Prepping and protecting plants from first frost
Amy Jordan, Special to The Gazette
Thursday, October 9, 2008
We are approaching a time in the season that some gardeners dread, and others welcome…the first frost.
My opinion of the first frost varies with the years, and this year I’m ready. It has been an intense growing season with unbelievable weather, and I am worn out.
I get the question every year about how to protect plants from the first frost. My answer usually depends on what time of year the first frost arrives. If it is early October, I would encourage the effort to protect tender plants from cold temperatures because it could be several weeks before another frost occurs. The average first frost in Emporia usually occurs around October 15th. At that time, colder temperatures are more common and another frost may occur again in a few days. It depends on the ambition of the gardener to decide how much effort they want to put into protecting their plants from cold temperatures. Blankets or painters drop cloths work well to cover plants. Containers could be moved into a garage overnight.
If a frost is predicted and there is produce on tender vegetable plants such as tomatoes, peppers, squash, green beans, etc., harvest fruit from the plants to take inside. Tomatoes that are showing a little color should ripen in a few days on the kitchen counter. Green tomatoes will ripen off the vine but must have reached a certain phase of maturity called the ‘mature green stage.’ These tomatoes are mature enough to harvest though not yet red. Look for full-sized tomatoes with a white, star-shaped zone at the bottom end of the fruit. Wrap green tomatoes in newspaper and stack loosely in a carton or box. Store at 55 to 60 degrees and check often to remove any tomatoes that have ripened or spoiled. Tomatoes could be enjoyed until Thanksgiving or even Christmas using this method. While some are stored this way in my house, fried green tomatoes are one of my favorites.
Many plants can withstand colder temperatures, such as root crops like beets, turnips and carrots, cole crops like broccoli and cabbage, and greens such as lettuce, spinach and kale. These plants can usually be harvested until early to mid-November. Harvest sweet potatoes before a frost occurs and cure them in a warm, humid location for about a week.
Summer bulbs like canna lilies, calla lilies, caladium, elephant ear, gladiolas, and dahlia should be dug after frost has browned the foliage, then allowed to dry for about a week in a shady, well-ventilated site, such as a garage or tool shed. Remove excess soil and pack them in peat moss, vermiculite or perlite. Make sure bulbs don't touch, so that if one decays the rot doesn't spread to its neighbors. Dusting them with fungicide before storage will help prevent them from rotting. Caladium should be stored between 50 and 60 degrees F. The other bulbs mentioned should be stored near 40 degrees. Finding a good spot may be difficult. Some people place them against the basement wall farthest from the furnace, and insulate them so the wall keeps them cool.