Calling all Vegetable gardeners out there--help

[CountryHaven]

It has been years since I last had a garden, and finally this year I have a nice sizable garden tilled up, and partly planted. I thought all danger of frost was over so I planted all my mellons and zuchinnis a few days ago. Tonights weather forcast is saying 31 and frost after midnight. If the seeds fail I will be disappointed, but I can replant them... however... yesterday I bought my tomato and pepper plantlings (lol) and put them in. The store had them outside so I figured it must be safe enough.

I really don't want to loose all those plants. Is there something I can do to protect them? (I know this is going to sound insane, but I had even thought maybe putting plastic baggies over each one for the night--could that smother them?) I have plenty of straw but I'd be afraid of hurting them if I covered them with straw since they're such tender little plants at the moment.

Is there anything I can do? Or do I just pray for the best and hope they don't get killed off?

 

[Cathy_H]

Mine are in the ground also but I'm hoping the frost is over with (Kentucky). In the past I have covered mine with buckets, feeders, cans, old sheets, newspapers (if wind isn't blowing). I think if you use anything plastic you need to get them off as soon as possible in the morning before the sun comes up & creates heat underneath the plastic........... I have read this - they say if your plants get frost on if you hose them down first thing in the morning before the sun comes up they will survive.

 

[CountryHaven]

THANKS CATHY! I didn't even think about buckets etc... I think I can scrounge up enough items like that. Thanks for the suggestion about hosing them off first thing if they do get frosted too.

 

[countryrose]

My mom used to use gallon milk jugs. Cut out the bottoms and stick over the plants if I remember right and you then have the lid to put on over night and take off during the day. Or cut both ends and lay newspaper across the top at night.

Works like a little greenhouse and gives them a good start.

Used coffee cans at one time too but believe that was to keep the cut worms from getting the tomatoes

 

[Relic]

We can still get frost up till June so once the tomatoe plants are in end of May and mine are in 2 rows l pound in 6 sticks sticking up about 2 feet from the ground one on each corner and 2 in the middle and l use an old bedspread layed on top of the sticks and a few rocks to hold the edges down in case of wind. One year l used a plastic sheet instead and plastic draws the cold so that wasn't good and they turned black.

 

[whitney]

Lay 2 layers of newspaper over the plants and wet the paper down with water to keep it from blowing away. For some reason newspaper is a better insulator than plastic.

 

[CountryHaven]

Thanks everybody for the great suggestions. I really like the milk jug idea. I think I'll start saving up milk cartons for next year.