Hard freeze help wanted

20 degrees is forcasted for tonight and I'd like to know if my cabbage, broccoli and mesclun mix will survive. If not, I'm going to have to scramble to harvest them.

Ya'll yanks don't laugh too hard. I know many of you consider 20 to be balmy this time of the year.

If it is covered with snow, you can leave it, but if not you'll have to protect it with plastic or so. If it is just for one night all, but the mesclun will survive. Otherwise you can better harvest it.
Jonna

Cabage and broccoli can take down to about 23 degrees.I woudl harvest those that are ready for harvest. The others I would cover. Use cloth like an old bedsheet or something similar. Plastic does not give much protection, unless you have supports that keep it away from the plants. Where it touches the plant it will freeze right thru it.

Thank you.

It's time for me to get busy. The weather liars usually miss the lows by at least a couple degrees and I sure hope they're wrong again. I never throw away an old sheet or comforter so maybe tomorrow can return to normal.

Jonna it only snows here every 8 or 10 years and never a good cover at that.

Oh wow, good luck with it! -- Kyla

If you have any straw, it makes a good mulch for this purpose.

It was 17 degrees here and I have not covered any of my winter garden and everything is fine. I do make sure it is well watered though.

Take gallon jugs of water, two liter soda bottles, etc and fill with tap water, cold. Typically that will be at the ground temp several feet down - I have no clue what that temp might be in TX, but it will be a lot warmer than 32 degrees. Put the bottles under plastic that covers the plants and they will warm the "greenhouse" through the night by releasing the heat in the water to the air and ground under the plastic. The more jugs you have, the better. It is not wise to use hot water.

Be sure to block outside wind flow under the plastic by weighting down the edges.

I put a comforter on the lemon bush, then harvested some cabbage and broccoli, then covered them with sheets. On the way back to the house I saw my potted amaryllis which have survived 3 winters. I decided they needed to go in the greenhouse. They wouldn't all fit so now there are also lots in the kitchen with only a narrow path to the back door. I'm wore out and I've done all I'm going to.

Now the weather liars are saying it's going to get colder tomorrow night. This just isn't any fun at all for this spoiled Southerner.

How goes the garden this morning, twiggybuds? I'll just swear, this glo-bull warming is a gonna wipe us all out aint it?

I haven't been out yet but I think I dodged the bullet. I slept in til 9 and it was 32 then. I don't see anything awful out the window. They're still saying it will get to 20 tonight. The historical average for this date is 58 high and 39 low. I'm finding the forecasters are really off the mark this season so I'm hopeful that will be the case once more.

Twiggy, The water jugs under plastic works. For colder temps, you could run an extension cord (outdoor type) with an incandescent light bulb under the plastic (use one of the shop light lamp holders) and run the light all night. The plastic holds the heat in and the light heats the airspace so that you do not lose too much heat from the ground. Use precautions against shock by keeping unplugged at the house end while setting up or checking.