Sorry to hear about your loss. I learned a couple years ago that I can't rely on anyone to do anything right so I did everything i could to set up irrigation system to keep my plants alive while I'm away. Not perfect but still much better than having others water them for me while I'm away.While I'm a cheapskate, I'm forced to spend a quite bit of money on irrigation system to ensure that every plant get watered. I have a week to set it up before I go out of town so hopefully I can get it done early enough to do early trial run to see if it works. Have you considered growing them in the ground using knitted bag or smart pots using topsoil? That's what I'm doing in a tiny section of my lawn and apparently they need much less water AND growing like weeds ( in a former plant bed that has been extensively ammended). Too bad, I can't do large numbers in the ground as my soil is not very ideal because I live on limestone rubbles and that means removing rocks that are in the way. If I ever started a tree farm, I would be using exclusively knitted bags and roottrapper bags to cut back on watering in hot weather...

If i recall correctly, you are growing in containers, right? If so then they will cool off much faster than in-ground soil does so container plants may need some protection to insulate the soil when in-ground plants wouldn't. As to another variety? There are hundreds if not thousands of possibilities but since you are buying transplants it will all depend on what is available for you to buy. We could list hundreds of suggestions but if transplants of them aren't for sale then it would jut be a waste of time. EX: all the ones tomatogreenthumb listed above would never be found as plants around here - they would all have to be grown from seed instead. But you "might" find a Big Beef or a Goliath in your part of the country. Why not investigate the local vendors first and make up a list of what is available for you to choose from? Then post that list and ask for recommendations. Dave

I gotta agree with Dave.. in general, I follow his plan of pick while the blushing is good, and after that first morning I look out the window with coffee in hand and see the white coating (for me its the long patch up the easement drive where the best dew and frost collects), that is the good frost around here.. Then at that point I strip down the warm plants.. and that depends on the plant. I have containers I will bring inside. Some plants that are heavily laden with fruit, then those get pulled out, cleaned up of dying foliage, and hung upside down in my solarium for a couple extra weeks of growing/storing/harvest.. not sure what one calls the process of hanging plants for other ripening. Anywho. Other plants that just have some greens and such on them- at first good frost they get stripped of fruit, plant cut up and placed into cartons for slow ripening.. then the plants tossed into the compost bin. I tend to do this process in stages.. like right now nights are starting to get down into the 50's, so the container plants have been brought in to acclimate to their fall inside season. When the forecast calls to dip down below 55, but above 42, I will pull plants for hanging up. When that first good frost hits, I will pull the whole shebang on whatever warm season is still out there.

Hi momdino... I'm in the same situation as you (see my post: [WS Babies *Already*! Newb needs help! What should I do?[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/ws-babies-already-newb-needs-help-what-should-i-do-dsvw-vd~5580842?n=5)) Mine germinated earlier and I had some 'babies'. Then our weather got much colder (8 F was the lowest) with snow.... ... and I noted all the perennial babies seemed a little sad but very much alive, while the annuals just didn't make it. Everything I direct sowed died, even perennials, as they'd also germinated. Last weekend I spent a day re-sowing the annuals, and filling more jugs (30 now), plus 3 totes of plastic cups equaling 60 cups. And now our weather forecast is identical to yours! Took the photo below this morning - our grass has turned green again for crying out loud! I intend to just leave them alone, and in April if there are any empty jugs or cups, I'll re-plant after all fear of freezing is gone. That's all I know to give as advice - being new to this as well : )