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okiedawn1

Tonight's Freeze and Frost Danger

Okiedawn OK Zone 7
13 years ago

The National Weather Service is predicting lows in the 30s over much of the state tonight, and with those temperatures comes the risk of patchy frost, heavier frost in the colder locations or freeze damage to plants.

One thing we need to remember at this time of year is that forecasts are general for any given area and a given microclimate may go colder or stay warmer than the general forecast temperature. Remember that under the right set of conditions, frost can form at temperatures above 32 degrees....often when the low temp is 37 or 38 and occasionally even at 39 degrees. The kind of conditions that are conducive to frost forming at above-freezing temps include temps in the 30s, low to no wind, and clear skies. If you have warm-season plants in the ground and are expecting temps conducive to the formation of frost, you might want to cover them up tonight. These kinds of frosts most often occur in low-lying areas because cold air tends to sink.

Finally, forecasts can be wrong and by that I mean wrong in the worst possible way. In separate years, a couple of us here on this forum had a forecast low of 50, and went down to 32 degrees instead. We both had significant losses of many plants, esp. tomato plants, those years, so always cover up your plants if there's the slightest chance of a frost or a freeze.

You can see the areas at risk of a freeze or frost labeled on the graphic on the linked page.

A Freeze Warning has already been issued for the Oklahoma panhandle and adjacent parts of other states.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: NWS Norman Office Enhanced Page

Comments (24)

  • Okiedawn OK Zone 7
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    At 2:19 p.m. the NWS issued a Frost Advisory for the following counties in Oklahoma: Logan, Payne, Oklahoma, Lincoln, Grady, McClain, Cleveland, Pottawatomie, Stephens, Garvin, Cotton, and Jefferson. In western North Texas: Wichita, Archer and Clay. A frost advisory means frost is possible and the impact would be that sensitive plants may be killed if left uncovered.

    The text of the advisory is linked below.

    The Frost Advisory was issued because the NWS is forecasting lows in the mid-30s, clear skies and light winds that will result in patchy frost developing late tonight into Thursday morning.

    Sometimes they put additional counties under an advisory if the forecast worsens or sometimes they upgrade the Advisory to an official Warning, so watch the forecast for your area for changes.

    Dawn

    Here is a link that might be useful: Text of Frost Advisory

  • boomer_sooner
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for the warning. I'm in Cleveland county.

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  • kaitsmama
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Excuse the newbie question...

    What is best to cover the plants? I have seen plant blankets at the store, but last year was driving down the road and saw a garden covered in what looked like old bed sheets... :?/

    Laura

  • Okiedawn OK Zone 7
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Boomer Sooner, You're welcome. I thought of you and your tomato plants as soon as I saw the advisory. I was expecting them to issue one but got tired of waiting for it (lol), so went ahead and posted this thread at 1:51 p.m. and THEN they issued the advisory. Sometimes the NWS forecasters are not as quick to expect frosts as I am--but they are bound by certain parameters while I can holler "watch out for frost" on any occasion I think our plants are in danger.

    Laura, When covering plants, practically anything is better than nothing, except in the case of plastic sheeting. I'll explain more about plastic sheeting in a second.

    You can cover up plants with many different types of material. I have some of that floating row cover 'frost blanket' type material and I use it often. Its' advantage is that it is very lightweight and is somewhat light permeable so you can leave it on the plants on a sunny but very cold day. Because it is lightweght, you have to weigh it down with something all around the edges or it will blow into the next county. Different weights of the Reemay or Agri-bon type frost blankets give different amounts of frost protection. Mine is guaranteed down to 28 degrees.

    You can use old bedsheets, fabric curtains, sheer curtains, blankets, comforters, sleeping bags, etc. You can use cardboard boxes or bushel baskets (put a big rock or brick or something on top to hold them into place), 5-gallon buckets, kitty litter buckets, flower pots (put a piece of duct tape over the drainage holes so frost won't drift down through those holes and settle on your plant foliage), rubbermaid type storage tubs, etc.

    You can use plastic sheeting, whether black or white or gray or clear, or tarps, as long as you use something (anything!) to suspend the plastic above the plant foliage to that the plastic sheeting or similar material is not making direct contact with the foliage. If a frost occurs, any place that the foliage touches the plastic will be frost-damaged.

    If frost threatens and you don't have enough material to cover up all your warm season plants, you can GENTLY heap grass clippings, chopped/shredded autumn leaves, or straw or hay around the plants to help keep them warm. Then, just before sunset, lightly 'sprinkle' some of the grass clippings, leaves or hay over the tops of the plants so they are lightly covered. Put enough to barely cover the topmost foliage but not enough to cause plant stems or branches to break. In the morning, go outside and uncover the plants ASAP after sunrise so they don't roast under the mulch.

    With temps only expected in the mid-30s and a frost that could be patchy or heavy, you don't have to worry as much about putting a heavyweight covering over them like you would if the temps were going below freezing. I'll cover up our granddaughter's beds with their mixed cool season and warm season veggies, flowers and herbs with the floating row cover, and then I'll cover my corn with sheets. Everything else I have in the ground is a cool-season plant that I'm not worried about. All my tomatoes, peppers and other warm-season plants are going into the garage as soon as I finish typing this. Actually, I've already got 75% of them moved back into the garage within the last 45 minutes because the wind is getting a bit rowdy here this afternoon and the plants were begging for mercy.

    At this time of year, you can NEVER trust a clear, windfree night with temps in the 30s because it is a setup for the worst possible case to develop...and the risk is even higher when the moon is full.

    Dawn

  • owiebrain
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Dawn, how does a full moon affect frost? I'd never heard that before so just curious.

    Diane

  • sammy zone 7 Tulsa
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Tonight it is supposed to get down to 41 in Broken Arrow. Tomorrow night it should get to 39. My tomatoes are on the patio, and I have set some in the pots, but they are still in their own containers that I bought them in.

    Most of my tomatoes are beside the chimney away from the wind. Wouldn't it be bad for the plant to bring it inside since they have been out for a week?

    What about lettuce, spinach and carrots that are growing in pots? Should they be covered?

    I guess I can be thankful for the ants. They have delayed my planting.

    Sammy

  • oklibrarian
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We're expecting 37 up here by Claremore. I don't have much out yet, just some new creeping phlox plants out front, and okra seeds that I direct sowed on sunday that haven't popped up yet. What needs covering?

  • Okiedawn OK Zone 7
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Diane,

    Um, you're not hoping for a scientific answer, are you, because I don't know of a proven connection. What I do know is that all my life, long-term farmers and gardeners have warned me to watch for frost on the night of a full moon. More often than not, they've been right. Does that mean I can prove a connection or believe anyone can 'prove' a connection? No. Some things can't be proven but seem true anyway, if you know what I mean. So, I guess you could call it an "old wive's tale", with apologies to all the wives out there. lol The belief that a frost is more likely on the nights around a full moon is expressed in the old saying "clear moon, frost soon". Does that mean the moon influences frosts? Heck, I don't know. I think it is more likely that you notice a clear, bright sky on the night of a full moon, and then you see a frost on the next day and then you put them together in your mind. It does seem like folks who believe in 'planting by the moon' are more prone to believe in the full moon--frost connection.

    As an aside, you know that my DH is a police officer, right? Well, on the night of a full moon, and often the night before and after as well, they have nothing but crazy people and more trouble all night long. It happens month in and month out. Proven? Who knows? But anyone who works in law enforcement will tell you that people who have mental health issues seem to have flare-ups around the days nearest the full moon.

    I suspect there is much in this world that we don't really understand.

    Sammy, It won't hurt to bring them in. It would hurt them more to leave them out and let frost damage them.

    With plants that have some cold tolerance like lettuce, spinach and carrots, I wouldn't worry too much. They should have enough cold tolerance to shrug off a few hours of frost. The only concern I would have is that it has been so warm lately that they may have lost a bit of their cold-hardiness...so, if there's any doubt in your mind about whether they can handle the cold, go ahead and cover them up. Covering them up won't hurt them although it might not be strictly necessary.

    I hate nights like this...it is always hard to know just what to do.

    At least we have some warning with this cold night. (Tomorrow night may be a repeat.)

    There are some nights where no frost is forecast and the temps are not even forecast to go that low and yet, it happens anyway. Why? I don't know, but I can see it coming sometimes. We'll have a 70 or 80 degree day with a night forecast in the mid 40s or higher and then I'll notice the temperature drops like a rock from about 5 pm to 8 or 9 pm. If my temperature here has dropped from, say 75 at 4 p.m. to 45 at 9 p.m., I become concerned that we're going to be colder than the 40 or 42 they've forecast and I run outside and cover up everything. Most of the time that's a smart decision because we'll hit the mid 30s or lower. I don't know what happens to cause that sort of unexpected cold night, but I see them a couple of times a year.

    I think we forget sometimes that forecasting is not an exact science, so I always try to watch 'my' weather and see what it tells me.

    Dawn

  • sammy zone 7 Tulsa
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I did bring them in. The wind has been so cold this evening that I had to stop working outside.

    Thanks again, Dawn.

  • oklibrarian
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Went ahead and covered the phlox. the seeds I'm not too worried about, as long as they don't take it into their heads to sprout tonight. And i can verify the full moon craziness--my MiL was an ER nurse back in the day, and had the exact same tales as Dawn's husband.

  • tulsacityfarmer
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I usually never plant until April 15th, but the long term forecast made me plant Saturday. Two hundred tomatoes and 100 bell pepper plants. I am just giving to cross my fingers here in Tulsa. I have three hundred more tomatoes and one hundred more pepper plants to put out this weekend. And no remax to cover them.

  • Okiedawn OK Zone 7
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Tulsacityfarmer,

    I think it likely your plants will be safe tonight. Your forecast shows the winds staying up high enough all night so I can't imagine the frost would settle on your plants even if it could form. It is supposed to be windy enough here in Love County tonight, too, that the frost shouldn't be an issue. (For us here in Love County tomorrow night is more of a dangerous frost night for us, and tonight, not so much.)

    You know, if your wind dies, you often can protect the plants by turning on a sprinkler before the frost hits. I don't resort to that often, but it usually works.

    All my tomato and pepper plants are still in their flats in the garage/barn at night and out on the concrete slab in full sun during the day. Dragging them in and out gets old because there's a lot of them, but it beats losing them to a freeze and having to replant. I almost let the hot weather persuade me to plant early and then I looked back at all the dates we'd had frost here after our 'average last frost date' in the last decade and decided that I wouldn't. Now I am glad I didn't. No one else that I know of in Love County has planted any warm-season plants yet. Most of the gardens we drive by in our part of the county have onions, chives, cabbage, broccoli, (and probably potatoes) etc. planted but not much else (or they have nothing at all yet). I guess that we've all learned from the last few years of repeated late frosts here.

    Our wind is still blowing in the 30s here and shows no sign of abating. Since a higher wind works to your advantage there, I hope it blows hard all night in Tulsa.

    Dawn

  • p_mac
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I've been watching this darned cool front so I really don't have much in the ground yet. A few carrot seeds and some spinach....and over 50 Packman broccoli plants. I hardened off the brocs and just planted them last nite (tuesday). They're only about 3 inches tall....please tell me they'll be alright??? I don't know I've got anything large enuf to cover my 30' rows.....hope, hope, hope!!

    Surely it's not going to be bad enough to damage my wild plums that have already leafed out, right? And maybe since I'm hoping I'm so lucky...I should go over to Riverwind so I can have some extra money to buy replacements!? LOL!

    Paula

  • elkwc
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I've heard the old saying about a full moon and frost all my life. Have it it hold true many times. I know many say it isn't so. I will add a link to an article about it. I know my Mother kept records and swore by it. I know we used to have an old weatherman who was on the TV and a local radio station who would warn there was a good chance of a frost due to it being close to a full moon. I know many say that it is too do with if you have a full bright moon you get more radiant type of cooling do to no cloud cover. I will just say two years a go a lady predicted a hard late frost for this area due to a full moon coming up before the weather men ever did and sure enough we got a hard May frost.

    The other thing to remember like Dawn says all the time your temp can be lower than that a mile from you. Last night is a good example. The station a mile from me on a high spot recorded a low of 37. The station 4 miles NW of me at a similar elevation recorded 35. At the time the station a mile from me showed 38 I went out to do chores. There was ice around the side of my dogs water pan with slivers jutting out from the edge. And light frost on the windshield. So no doubt in my mind it was colder here. My indoor/outdoor showed around 32 at that time. And I saw the same thing last fall with the first freeze. In one area of the garden I lost my plants. In other areas of my property I had plants that were fine. Many factors enter in. I used to be comfortable with setting plants out early and putting a five gallon plastic bucket around them. Not so much anymore after the last 3-4 years. Why I'm being more patient and starting plants later.

    Like I said in another thread our soil temps are high enough to plant most things now. Plenty high for most sweet or field corn. Some farmers have started planting. And others who have experienced losses or stunted plants over the last 3-4 years are still waiting. And they of all people like to get it out as early as possible. The more growing they can get while it is cooler before the heat starts the less expense they have irrigating the crop. And they like me don't worry about a one night cold snap and seed that is in the ground. It will be fine. The problem is after it germinates and 1-3 inches tall. If it don't kill it it can be stunted and also mature later. I waited to plant mine. Not because of tonight but my concern what is down the road ten days. I might put two half rows in this weeekend. Of course I can replant cheaper than a farmer who has 2000 acres. Hope everyone can protest their crops and come out untouched. The latest predictions here are 28 degrees. Jay

    Here is a link that might be useful: Early Frost Dates and full moom

  • Okiedawn OK Zone 7
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Paula,

    The Packman broccoli should be fine since you took the time to harden it off.

    It shouldn't be cold enough or frosty enough to damage the wild plums although the winds might blow the plums right off the trees. (Just teasing about the winds!)

    Jay,

    That's a great link. You know, I'd never argue with a scientist or researcher if they showed us 'proof' there is no verifiable connection between the full moon and frosts but that doesn't mean I'd think they were right. I'd take the word of the farmers and gardeners over the scientists and researcher because the farmers and gardeners have the hands-on experience, even if they can't back it up with scientific research!

    You know, when we first moved here, an old-timer who came into the Indian Territory on a covered wagon when he was a small child in the very early 1900s (before statehood) told me we had moved from Fort Worth to what he described as "the only place in Oklahoma where you'll have hotter summers than you had in Fort Worth and colder winters too". I thought he was exaggerating...sort of like 'hazing' the new folks, you know. But, deep down, I figured that since he'd lived here (at that time) for over 80 years I'd better pay attention to what he said. Sure enough, he was right....we not only suffer through hotter summers than Fort Worth's here, but colder winters too. I've learned more from all the old-timers here than you could ever learn from a book or a website....when dealing with the natural world of plants and animals there is just nothing that equals hands-on experience and nobody pays closer attention to weather than the folks whose livelihood depends upon successfully raising a crop.

    Dawn

  • soonergrandmom
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I am grateful that my winter's food supply doesn't depend on my gardening skills. LOL Just getting ready for planting takes a lot of time. I have a few things in the ground, but nothing that should be harmed. I have broccoli in cups that has been outside for weeks so it should be OK (I think). I have two of those metal wagons made for gardening and each will hold four flats of plants. The tomatoes are in small cups so they all fit on the wagons, so I move them into the sun, then out of the sun, then away from the strong wind, or roll them inside a building if it is going to be cold. It takes a little planning, but it is easy to do.

    The peppers, on the other hand, are a real pain. At least I didn't get them started early and they are still in small pots and fit neatly into daisy trays. They started their harding off today, and it is a pain to carry all of those trays in and out.

    Dawn, That reminded me to ask you about Mini Belle Peppers. Do the plants stay small or do they get as large as regular bell pepper plants? Are they a good canidate for a container. I had a package that I bought from Thompson and Morgan and I planted 20 seeds which was just part of the package, and I got 17 seedlings. If they are small plants it's no biggie, but if they are big, I need to rethink the space issue.

  • elkwc
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Dawn my Mother always said a full moon didn't mean it would freeze. But if conditions were right then it was more likely too. I can remember times when they might be saying upper 30's to low 40's. And if it was a full moon and clear skies she would go protect the tender things. And it would freeze many times. I know just two years ago she was talking to me and said do you have things protected as it is a full moon and a clear sky so will freeze tonight. I told her I had checked the weather sites and 37 was the lowest any said so felt ok. The next morning it had dipped as I remember to 29 and nipped some things. Including all my fruit tree blooms. She would also say you can plant now as by the time of the next full moon it will be after May 15th so you are safe. And I never had it fail here. It is like gardening by the signs of the moon. Many don't. She did and always had a nice garden. Jay

  • Okiedawn OK Zone 7
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Jay,

    I always look ahead to the next full moon (the 28th of this month) when I'm getting ready to plant warm-season crops too. I agree the full moon thing isn't 100% reliable, but it seems right more often than it is wrong.

    There's someone on the Tomato Forum, maybe Timmy (?) who always mentions the full moon closest to his last frost date when he's figuring out when he believes it is safe to set out his tomatoes there in the northeastern USA.

    I consider a lot of other factors along with the full moon, including the size of my bur oak tree's leaves, the size of the pecan leaves and what kind of insect and animal activity I'm seeing. It may sound goofy to someone who doesn't go "by the signs" but I believe it works.

    I wish gardening were as simple as following recommended planting dates and checking soil temperatures and basing planting on those factors alone, but weather and climate are much more complicated than that.

    One thing that puzzled me last week and this week was why we haven't seen the snakes up, out and about yet because we've had lots of days in the 70s and 80s. Also, normally we have huge swarms of yellow jackets and red wasps all over the place by now and I've only seen a handful this year. So, deep in my heart I know that the snakes and wasp type critters (among others) have a way of 'knowing' and if they weren't up and active yet, then the cold nights weren't done with us yet. Between the lack of that wildlife activity and the 10-day forecast last week which said we'd be near 40 here on Wed-Thurs nights, I knew to hold back and not transplant any warm season plants yet.

    However, I'm also seeing some nice signs of spring. I have been seeing bluebirds this week, and our Purple Martin subadults returned over the weekend. Oh, and the Indian Paintbrush and bluebonnets are blooming. All of those are later than usual, but at least they've finally shown up.

    We're already down to 50 here, from a high of 71, so I'm thinking it is likely we'll get colder than the forecast 37 degrees here.

    Dawn

  • owiebrain
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for explaining that. No, I don't think science has it all figured out yet but I would have loved to read the reasoning behind it. Now that I know it's at least a possibility, I'll keep that in the back of my mind.

    By the way, the snakes and wasps have been out in full force here for over a week! Maybe that means we won't go down quite as low here. I can hope, right?

    Diane

  • Okiedawn OK Zone 7
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Diane,

    As far east as y'all are, you probably didn't have a frost. We went down to 34 briefly here but no frost. Our local forecaster said on the 6 o'clock news that our county wouldn't have frost because the wind would stay up all night, and he was right. We are supposed to have a frost tomorrow morning.

    If your snakes are up, you ought to be frost-free because they usually wait until there's been substantial warm-up before they start venturing out and about. I have seen wasps swarm too early---like after we've had a couple of February days in the 80s (didn't have any of those this year), but they cannot be accused of swarming too early this year.

    Dawn

  • Okiedawn OK Zone 7
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Carol,

    Different mini bell peppers get different heights, but they are mostly about the same size as a typical sweet bell pepper plant most of the time. One of the plants from the packet of mixed Mini Bell pepper seed I used last year, though, got 4' tall and had sort of long arching branches. It was completely different from all the others and it is the only one I've seen with that sort of arching growth habit, and I think I've grown mini bells of various types since 2003. Although the branches were long and arching, the peppers were mostly on the main stem, not on side branches. It had small, rounder mini bells that ripened from red to green and looked more like a hot cherry pepper than a mini bell. Even as large as it was, I think it would have been fine in a pot and so would all the other mini bells. I don't think I've ever had a pepper not grow and produce just fine in a pot, as long as the pots are at least 2 gallons or so.

    When I was carrying the flats of peppers from the screened-in porch to the garage last night (so they wouldn't be exposed to our forecast 37 degrees, which ended up being 34 degrees), I saw that the foliage was oddly splotched with a lighter green. It looked peculiar. (Well, except for fish pepper which IS a variegated leaf pepper.) I'm walking along carrying the flat and thinking "Hmmm, wonder what caused that?" Once inside the garage, I sat the flat on the table and touched a leaf. The light green splotch wiped off, and that's when I realized that the heavy winds (they gusted into the 30s all day, and even hit 40 mph) had blown pollen through the screens and left little evenly spaced splotches of pollen all over the leaves of the pepper plants. What a relief! I was afraid we had a foliar disease thing starting up before we even had the plants in the ground.

    Dawn

  • soonergrandmom
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ahh - New plant disease. LOL I almost did the same thing, but not with peppers. I have a newly planted salad bed that I stuck a few of my transplants into and planted seed in the rest. A few days later, I could see little green things all over it. Well some of the lettuces had started to come up and were teeny, tiny, but the rest was something blowing in from the neighbors tree. It was bright green and in tiny little pieces.

    Thanks for the pepper info. I was hoping that they would be a small plant, but was afraid they would not be. I think there are going to be some crowded plants in my garden this year.

    I wish seed companies would put the size of the fruit or other edible part of the plant AND the 'average' size of the plant on seed packages. It would certainly make planning easier.....and I HATE, HATE, HATE generic seed packages. If it weren't for the internet we probably wouldn't know what we were planting. LOL

    Actually I don't mind the Thompson and Morgan method of a generic package inside the 'picture pack'. I think the foil pack may also protect for a little longer. It looks like a good business decision to me since you don't have to use colored and expensive printing to print packs for things that never make it to the shelf. Just stuff the pack as your inventory needs require. With the date stamped on the inside pack only, you could use the same outside pack for years, but only pay printing costs for the ones you really sell or display. I think maybe the Brits got it right on that one. LOL

    I had two tomato plants outside last night. One was in a container and covered with a milk jug with the cap off and the bottom cut out. I slid it under a glass top table for the night, and the other was in the center of a huge container with a window across the top. The window didn't cover the top of the pot, but did help to shield the plant a little. Everything here looks good but it still feels cool at 48 degrees.

    I need to go pull my 'tomato wagons' out into the sun. Just as I was typing this the temp jumped to 50 so I guess the peppers get to come out also. We're walking, walking, walking. I need to go move a few more from their tiny blocks to a pot. I'm almost done with that task, but I am getting some pepper seed in the mail this week and I know I will have to plant a few of those. Do I need them? No, of course not, but they will be pretty in the garden. LOL

  • Adella Bedella
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I saw this posting yesterday and covered up the roses and Impatiens. I brought the rhododendrons, ferns, and all the veggie plants in overnight. I guess I'll do it again tonight too.

    Interesting about the wasps and snakes. I've seen wasps, but no snakes. I heard some kids at school say they had already seen snakes so I know some are out.

    I found a nice fat toad out in my flower bed a couple of nights ago. I hadn't seen one in several years so that was kind of cool. I've also seen a beetle and a stinkbug. Those aren't so cool, but I guess it means warmer temps are on the way.

  • Okiedawn OK Zone 7
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Carol, I love to mix ornamental peppers into the backyard beds with tropical-looking ornamentals like cannas, castor oil bean, ornamental sweet peppers and ornamental striped corn. I have four or five flats of ornamental pepper plants to use in the backyard and around the patio and screened-in porch. More ornamental beds for me.......less bermuda grass to mow. Did I 'need' all those ornamental peppers? No, but I like having them. I probably have more sweet and hot peppers than we need, but I hated to cut back on the number of pepper plants because they do not produce as well every year as they did last year. I just knew if I planted fewer pepper plants this year, we'd have a severe drought and I'd get, like, 3 peppers per plant. So, I've got a whole flat of hot peppers and a whole flat of sweet peppers and if they produce as well as they did last year, I'll just have lots more to freeze.

    adellabedella, Seeing a stinkbug this early is a really bad thing. I suppose the early hot temps in the 80s brought him or her out. In a good year, I won't see stink bugs until July. I hope it is now a dead stinkbug.

    Dawn


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