Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower
Albert Camus
Now that Autumn has officially arrived and the days are getting shorter, can our first frosts be far behind? Some of you may have already been "visited". At my place, temperatures have gotten down into the mid to high 30's several times, but no frost yet. To buy time, and take advantage of the usual few warm weeks of Indian Summer, it pays to try to cover and save your tender veggies from those "icy fingers". I have my sheet blankets at the ready to quickly throw over my tomatoes and summer squash. It is important to trap the warmer daytime air underneath to protect your plants. Then remove the covers when the temps rise above freezing the next day. You may use anything you have for covers: sheets, tarps, plastic, or even several thicknesses of newspaper opened at the center fold. You need to keep the frost from actually touching the vegetable or else it "burns" it. Last year, I had a scare of 34 degrees on September 15th, but my first frost waited until October 9th to come my way. My killing freeze, where everything turns black and is frozen solid, didn't arrive until the night of October 29/30th. So I had almost three weeks between the two. I feel our first frost is going to be earlier this year. Are you ready for it?/Alice Rankin, Alice's Garden Spot.
DFO: If anyone has a question for Alice re: your fall garden, don't hesitate to post it here.
D.F. Oliveria started Huckleberries Online on Feb. 16, 2004. Oliveria's Sunday print Huckleberries is a past winner of the national Herb Caen Memorial Column contest.
have already been "visited". At my place, temperatures have gotten down into the mid to high 30's several times, but no frost yet. To buy time, and take advantage of the usual few warm weeks of Indian Summer, it pays to try to cover and save your tender veggies from those "icy fingers". I have my sheet blankets at the ready to quickly throw over my tomatoes and summer squash. It is important to trap the warmer daytime air underneath to protect your plants. Then remove the covers when the temps rise above freezing the next day. You may use anything you have for covers: sheets, tarps, plastic, or even several thicknesses of newspaper opened at the center fold. You need to keep the frost from actually touching the vegetable or else it "burns" it. Last year, I had a scare of 34 degrees on September 15th, but my first frost waited until October 9th to come my way. My killing freeze, where everything turns black and is frozen solid, didn't arrive until the night of October 29/30th. So I had almost three weeks between the two. I feel our first frost is going to be earlier this year. Are you ready for it?/Alice Rankin, Alice's Garden Spot.
