Topic: anyone get caught by frost?

[star]

I have to fleece the potatoes yet, they're only just through. Its forcast to be 6 deg tonight so should be ok......must do it before Fri though.

My beans and sweetcorn are up.....they're in the cold greenhouse which has slowed them down.They might be ok with any luck  :)

[strawberry1]

I have just got my gallon plastic water containers (ex wine making) and they are filled with water and in the warm utility room. 5 of them and 4 litre bottles of water too. Thanks for that tip, it makes a great deal of sense. They will go near any plants I can`t move, I am very glad that I have (fewer) spares and can move them indoors. I reckon there will be a lot of sad people next week, looking at frosted tender plants

I am not fleecing my potatoes though as I cannot raise the fleece above the foliage now. They will be taking their chances

[Digeroo]

I have straw to throw over my potatoes.  But I have already put out 10 french beans under bottle cloches, I shall have to get them a bit more protection. 

Forecast for Saturday night here down to 1C so that could be quite devastating.  I have loads of potatoes showing now.  The warm wet nights has really got them going.  We often have temperature 5 or more degrees below the stated forecast.  I always have to remind myself they take the temperature 4 feet above the ground in a little wooden box. 

http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/reports/wxfacts/The-Stevenson-Screen.htm

I also want to fleece up my strawberries, the flowers go black in the centre and do not produce fruit.

[Aden Roller]

I have straw to throw over my potatoes.  ..........

I also want to fleece up my strawberries, the flowers go black in the centre and do not produce fruit.

I didn't realise strawberry flowers might be damaged by frost - I've never given them a second thought but just left them to get on with it for years.

My potatoes are barely through - just one or two showing but I'll nip down on Friday and plaster all 7 rows with grass mowings as I usually do. Seems to work. Nothing else tender outside.

I may well empty my little leantoo greenhouse and bring everything indoors to the conservatory as, even here in the soft south, Saturday and Sunday night temperatures are due to dip very low.

Roll on summer.....even with a hosepipe ban.  ::)

[RenishawPhil]

Its due to get down to 2 degrees early sunday morning

Will my brassicas that i put out last week be ok?, peas have been out a few weeks now and poatoes are quite well advanced.

What my plan to do is get down to the allotment about 6.30 sunday morning and hose everything down , will this stop any light frost damage?

[goodlife]

Your brassicas and peas should be fine..potatoes might get 'touched' by it but it won't kill em..new growth will appear if the should die.
As for hosing.. :-\ 6.30 might be bit late.

[RenishawPhil]

Your brassicas and peas should be fine..potatoes might get 'touched' by it but it won't kill em..new growth will appear if the should die.
As for hosing.. :-\ 6.30 might be bit late.

What kind of time should I.be down for?

Think it will be touch and go at that temp wheather we. Get a frost

[goodlife]

Code: [Select]

What kind of time should I.be down for?

Well sunrise is 5.25 so for it to work you should be working as the frost will 'land'..usually you see it condensing at the sunrise and 'biting' when the sun touches the ground/plants.

Are you able to earth you potatoes up to cover the potato tops?..or spread some newspaper on the night before even if its just single sheet over the tops.

[Ellen K]

Rhubarb leaves also make good cover.

[RenishawPhil]

Code: [Select]

What kind of time should I.be down for?

Well sunrise is 5.25 so for it to work you should be working as the frost will 'land'..usually you see it condensing at the sunrise and 'biting' when the sun touches the ground/plants.

Are you able to earth you potatoes up to cover the potato tops?..or spread some newspaper on the night before even if its just single sheet over the tops.

Got plenty of fleece, may just lay it loose so it provides better procection.  Potatoes have grown a bit big to be earthed up

[small]

If you don't have too many potatoes, upturned large plantpots and buckets keep frost off. My garden looks very stupid on risky nights, but it works - they don't blow around like newspaper.

[Aden Roller]

If you don't have too many potatoes, upturned large plantpots and buckets keep frost off. My garden looks very stupid on risky nights, but it works - they don't blow around like newspaper.

That's a good tip. With care you could anchor flower-pots by sticking a cane through the hole.

[strawberry1]

Ian Fergusson on west country weather says frost is expected in somerset at the weekend. Many moons ago I did get caught and I nipped out and sprayed the frosted plants with cold water, it worked. I think I`ll leave a sprayer full of water outside ready, depends if sun is expected or not, a bit of drizzle first thing will help. It`ll be worst if sun gets on the frozen greenery first

Re potatoes, well I can`t do anything re prevention. There is too much foliage and  they got a good move on recently. I planted them early and I am hoping any frost will just nip them at most. Whatever, it should all be over by sunday lunchtime

[gardentg44]

got caught by frosts last year on my poatoes but trying this ,this year.

[Aden Roller]

Hey gardentg44 - looks good  ;)

Send a bag of that straw this way.... I really could do with a little to put around my strawberries especially with all this wet.

I use grass clippings over the top of my spuds - not so useful for strawberries.

[Digeroo]

That is a huge amount of straw.  Looks good.   I have also strawed up my spuds.  Keeps the weeds at bay as well.  I love it when the green pops up above the straw.

I had four bales in the car it is now a terrible mess - the plastic sheet moved. 

No frost here yet.  

[sunloving]

We had proper ice this morning on the water butts and hen water. I had covered the sweetcorn and french beans and brought the dahlias inside but i forgot the courgette pots and so they got fried and are looking very limp indeed!
Such a late frost- more than 7 years since we had one this late.

Lovely sunny day today though. planted more toms out in the greenhouse they look fab.

Watch out tonight!
x Sunloving

[strawberry1]

lol, I love all that straw

I managed to find my big fleece pieces so have covered all spuds in 2 layers. I think I`ll go around the garden, covering stuff soon, before I freeze

[gwynnethmary]

Went to do a quick cover up today, and found a dead mouse in the shredded fleece-yuk!  Fortunately I had another, pristine one.

[Steve.]

Went to do a quick cover up today, and found a dead mouse in the shredded fleece-yuk!  Fortunately I had another, pristine one.

Mouse?  ;D

Steve...:)