Frost in Late May? What the Heck?

[flummoxicated]

According to NOAA, there's a "slight chance" for frost Sunday morning and Monday morning; nighttime temps are supposed to be 37 and 39 F, respectively. I guess it's a good thing I'm behind on planting my vegetable garden, but I do have two hot pepper plants out, and I'm worried about the wisteria I planted. It did not take kindly to the April snow

Comments

[wobblerlorri]

One night won't hurt them. A week, yeah, you'd be in trouble. But one night, nah.

[labradors]

I'm also glad I'm behind, still hardening off my tomatoes and peppers so I get to truck them in and out a few more times. This cold snap is being followed by temps in the 80s on Tuesday here, so I get to worry about burning them after all this cold cloudy weather. hooray for the Midwest! Why can't we just have a month of nice 60s and 70s?

[g_dawgmckickass]

Everything will be fine. Last week our temps dropped into the high 20s, snowed all day, and everything is doing a ok.

[virginiadear]

I'm also in 6a, but we haven't hit our average last frost date yet (May 18) so I'm not yet counting on warm weather.
And so far, the only vegetables I have outside (still in flats) are the cooler weather stuff such as leeks, cabbage, kale, spinach, collards, etc., which I expect will be okay. Oh, and the marigold seedlings. If it gets very nippy, they'll get covered with plastic overnight.

flummoxicated, do you have / use cloches? If your pepper plants are small enough to fit under a one-gallon water jug or one-gallon milk jug, cut the bottom off or, if the plant is very young and small enough that you can get away with this, cut a hole in the bottom just big enough for the pepper plant's "drip line. For overnight, probably leave the cap in place. You'll want some kind of stick or stake in the ground to which to tie the jug's handle to keep it from blowing away if there should be a breeze. (They're lightweight and have proportionately generous surfaces to catch the wind

[flummoxicated]

These are all good ideas, thanks. As a costumer, I'm embarrassed I didn't think about the properties of the fabric I cover my plants with!

[virginiadear]

Eh. It's a bit different for plants, I think, compared to what works for a human being's body. Anyway, you ought not be embarrassed.

[loveshercoffee]

We had snow here in Des Moines last year on May 2nd, so I should have known better than to start everything on Mother's Day this year. My squash and beans haven't sprouted so they're fine but my tomatoes and peppers are out. I turned little pots upside-down over them so I will see how they fared here in another couple of hours.

My real worry was for my broody hen, she's sitting on eggs and yesterday was day 21. The chicks are/were due to hatch anytime from last night through tomorrow morning. She's going to have more effort keeping those babies warm. Though I've got a box and heat lamp and can bring them in if necessary, I wanted to let the mama hatch them so I didn't have the mess of chicks in the house. At least the forecast is for much nicer weather for them.

[flummoxicated]

I hope the chicks are okay!

[loveshercoffee]

Yes! Hatched and happy.