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Cold weather veggie gardening experts...

The Tradition

HR King
Apr 23, 2002
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So, I have quite a variety of cool weather veggies coming along here at Tradition Manor. Onions, softneck garlic, broccoli, carrots, lettuce and spinach.

This weekend's forecast cold snap has this Florida boy a little spooked. I know the onions and the broccoli will be fine. They're big and hardened off. And of course, the garlic prefers it to be cold.

But the carrots are just sprouts with their first showing of true leaves. Should I worry about them?

And I sowed the spinach and lettuce seeds on Sunday. The weather has been cool, cloudy and misty, perfect for a great germination situation, but nothing popping up yet, and I wouldn't expect that until after Christmas at the earliest.

But my question is, should I cover the lettuce and spinach seedbeds with frost blankets to prevent the soil from getting too cold? They're in 18-gallon self-watering tubs up on a deck, not in the ground, so the soil temperature is much closer to actual air temperature, and we're potentially headed down into the high 20s two nights straight, and below 40 for four nights. I've read that germination for lettuce and spinach won't happen below 40 degrees, but I don't know if that'll kill seeds after a few days of great germination temps or not.

Any reason to worry about any of these cold hardy crops?
 
Sorry Trad as I can't help with your answer but I'm scared for my little trees I planted in August. Got a Meyer lemon and a fruit cocktail tree both around 4' high. Maybe 3 years old. The lemon tree has dozens of baby lemons growing on it. Fruit cocktail tree has Meyer Lemon, Persian Lime, and Valencia orange branches. Got a couple dozen tiny baby lemons and limes on that one.

I don't want to lose my babies. They're covered with frost bags but I'm still worried
 
Sorry Trad as I can't help with your answer but I'm scared for my little trees I planted in August. Got a Meyer lemon and a fruit cocktail tree both around 4' high. Maybe 3 years old. The lemon tree has dozens of baby lemons growing on it. Fruit cocktail tree has Meyer Lemon, Persian Lime, and Valencia orange branches. Got a couple dozen tiny baby lemons and limes on that one.

I don't want to lose my babies. They're covered with frost bags but I'm still worried

@Kozisek How cold (and more importantly) how LONG will those trees be subjected to freezing temperatures?
 
Next 5 days all have lows below freezing. Daytime highs range from 35-45. Should I just leave them covered or uncover/recover everyday?
 
Next 5 days all have lows below freezing. Daytime highs range from 35-45. Should I just leave them covered or uncover/recover everyday?

You'll have to take the covers off during the day if it's sunny.

Make sure the ground has been watered (dry ground will retain less heat).

Lemon trees are among the most cold-hardy citrus varieties when established. Yours are kinda young, though. Temps in the high 20s for a few hours shouldn't be a problem. Temps in the low 20s for many hours could be a big problem. Temps in the teens could be catastrophic.

Putting some other source of warmth under the covers (like old-style Christmas lights or a flood light mounted on a ground stake) will help a lot.
 
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not directly related to op's question but i've been considering getting a aerogarden farm model. might be the answer when it comes to less hardy veggies.
i already have one of their smaller units and lamp-panel -- my indoor plants do far better than the outside dwellers. no weather or bugs related headaches either.
 
As a gardener, I ultimately share your concerns about cold weather. Carrots can be a little tender, but if you cover them with something like a frost blanket or a sheet, they'll be fine. As for spinach and lettuce, cover them with frost blankets. You don't want the soil to get too cold and kill those precious seeds before they can germinate. Speaking of sprouting, I have been using AutoPot for some time now as they are convenient. You can purchase them at https://www.happyhydro.com/collections/autopots. All in all, keep an eye on the weather and take all necessary precautions to protect your plants. And remember, if something goes wrong, there's always next season.
 
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As a gardener, I ultimately share your concerns about cold weather. Carrots can be a little tender, but if you cover them with something like a frost blanket or a sheet, they'll be fine. As for spinach and lettuce, cover them with frost blankets. You don't want the soil to get too cold and kill those precious seeds before they can germinate.

Jamie,

When is it a good time to plant sugar-bots?
 
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This lady is in Brooksville. It's gets cold there.




 
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