What's with the late frosts?

If it happens next Wednesday like they're starting to forecast, it'll be three years in a row. Mother nature must have it out for us here in Columbia. April 6-7 in 2007, April 15 in 2008, and now April 8-9 in 2009. I swear we can't catch a break from these late frosts. I haven't planted anything yet (per say), but I did put all my palms out in their pots and sunk them into the ground. Guess I'll just cover them with the trusty frost blankets. I could swear April 1st was supposed to be the last frost date for us; and some things I've read say March 15th (and this would be our first true frost since then).

Just a heads up for you folks who hadn't noticed it yet - some folks say it could be cold Tues morning too, but windy. Wednesday morning is the problem; possibly Thur too.

For the upstate we are showing a chance of frost Monday and Tuesday morning. I just want it to get warm outside and stay warm. I I have about 20 plants to plant and many plants to move from the back to the front.

Frost date here is April 15, does not always happen, but you need to be prepared for it.

I was so tempted to put every thing out and plant all the seeds but I have been forcing myself to wait for April 15th, since I did push the past two seasons and was sorry. Down here they're saying low 30s Mon and Tues night but windy. Hoping the wind keeps it from frosting.

Anyway, I haven't put anything out, but I have all kinds of stuff blooming, and nice scapes on the daylilies. Sigh.

Same here - they are saying really cold Monday night into Tuesday morning and then again for Tuesday night. I couldn't wait, and have put some things out. I guess I'll be covering and hoping for the best. Crazy weather....

Thanks for that info. Debin. I'll follow your lead and just resist planting the flat of impatins and coleus I just bought. Veggies will have to wait one more week in the greenhouse. I have had enough of this crazy weather. Hope this doesn't hurt all the beautiful azaleas that are blooming here.. I know it is beautiful in Summerville.

We're looking at just freezing here in the low country ... Let's hear it for procrastination! Yaaaaaaaaa. Haven't put anything in the ground or fertilized the lawn yet.

Whew!

X

I have put some things out will have to cover, what a pain, I am so sick of this cold weather holding on.

Well, they've changed the forecast for our area. Now instead of a low just above freezing, it's saying 31.
Argghh. Now I'm really concerned about all the stuff that's in-ground that has come up and has lots of new growth or is blooming.

X, you got daylilies or other things with new growth that you're going to cover? I have 3 Clematis and one ginger blooming and all of them are up. !!
Deb

I have gingers, canna and crinum and a few brugs which are in the ground, just starting to put on new growth will have to be covered along with the Confederate Roses which were moved to their new spots last week. The day lilies seem impervious to the freezing temps .. they were outside all winter in a 1 gallon pot and didn't even blink!

The tomato and pepper seedlings will be going back into the greenhouse along with all the brugs still in pots. I had been tempted all week to start planting the brugs outside, but I held off because I know we always seem to get one last gasp of winter in April.

X

Hope you're right about the daylilies, because I couldn't possible cover them alI. I even found some Hostas coming up. Astilbe's are all leafed out, too. Guess I'll be spreading "laundry" around the yard come Monday or Tuesday! LOL.
Deb

Well, I was not a smart as the rest of you...I did plant tomatoes, peppers, squash, and zucchini and they are doing so well! I won't even be in town to cover them so I'll have to depend on DH to take care of them. :- We'll see what happens. We are going to make a tomato green house cover this weekend for him to use.

Amy

I held off on all the ground planting - but the gingers and bananas have come to life, hostas too (big time). Guess I'll drag all the pots back out of the ground and in tomorrow, and then do my covering Monday before it freezes. At least it's not a bad freeze; though I really am calling it quits on the March decorating. I'll just wait until April 15th from now on.

Of course next year our last frost will end up being March 4th or something - lol, it would figure.

our average last frost date is also April 15th

Just just the 10 day for the low country .. above freezing now .. keeping my fingers crossed!

X

nope - they are telling us to expect more cold by end of tomorrow

Calling for 29 here now. Guess I better leave the heaters in place in the GH.

Still just above freezing here.

X

Woohoo, back up to 31 now. Still down to 34 tomorrow night, but with the wind, I am not going to cover anything in the ground just yet - no chance for frost with 35mph gusts. I'll wait until Tuesday to cover stuff so my blankets don't all blow away.

We're still holding at 33 here.

X

Well let's just hope that's the end of it - I'm ready to get planting. Family came over and helped pull everything up - that goes SO much faster with three people.

I wish we were just getting late frost...........they are calling for snow here Monday and Tuesday.......GRRRRRRRR!

I have not put away any of my sheets and blankets, so out they go tomorrow night.

Glad that I did not haul out the Ginger that Ate New York that has taken over my Kitchen. But he is going out on April 20 at the latest! I need my kitchen back!

Woops .. down to 31 .. now .. I'm thinking I'll be waiting to send your plants pyro.

X

Grrrr! It keeps changing! I've got a pile of laundry ready to toss over stuff if necessary, but I really would rather not have to do it!!!

Synda: My sympathies on your snowy forecast! I don't know how you folks up there stand it.

After 3 years waiting for these little ginger blooms, I'd so hate to lose them. :(
Deb

I just hate these late-season freezes. Let's hope they're wrong and it stays cloudy and doesn't get too cold. At least I have not moved many plants outside nor have I planted anything tender in the ground so I won't have much to undo.
The local forecasts for Raleigh vary between 29F (NWS) to 32F (WRAL) to 37F (TWC) on Tuesday night. WRAL is usually the most accurate. If it only gets down to 32 then just covering up the hedychiums and salvias should work - but at 29 we could see some damage. Just hoping the forecast changes for the warmer for all of us.

Aww, Deb, those are adorable! You Must Save Them!!!

Anne, I will also wait and mail those plants on Wed.

really hope it doesn't freeze, I have two irises blooming!

I have a new LA iris blooming that I just got, but he is in a pot, so will put him in the house to sleep with me (hope my cat does not eat it)

I can't understand why the flower festival at the State Farmer's Market was held this past weekend when it's too early to put out tender plants (sorry Keonikale!).

On a positive note, though, at least this year we haven't had really warm temperatures as happened in 2007 when the freeze was preceded by temperatures in the 90's. Still, I hadn't realized that we had a freeze as late as the 15th last year.

I agree with you, Keonikale, about wondering whether we're being punished -- somehow we've stopped being blessed by adequate rain. Or maybe the water is simply draining too fast to give us much help with our miserable talcum-powder sand...



PS NOAA is now saying 38 tonight and 30 tomorrow night. Guess it will all depend on how long the temps stay there.

It is odd they held is so early. I almost went to that too.

You make a really good point about April '07, I'd forgotten how warm it had been prior. That was a bad Easter morning, everything just got fried. Crepe Myrtles and all too.

Let's hope the wind keeps blowing tomorrow night, should keep the temps up. Although right now I'm starting to feel like I live in Kansas with all this wind - sheesh.

It has been incredibly windy here today. The forecasts are all over the place. One is saying 38 tonight 30 tomorrow then back into the 40's, another is saying 20's for a few nights? Come on, let's get it together huh?

The wind is so bad here it blew out one of my greenhouse panels! Luckily I had some silicon on hand to repair it.

Temp forecast went up a notch to 32 for tomorrow.

X

If you early birds survive frost, remember you still have blackberry/whipporwill winter to go. No frosts, but plants just sit and sulk in the cold.

X, I saw that it had inched up to 32 for us for tomorrow night. Beats 30, I guess. Fingers crossed. :)

Very windy here this afternoon, too.

Oh poo .. just checked again and it's now down to 30. I was hoping I could get away with pots on the top of stuff .. now it looks like I'm gonna have to do the sheet thing.

X

Looks like we'll get an hour below freezing here .. how fast does the wind have to be to retard freezing temps?

X

HOPEfully this will be the lat one =- I covered all mine last night.

I'm waiting until this afternoon to cover everything .. my biggest problem will be finding enough stuff to hold down the pots n things I'm covering plants with.

X