Wednesday 13 May 2020

Frost In May

Round here this is not uncommon, but I think many have been caught out. It was quite a hard one and even froze the puddles.


But that's not to say I didn't take some risks!


I put my tomatoes in the polytunnel a few weeks ago. Hoping that we were past the worst of it. I cover them at night and so far they seem fine. 

They've made great growth. Luckily I have enough spare plants should the worst happen. 


I also have potatoes popping up everywhere outside. I've run out of row covers so I got my eldest daughter to find some pots and put them on top of each one with a brick on them. Seemed to work a treat! 

I have one risky bed of french beans in as well outside, but enough fleece to cover them.

We have another frost forcast tonight at minus 1 degrees (and it's aways colder here than what they say) and then it's looking to improve. 

What's the temperature like with you where you are? 

Have you lost many plants or did you manage to hold back on the planting?

15 comments:

  1. Hi Kev
    So far everything in the tunnels is safe, but outside the kiwi fruit and the grapes have all lost the leaves, hope they will recover.
    During the war,we used to keep a candle burning in the air raid shelter with an inverted flower pot over it. A mini storage radiator! I would think it could work in tunnel or greenhouse for a small area. Another frost tonight they say.
    Kathy

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    1. Yes, I see it's had my kiwi as well. I don't think mine will recover though!

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  2. Hello Kev, Frost here in NE Ohio this morning and the birdbath water is frozen. They say the weather will improve from here on in. I've not put ANYthing (veg) outside yet this year. Warnings of the Polar Vortex antics earlier in the month proved quite true. Your beds are looking good. Kris

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    Replies
    1. When is your normal frost free date? my neighbour can remember one into the second week of June here!

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    2. Traditionally it used to be around May 18th, but with climate change that date comes earlier every year. Last year our 'last front' was in late April! So it's a toss up every year. You can't make firm plans...

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  3. We're in the Piedmont of North Carolina, so I haven't yet got peppers, eggplant or okra growing. The only things I covered were some aloe vera and a few cucumber seedlings. So far, so good. It's been a strange May, for sure.

    Love how your kids help in the garden. Continued blessings...

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    Replies
    1. Is that area known for being colder? I always assumed Carolina would be good for growing weather wise?

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  4. It felt cold last night on the coast of Essex but apparently it was 4 degrees. I only have a small plastic cold frame that I keep my young plants in but it was well covered and will stay covered in this cold wind.

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    1. Down to that tomatoes and things seem fine. Tonight there is a another one forecast but then hopefully things will get warmer! I wwant to get stuff planted out if I can.

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  5. we had 3 nights of freezing temps. i pulled my tomatoes and put them in the garage in boxes and i think they are okay. i left one out and it froze. i think that's it for this spring though.

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    1. Hope so! I have spare plants should the worst happen but I'll be gutted if they go as they're about 16" tall!

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  6. It got my potatoes but they'll probably recover, they are already earthed up as high as possible

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    1. Potatoes should recover I think, whole fields got had around here, I could see the almost black tops that had been taken by frost.

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  7. My sweetcorn starts that I set out from plugs I started in my polytunnel got frosted! My grandfather's birthday was May 10. We always used that as our final frost 'safe' day. Well, this year not.... Many years, we don't have frost after the middle of April. But our weather is highly unpredictable. What will happen here is that we will go from cold and damp right into sweltering heat! Running the AC and the boiler on the same day is not funny where I live. The sweetcorn loves the heat though, so there is some good about it. Love your blog and vids.

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  8. Your tomato plants looks so lush and healthy.

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