Frost strikes a blow!

creister · February 21, 2012

Yesterday, I put my seedlings out in their outdoor shelter to start them on being hardened off. I have used the shelter set up for about the last 3 or 4 years with good success against frost.

Not last night. Even though the temp only got to 36, several ended up with frost damage. I am not sure why that happened. Some look like they will recover, others, it remains to be seen. Will plants with leaves that appear to be dead from frost recover? The stems on all seem to still be strong. I thought I read that frost damaged plants are able to recover sometimes. If they do, will they still produce fruit?

tgplp · February 21, 2012

That sucks!

I heard that you can save frosty plants by wetting them down with luke warm water before the sun rises. I saved a couple plants from frost that way last year.

It depends on how badly the plants got hurt from the frost. Pictures?

Good luck! I hope your seedlings recover.

Taryn

lurley · February 21, 2012

In my experience, and unfortunately I have lots of it, the frost damaged plants can recover if there is any leaf surface that has not been damaged that can carry on photosynthesis. As it continues to grow it will put out new leaves, and the frost damaged leaves will crinkle, dry up and fall off. I have heard that you shouldn't remove the damaged leaves but I am not that patient and always do, never waiting for them to fall off on their own as long as there are others that are not damaged to provide photosynthesis for the plant to recover. The ones I damaged with frost recovered, and produced just fine, they just didn't look good enough soon enough to facilitate the sale of extra plants, so all ended up in my garden.

kath · February 21, 2012

Two years ago an unexpected low of 36 affected over half of my tomato plants that I was unable to protect when the forecast was changed to the danger point late in the day. Many had darkened, shriveled leaves and stems- some of them had no green leaves left. It was AMAZING how many of them resprouted from what looked like nothing to produce fruit. In hindsight, I wish I had been more patient and had left more of them in place, but I sowed more seed and tore out some of the worst hit areas and replanted 5 weeks later. My advice would be to wait if you can. I wish I had taken pictures of them so you could see how hopeless it looked. In the first few days they just kept looking worse and worse but they began to resprout from below the soil line as well as from the areas where previous branches and leaves had been- it was incredible.

Worth1 · February 21, 2012

As long as they have a growth node that isn't damaged they will be fine.

Worth

Worth1 · February 21, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by creister

Yesterday, I put my seedlings out in their outdoor shelter to start them on being hardened off. I have used the shelter set up for about the last 3 or 4 years with good success against frost.

Not last night. Even though the temp only got to 36, several ended up with frost damage. I am not sure why that happened. Some look like they will recover, others, it remains to be seen. Will plants with leaves that appear to be dead from frost recover? The stems on all seem to still be strong. I thought I read that frost damaged plants are able to recover sometimes. If they do, will they still produce fruit?

Even though the air temp was 36 the surface of the leaves were below the dew point and colder than freezing.

Worth

creister · February 21, 2012

Worth,

That makes total sense, as the dew point this am was around 30 or lower. Sheesh! I have time to see how they come out, and hopefully all will come back. Some look real bad, but will just wait and see. I may try to post pics if I can get my daughter to do it. She is the tech person in the house. I am leaving all leaves on the plants, and gave them all some rain water as well.

WVTomatoMan · February 22, 2012

- You didn't specify how close to the ground the tomato plants were or where the thermometer was in relation to the plants. So, I'll speak in generalities*. Air temperature is usually measured 5-6 feet off the ground. Tomato plants that are on the ground or planted in the ground can experience very different temperatures and conditions.

- In addition to my first bullet other conditions may apply - refer to some of the comments by others on this thread.

- I have seen tomato plants that were frost bit and looked half past dead recover. In one case the growing tip was dead, but the plant went on to send out suckers at the first node. In another case the plant looked dead, but growth eventually came out of the ground. In this case the plant was planted in the ground deeply (covering the first couple of nodes) and the growth came from them. Two things to remember. 1) Your actual mileage may vary (i.e. you might not see those results). 2) In both cases the plants were behind in development. The upside is that both cases the plants went to grow and produce just fine and the tomatoes were good eating.

Good luck.

Randy

*Note: They say it's bad to generalize, but generally I sure have fun with it.

janezee · February 22, 2012

Yes, sir, general, sir!

creister · February 28, 2012

Good news, today I checked plants, and even the ones that looked dead have new vegetative growth. Hopefully, they will grow back fast enough to produce this spring. If not, I will use them for fall.

February 29, 2012

I had my plants in the ground before Mid-Feb this year, and all seemed fine. We went camping this weekend up in the Hill Country, and the forecast said lows of 40F. We woke up with frost on the tent, and our bottled water was frozen. I figured I had lost the plants, but I'm guessing it just got cold where we camped, and not as bad at my house. Everything looks perfect here, and the blooms are nice and pretty on the 'maters.

Tracydr · February 29, 2012

We had lows of 38 predicted last night so I held off on planting and lugged 100 seedlings back indoors. Another chilly night tonight and a few possible cold nights this week so I guess I'll have to wait until next weekend when I'm off from work to plant. Sets me back, which is always bad in AZ. I like to plant by Feb 15 but in looking at the 10 day forecast, it didn't look good and I'm glad I waited.
I really hope your little seedlings make it. Last year, I had eggplants and peppers come back from a really, really cold freeze. They were big, older plants and looked bad. I lost two habaneros but everything else lived, low 20s for 4 days and just sheets for protection. Amazing what being near the brick house does for heat mass!

February 21, 2012	#1
creister Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Abilene, TX zone 7 Posts: 1,478	Frost strikes a blow! Yesterday, I put my seedlings out in their outdoor shelter to start them on being hardened off. I have used the shelter set up for about the last 3 or 4 years with good success against frost. Not last night. Even though the temp only got to 36, several ended up with frost damage. I am not sure why that happened. Some look like they will recover, others, it remains to be seen. Will plants with leaves that appear to be dead from frost recover? The stems on all seem to still be strong. I thought I read that frost damaged plants are able to recover sometimes. If they do, will they still produce fruit?

February 21, 2012	#2
tgplp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Pacific North West, zone 8a Posts: 510	That sucks! I heard that you can save frosty plants by wetting them down with luke warm water before the sun rises. I saved a couple plants from frost that way last year. It depends on how badly the plants got hurt from the frost. Pictures? Good luck! I hope your seedlings recover. Taryn

February 21, 2012	#3
lurley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Central Ohio Posts: 741	In my experience, and unfortunately I have lots of it, the frost damaged plants can recover if there is any leaf surface that has not been damaged that can carry on photosynthesis. As it continues to grow it will put out new leaves, and the frost damaged leaves will crinkle, dry up and fall off. I have heard that you shouldn't remove the damaged leaves but I am not that patient and always do, never waiting for them to fall off on their own as long as there are others that are not damaged to provide photosynthesis for the plant to recover. The ones I damaged with frost recovered, and produced just fine, they just didn't look good enough soon enough to facilitate the sale of extra plants, so all ended up in my garden.

February 21, 2012	#4
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	Two years ago an unexpected low of 36 affected over half of my tomato plants that I was unable to protect when the forecast was changed to the danger point late in the day. Many had darkened, shriveled leaves and stems- some of them had no green leaves left. It was AMAZING how many of them resprouted from what looked like nothing to produce fruit. In hindsight, I wish I had been more patient and had left more of them in place, but I sowed more seed and tore out some of the worst hit areas and replanted 5 weeks later. My advice would be to wait if you can. I wish I had taken pictures of them so you could see how hopeless it looked. In the first few days they just kept looking worse and worse but they began to resprout from below the soil line as well as from the areas where previous branches and leaves had been- it was incredible.

February 21, 2012	#5
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	As long as they have a growth node that isn't damaged they will be fine. Worth

February 22, 2012	#8
WVTomatoMan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: West Virginia - Zone 6 Posts: 594	- You didn't specify how close to the ground the tomato plants were or where the thermometer was in relation to the plants. So, I'll speak in generalities. Air temperature is usually measured 5-6 feet off the ground. Tomato plants that are on the ground or planted in the ground can experience very different temperatures and conditions. - In addition to my first bullet other conditions may apply - refer to some of the comments by others on this thread. - I have seen tomato plants that were frost bit and looked half past dead recover. In one case the growing tip was dead, but the plant went on to send out suckers at the first node. In another case the plant looked dead, but growth eventually came out of the ground. In this case the plant was planted in the ground deeply (covering the first couple of nodes) and the growth came from them. Two things to remember. 1) Your actual mileage may vary (i.e. you might not see those results). 2) In both cases the plants were behind in development. The upside is that both cases the plants went to grow and produce just fine and the tomatoes were good eating. Good luck. Randy Note: They say it's bad to generalize, but generally I sure have fun with it.

February 22, 2012	#9
janezee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Whidbey Island, WA Zone 7, Sunset 5 Posts: 931	Yes, sir, general, sir!

February 28, 2012	#10
creister Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Abilene, TX zone 7 Posts: 1,478	Good news, today I checked plants, and even the ones that looked dead have new vegetative growth. Hopefully, they will grow back fast enough to produce this spring. If not, I will use them for fall.

February 29, 2012	#11
eltex Guest Posts: n/a	I had my plants in the ground before Mid-Feb this year, and all seemed fine. We went camping this weekend up in the Hill Country, and the forecast said lows of 40F. We woke up with frost on the tent, and our bottled water was frozen. I figured I had lost the plants, but I'm guessing it just got cold where we camped, and not as bad at my house. Everything looks perfect here, and the blooms are nice and pretty on the 'maters.

February 29, 2012	#12
Tracydr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7 Posts: 3,207	We had lows of 38 predicted last night so I held off on planting and lugged 100 seedlings back indoors. Another chilly night tonight and a few possible cold nights this week so I guess I'll have to wait until next weekend when I'm off from work to plant. Sets me back, which is always bad in AZ. I like to plant by Feb 15 but in looking at the 10 day forecast, it didn't look good and I'm glad I waited. I really hope your little seedlings make it. Last year, I had eggplants and peppers come back from a really, really cold freeze. They were big, older plants and looked bad. I lost two habaneros but everything else lived, low 20s for 4 days and just sheets for protection. Amazing what being near the brick house does for heat mass!