Shame On Me

I listened to the weatherman.

Saturday forecast: Frost Warning! Dutifully covered the veggies. Result: no frost.

Sunday forecast: Frost Warning! Dutifully covered the veggies. Result: no frost.

Monday forecast: Frost Advisory. Dutifully covered the veggies. Result: no frost.

Tuesday forecast: Low in the 40s. Didn't cover the veggies. You guessed it. Had a light frost. Most survived, but the cherry tomatoes are frostbit on most of their leaves.

Question: Do y'all think they'll survive?

Cherry tomatoes are very hardy plants, can usually withstand a light frost, especially if lower stems aren't affected. Thankfully we didn't get any frosts this past week, and mine are thriving! Covered with fruit, but without warmth, not growing very big yet. Oh well, didn't get ripe tomatoes by Memorial Day this year... hopefully will have lots by Father's Day.

If you want to make sure plants survive, prune off affected leaves, makes them less susceptible to disease later in the season.

They should recover Brook. I had a neighbor who covered his tomatoes with _glass_canning jars last year for that freak freeze (or so we thought) about the 20th of April. They turned black and looked pitiful.He cut the bad leaves off and they caught right back up.

Thanks, guys,

I'll trim the affected leaves tomorrow and we'll see what happens.

I can sympathize, Brook. I moved a lot of plants inside back under lights last Friday, what with snow in the forecast here. Had five straight nights with pretty hard frosts. Moved everything back out yesterday because the forecast low was 40-something. Then late in the day I checked the forecast again: Frost warning. So I moved everything back in.

But the forecast is looking up now. I may even put some tender plants in the ground this weekend, but be ready to cover them if there's another downturn in the weather.

Gardening keeps life interesting.

Uh, huh. Do you know the old Chinese curse?

May you live in interesting times.

The first lesson a gardener should learn is NEVER listen to the weather man! LOL!
They seem to be right only about half the time. I have been covering up the last few nights and our weather called for low of 41, been breaking the records every night lately.
Just got to go with gut feelings. Comes with gardening for the last 50 years.
Hope they recover. Most plants can if its not a hard freeze.
A little frost nip usually only gets the top leaves. Just prune and pray.

Brook,
After years of being annoyed with the WM...I've finally learned that the only time he's right is when I loudly shout my disagreement with his predictions. That makes him correct everytime

Hang in, the cherries will bounce back. I had a pretty significant frost last year of April 19. All the unprotected tomato plants in the garden froze to soil level. All of them had new growth in a week.
Chris

I wish I could have a job where you only have to be right HALF the time and still get paid for it!!!!

LOLOL, y'all! And bless your heart, Brook! Kind of disheartening, isn't it? I agree that pruning will help and they'll be fine. I remember years ago when I worked at a local convenience store/feed store/hardware store (yeah, weird combo, huh? small town life...). The TV news weatherman from Austin happened to stop in the store and he almost got shot by one rather perturbed little old man! ROTFLMBO!!!