I just planted several tomatoe plants and now our weather report says the temps will get down to 35 tonight. It seldom gets that temp. this time of year, but a cold front decided different this year. Will my tomatoes be OK or should I cover them? If so, what would you recommend?
2007-05-17 05:52:15 · 7 answers · asked by irish s 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Other - Home & Garden
I would cover them, go to a fabric store and get a lite muslin, its cheap and it will kepp the frost off. you can also use a large trash bag, does the same job. just stake it down
2007-05-17 05:57:35 · answer #1 · answered by melissaw77 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is a couple of things you can do there are water filled plant protectors you can buy to put around plants, last time I seen them they were a little more then I wanted to spend. So what I do is go to your closet and find some old bed sheets and cover them with that. Make sure you weight down the sheet with something like some rocks or even lay a shovel over the ends so the cloth won't fly away. You could even use clothes pins to attach them to the tomato cages. I use the clothes pins myself. This will help save your plants and just remove when the weather warms up again.
2007-05-17 06:07:56 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It could go either way. I had the same situation not long ago, didn't cover anything,and regretted no doing so. Try old gal. milkjugs(cut out the top to make room for the plant), placed over the young plant. If however, your plant is larger, use old blankets, sheeting etc. to cover your plants. If by chance you should use plastic (not recommended) BE SURE to remove early the next morning cause the plastic will hold moisture inside and the sun plus the moisture will creat a steam bath for your plants that they won't appreciate.
2007-05-17 06:00:41 · answer #3 · answered by skeeosh 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We had the same thing happen a few weeks ago. You do want to cover them. If you use a plastic material, cover with a cloth material first or the plastic will draw the cold to the plants. I covered mine with old blankets and some straw.
2007-05-17 06:02:42 · answer #4 · answered by sensible_man 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
35 isn't quite freezing, but if you have an old blanket that you can tent over them with some stakes, that should protect them just fine. Make sure the blanket touches the ground all around so that the cold air does not come in.
2007-05-17 06:00:23 · answer #5 · answered by sallyvisualfuture 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Even cardboard boxes will protect the plants..
One note the forcast temperature is calculated at 6ft off the ground It might be 10 degrees colder on the ground
2007-05-17 06:26:25 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You must be near me-I'm in northwest Ohio and have to dig out my buckets for my roses and stuff too tonight. I use 5 gallon buckets for mine. They are tall enough to give room and not squish, keeps the moisture off if it gets damp, and I am able to shove the buckets in the ground a little ways to make it stay. Good luck!
2007-05-17 06:03:31 · answer #7 · answered by breezer 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋