Cold weather is here. Are you ready?
Chris (6a in MA)
5 years ago
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SoCal Stewart (San Diego, Ca Zone 10A/10B)
5 years agoChris (6a in MA)
5 years agoRelated Discussions
can you direct sow cold weather veggies in FL?
Comments (8)Yes, you can use a greenhouse or hoop/tunnel cover to boost the growth of cool weather veggies. However, you're going to have to figure out a way to vent it - preferably automatically - and monitor the temperatures closely because sometimes it will get TOO hot in there. In a tightly-sealed enclosure, temperatures could climb to 100+ degrees on a mild, sunny day. Last frost dates (a.k.a. beginning of the warm weather growing season) range from early to late March for the cities you listed. The last frost dates are earlier farther east and closer to the coast. (I attached a link to a frost date map.) I want to reiterate what Zackey said about summer being a difficult time to grow many vegetables that you probably think of as summer vegetables. Most summer vegetables in the rest of the country are spring vegetables here - you don't want to delay planting them to wait for your cool-weather veggies to finish. They need to go in as soon as possible after the last frost. However, peppers (especially hot peppers), eggplants, okra, cowpeas, yard long beans, and sweet potatoes like the heat and will produce well in summer. If you can plan your garden accordingly, you can keep some of the cool weather crops going on a little later if you plan to follow them with these crops. Collards are one of the few cool-weather crops that can survive all summer, but flavor is best in the cool months. Daikon radishes seem to have some heat-tolerance, too. I am going to test some this year. But most cool-weather crops will bolt or die in April or May. I'd love to hear how your greenhouse works out. I have been thinking I need to build some low tunnels or something for my winter veggies. If nothing else, they would provide protection when we have damaging hard freezes like the ones earlier this month. Here is a link that might be useful: Florida last frost date map...See MoreGet ready for more cold weather :-(
Comments (18)Carol, Yes, well, it is hard not to hang out with cops since I'm married to one. (Grinning) You know, living here along the Red River, I am shocked by how many fugitives from Texas make a run for the river just trying to get to Oklahoma. I wonder if they think that law and order stops at the Texas bank of the Red River? Our local law enforcement officers do a great job of setting up and stopping those fugitives when they cross over into OK. I don't know if I could get them to help me lasso some onions though. I just wanted you to know that if your onions escaped and went on the lam, we'd be ready and waiting for them. I'm glad you have them firmly under control. They raised our forecast low from 24 to 26, but I covered up everything anyway. I expect we'll be colder than 26 so I just thought it was better safe than sorry. Last night we were below freezing for 9 hours, so if I had any glimmer of hope that some of those baby plums would survive, that's all over now. Larry, I can relate. Our entire property is a creek hollow in a low-lying river valley. After we'd lived here about a decade, I actually found our creek and creek hollow on a map and learned it is called Dry Hollow Creek. I guess that is where our low-lying area differs from yours....you stay wet and we stay ridiculously dry. I just wish we valley dwellers were cooler in summer since we have to put up with being colder in fall through spring, but it just doesn't work out that way, does it? We have friends who live up on a high ridge near us, and all of them have white limestone rocks, so I guess I'm probably better off in a creek hollow, where my worst enemy is dense, red clay. I think it is easier to amend clay than to dig out a million rocks. We have a lawn overseeded with winter rye and if you walk on it while it is frozen, you damage the grass and it turns black. Today we have black footprints all over the place because we were out early while the temperatures still were below freezing. This morning we went to the Lowe's in Ardmore and, well, let's just say that either someone didn't cover up the tomato transplants well enough, or it got so cold there that the row cover (which I could see piled up in a big pile near the cashier's station in the outdoor garden center) didn't protect the tomato plants from freezing. The ones on the top row, which were the ones in big 5" peat pots, were badly frozen and the ones on lower shelves were in various stages of suffering and dying. If they don't do a better job of covering up plants tonight, they won't have many tomato plants to sell tomorrow. Let's hope everyone's plants make it through tonight and tomorrow night. At our house, tomorrow night looks pretty good---I think they're saying 37 degrees. That doesn't mean I'll be out putting tomatoes in the ground tomorrow, but now I can start watching the calendar, checking the soil temps and plotting and planning for "the day". I have a feeling the weather is going to make tomato-planting more challenging this year than last. Dawn...See MoreWhen you get really cold weather,
Comments (41)Since I have new windows in my house, I don't turn the heat up any higher when it is very, very cold out. It is below zero at night now with the arctic air. I have an electric mattress pad on my bed and decided not to use my down comforter this winter as I prefer the heat from the mattress pad. During the day, I wear sweats and have been wearing an old thermal top under my sweatshirt. I also put a throw over my legs when I am sitting. I am going to make chili tomorrow and don't plan to leave the house on Monday which should be the coldest day. Tonight on the news they said we should warm up our cars for 15 minutes before driving....See MoreOk, stormwatch people, show me how you dress for cold weather
Comments (27)As said before, form follows function. Couple tips: Do your feet get cold easily? Mine don't so I don't have an issue there, but my feet do sweat easily so I have to "dress down" on the foot warmers and put heavier stuff on the body. If your feet feel chilly, wiggle your toes a lot. Sounds silly but the friction and circulation will help warm your feet and increase circulation. If you do feel chilly, stand up. It makes the heat go through the body rather than vent out the horizontal planes of your legs or more if you lie down. The increased calorie consumption produces more heat, plus, warm air rises in the body too, hence the known importance of keeping your head covered and insulated since the heat rises out of the top of your head. But your shoulders are often overlooked. Heat also leaves from the top of your shoulders. I've frozen my hands several times, last time was second degree so my hands are very sensitive now in cold weather. Even cold water running on them can occasionally be very uncomfortable. Here's someone who says layers=comfort. Also, you don't need dedicated outer wear. Things like flannel lounging pants fit under jeans nicely, or sweatpants will go over them. The old "winter woolies" as I call them, aka long underwear, union suits, etc are great, but again, if you get warm, regulate the temp. Don't overheat or you'll freeze easily. This can be a problem when you go inside. With top layers, they come off easily, but if you go into 70°-80° temps and have long underwear under several layers, you'll overheat, sweat and damp clothes are COLD clothes. You may need to change socks or underclothes if you do sweat. The biggest thing is to use common sense. If you get cold, go inside or get more clothes. Eat well. You will likely burn more calories cranking out more heat. Stay hydrated. Never thought I'd be one to say this, but it is true, avoid alcohol in cold weather. It doesn't warm you up in reality, it can cool you down. (Hence a cold beer on a hot day!! LOL) Warm beverages rather than hot are also better. And believe it or not, your state of mind will make a difference. If you think you'll get cold, you will. Not thinking about it will help. Extremities are the first things to freeze of course, so watch your fingers, toes, hands, feet and yes, your nose and ears....See MoreChris (6a in MA)
5 years agoChris (6a in MA)
5 years agoRob Blomquist
5 years agoKara 9b SF Bay Area CA
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoChris (6a in MA)
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoChris (6a in MA)
5 years agomyermike_1micha
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agorina_Ontario,Canada 5a
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoisde02(zone5b)
5 years agoChris (6a in MA)
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoEryn Falas zone8
5 years agoLars
5 years agoEryn Falas zone8
5 years agoSpanishFly - (Mediterranean)
5 years ago
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