to freezing then don't worry about it, in a couple of days they will never know it happened.
Mine get that cold all of the time.

Worth

Thanks, I can't imagine it will actually get below freezing but I am putting a lot of faith in the weather channels website. I hope they are not off by a few degrees, because it's way too late for me to start over down here.

Worth1 · April 6, 2009

it just looked on weather underground and saw your area might get to 34, (That's close)

From your post it sounds as though they may be in containers.
Too tall,think outside the box and lay them over on their sides, even bunched up if you have to.
Then put a blanket over them, it will not hurt the plants.
Just be careful.

Worth

jsvand5 · April 6, 2009

I don't think I could get them on their sides without a lot of the soil dumping out, and most of the containers are too heavy to turn over but I might give it a try on some of the smaller ones. Right now my plan is to just buy a bunch of plastic and doing the best I can covering them with it. On the hr by hr forcast it looks like it will only be really cold from about 5 to 7 am. I am hoping that is not long enough to cause too much damage.

ContainerTed · April 6, 2009

Move them as close together as you can. Then do your plastic - maybe using duct tape to get a minimum of enclosured areas. Then go get the Christmas lights out and shoved a few strings in there with them - lay them on top of the soil and try to block the wind. The heat off the lights will give you a hedge against the falling temps.

Seems I have to do it every year.

Ted

montanamato · April 6, 2009

A lot of good Siberian varieties can set fruit at those night temps...they may not thrive , but that is very survivable...

Jeanne

lumierefrere · April 6, 2009

Bring them into the house. You wouldn't believe how many plants fit in my office.

stormymater · April 6, 2009

If the unmentionable happens - pm me & I will send you replacements - I have plants coming outta my ears ( & the garage & the back of the pickup & packed onto the black soil of the outdoor raised beds...) thanks to all the wonderful Tomatovillian advice I've received. I'd be happy to "pass it forward" if yours get hurt.

jsvand5 · April 6, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by stormymater

If the unmentionable happens - pm me & I will send you replacements - I have plants coming outta my ears ( & the garage & the back of the pickup & packed onto the black soil of the outdoor raised beds...) thanks to all the wonderful Tomatovillian advice I've received. I'd be happy to "pass it forward" if yours get hurt.

Thanks for the offer. Hopefully it won't come to that.

Tomstrees · April 6, 2009

got down to 38 with my plants last season - was the worst - plants turned a brownish color and stunted for 2 weeks - didn't lose any: but stunted

cover those plants with something !!!

~ Tom

**nctomatoman** · April 6, 2009

Was it windy/rainy, Tom? I've had hundreds of seedlings outside down to 34 degrees two nights in a row with no ill effects. It is wet, lashing wind that really hits the plants and turns them ugly.

dew · April 6, 2009

Really
Last month we got to 37, and the winds just blew holes in leaves and ripped small plants apart
I am going to cover. Again.

April 6, 2009	#1
jsvand5 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: FL Posts: 47	Getting scared about tomorrow nights temps. It is supposed to get down to 37 degrees here tomorrow night. There should not be any frost because of how windy it is, but can they take 37 degrees? My plants are way too big now to bring in or properly cover. I could probably throw a sheet of plastic over them, but I can not get the plastic all the way to the ground so I don't know if it's worth trying. I am really hoping it stays just a couple degrees warmer than they are predicting. Will they be ok as long as there is no freeze or frost? They are all loaded with blooms/fruitlets is there any chance they make it through? I was able to get all of my pepper seedlings into the greenhouse so at least I won't lose everything if it gets even colder than expected.

April 6, 2009	#2
huntoften Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Kansas CIty Posts: 560	Any frost will burn them like you put them in a microwave. They can handle 37 degrees, but I'd cover with a floating row cover or sheet of some sort. Avoid plastic touching the leaves if you use that. All my plants are in my greenhouse with two heaters on...supposed to be 20 tonight! __________________ Kansas City, Missouri Zone 5b/6a

April 6, 2009	#8
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	Move them as close together as you can. Then do your plastic - maybe using duct tape to get a minimum of enclosured areas. Then go get the Christmas lights out and shoved a few strings in there with them - lay them on top of the soil and try to block the wind. The heat off the lights will give you a hedge against the falling temps. Seems I have to do it every year. Ted __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch

April 6, 2009	#13
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	got down to 38 with my plants last season - was the worst - plants turned a brownish color and stunted for 2 weeks - didn't lose any: but stunted cover those plants with something !!! ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

April 6, 2009	#14
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Was it windy/rainy, Tom? I've had hundreds of seedlings outside down to 34 degrees two nights in a row with no ill effects. It is wet, lashing wind that really hits the plants and turns them ugly. __________________ Craig

April 6, 2009	#3
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Just too add, your plants will do just fine as long as they don't freeze or get frosted on. If you know it wont get to freezing then don't worry about it, in a couple of days they will never know it happened. Mine get that cold all of the time. Worth

April 6, 2009	#9
montanamato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Montana Posts: 1,038	A lot of good Siberian varieties can set fruit at those night temps...they may not thrive , but that is very survivable... Jeanne

April 6, 2009	#10
lumierefrere Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Zone 4 NY Posts: 772	Bring them into the house. You wouldn't believe how many plants fit in my office.

April 6, 2009	#11
stormymater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pleasure Island, NC 8a Posts: 1,162	If the unmentionable happens - pm me & I will send you replacements - I have plants coming outta my ears ( & the garage & the back of the pickup & packed onto the black soil of the outdoor raised beds...) thanks to all the wonderful Tomatovillian advice I've received. I'd be happy to "pass it forward" if yours get hurt.

April 6, 2009	#15
dew Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 27	Really Last month we got to 37, and the winds just blew holes in leaves and ripped small plants apart I am going to cover. Again.