Late Season Hard Freeze Forecasted

[BarredBuff]

A freeze warning is in effect for us tomorrow night into Saturday morning. I have five rows of potatoes that are two-three inches high. Is there anything I can do to protect them? I do not have enough covering handy. Would a tarp protect them??

 

[frustratedearthmother]

A tarp would be better than nothing. If you had some extra sheets maybe put those down first and then tarp over? Or hay - that would be good also. Good luck!

 

[Britesea]

If you have some milk jugs, soda bottles, anything that can hold water-- put them under the covering too. Preferable all the way around the planting, but any will be better than none. As the water slowly freezes, it gives off heat... often just enough to save a crop. That's the principle behind the Wall O Water.

Another idea that a master gardener friend told me: if you have any of those mini Christmas lights- stick them under the cover-- they give off a little heat. Not enough to burn plants, but maybe enough to save them. She actually used them in her greenhouse, at the top of the dome. It would provide just enough heat to melt some of the snow sticking to the greenhouse and allow the snow to slide off.

 

[Hinotori]

Anything, including sheets will help. Ive had to talk down my panicky Mom and get her to take a sheet out to flowering fruit trees when there was hard freeze in the forecast.

I have big lawn garbage bags that I tent over plants with any branches or twigs I can find. Airspace between the plant and the protective cover helps insulate as well if you can pull it off.

 

[tortoise]

Sheets are usually enough, except for cucumbers/squash/pumpkin/etc.

Can stake an empty milk jug over each plant for a mini greenhouse and then throw a sheet or tarp over the top at night.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Just wondering how your potatoes fared?

 

[BarredBuff]

Just wondering how your potatoes fared?

They did fine last night. The hardest to come is tonight. BUT, the temperature forecast is looking much better. 30 instead of 25. I am going to check again this afternoon before I do anything.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Whew! Glad to hear that so far-so good!

 

[wyoDreamer]

Potatoes you can bury- just hill over them lightly. knock the dirt off the leaves in the morning. You should be hilling the potatoes as they grow anyway.

 

[Britesea]

good call, @wyoDreamer