Help/sage wisdom... Garden issue
 

So last night it got a little colder than I had anticipated (or the weather channel predicted) maybe down to 37'F not exactly sure but not frost cold I'm positive.

Well I have my sprinklers go off in the morning and it hasn't been an issue until last night :banghead: . I come out to check the garden before I left for work and everything was covered in ice from the sprinkler mist freezing and I mean on everything. There was a layer of ice built up on all of my warm weather veggies (tomatoes, peppers...ect)



I'm pretty sure I know the answer but am I screwed? Have I've lost my warm season veggies? Is there any hope for them?

Re: Help/sage wisdom... Garden issue
 

ouch - that sounds terrible!

I always like to push to the limits when planting my warm weather plants - planted them as early as possible and fighting off colder nights with row covers. I've had plenty of situations where the air got cold enough to cause my plants to have many leaves blacken and dry up but never seen a layer of ice on them!

if you are *really* lucky the plants will be severely shocked, most leaves blacken and fall off but the growing tip which is usually more hardy then the rest of the plant survived and after a delay may continue to grow. cross your fingers!

Re: Help/sage wisdom... Garden issue
 

Where are you loacted? We had a frost a few nights ago (1100 feet in western massachusetts) but my warm weather stuff was under hoops and plastic and is unscathed. Basil turns black if it even thinks about frost, the ice on the tomatoes doesn't sound good. Let us know how it looks later on.

Re: Help/sage wisdom... Garden issue
 

It depends, irrigation is used for frost protection for fruit and grapes. Should be no damage if the water started before freeze started and the watering must continue until back above freezing. Wet ice means 32 F. No water dripping off the ice means frozen tissue.

Re: Help/sage wisdom... Garden issue
 

I'd agree. Strawberries are often irrigated to form a coat of ice rather than allow the tissue to freeze.

I'd wait a few days and see.....

Re: Help/sage wisdom... Garden issue
 

I'm located in southern Idaho. It wasn't cold enough for frost last night, it was because the sprinklers had gone off and the mist essentially gets below the freezing point due to evaporation and whatever the water lands on it instantly freezes.


Well this just in... looks like I'm going to lose my vining plants (cucumber, squash, musk melon). Wife says tomatoes and peppers look okay right now, we'll see what the afternoon heat has to say about that...



I might be screwed on that aspect because the sprinklers were off by the time I got up. The ice was still wet but not dripping so I might still have some hope for the rest of the vegetables

Re: Help/sage wisdom... Garden issue
 

Haha, I wished I could but I'm leaving for a visit to my parents in another state tomorrow. This always seems to be my luck, everything's going just fine and then just before I have to go somewhere BAM something screws up at the most inopportune time ... Got to love Murphy's Law

I guess I could just say screw it and hope stores still have Veggies starts in stock and I'll just replace them when I get back.

Re: Help/sage wisdom... Garden issue
 

I would guess you'll lose them, but you never know. Still not too late to replant , at least around here.
Maybe water just after sundown from now on.
I've never had to do it, but if it ever happens again, from what I have read, if you can water them again with a hose or bucket even, and get the frost/ice off the plants before the sun hits them , you may save them. Not sure if that's 100% accurate though, and for what plants in particular.
I always seem to get a few 40 degree scares the week I plant my tomatoes, but haven't had a frost ever.
Good luck.