First Frost Dates

[MrSeedy]

To tell you the truth , I pay little attention to first frost dates in my area, since I start bringing my tropicals indoors when daily highs are in the sixties or less and lows even in the forties. Many garden wantabees may think that tropicals may only be affected by subfreezing temperatures and anything above freezing is suitable for their outdoor conditions, but not so, with some being sensitive to lows even in the low to mid fifties before they show signs of "cold" stress. Anyway, I long ago learned that no matter how late the frost comes, even for summer veggies and hardy fruit etc. , should you have quicly dropping highs and lows from late summer all the way up to the first frosts , which may come a couple of months later, you'll find it very difficult to get good quality ripe or mature fruit and vegetables for many crops, so a late frost doesn't always determine a successful growing season , if the cool weather arrives too early. Anyway with lows dropping in the thirites here in the next few nights , I'm going to start bringing in my more tender tropicals that hate chilly nights and days. Our first frost can come as early as late Sept. (a guess), or as late as early November in some years, but the average is probably mid October here!! Looking at the Weather Channel (ON-LINE) it list our first frost date as Oct. 21 on average!! It's not unusaul some years to see snow flurries on Halloween, but of course those usually melt on contact since the ground is still relatively warm!!

[donybee]

around our place it cold happen anytime and I'm suprised that we still haven't had one. I always prepare early and already have all my Impatiens, Ivy Geraniums, and Begonias in the greenhouse. I'd rather be safe than sorry.

[adenium]

Here we have to wait until November (mid to late), or some years December or January.

[Sneezie]

:unsure: <_< Hmmmmmm so there`s more then one bad F word huh? Don`t even want to think bout [frost], I AM NOT READY!!!! Seems like we just started to enjoy our posies and everythings all over! :mellow:

[digiflower]

Not sure when our first hard frost date is but we have had a couple morning of light frost already. I would say around the end of NOV. But we have had bad snow storms the end of OCT. before so ya just never know.

But my candy stripe cosmos is still alive :D . So it must have been a real light frost. :unsure:

[Rich]

This is England, If the weather centre can't predict the weather with their new ?43 million computer what hope do I have. :lol:

The first frost last winter was in February and it hit like a steamroller.

When I was a puppy frosts were expected in October. That's global warming for you. Excuse me while I just go and smash up a few fridges and spray the air with lots of those lovely CFCs.

[terese]

Mid-Late November.


Now that I've said that, we'll have frost tomorrow morning. -_-

[mla2ofus]

We can get frost any time during the growing season. :ph34r: We have to watch for the (almost) annual late June/early July cold snap. Luckily it's only a night or two and then it warms up again. This fall it was the first of Sept. We kept our garden going by turning the sprinklers on about 4:00 AM. That will work for the lighter frosts but A hard frost hit the 21st and that was the end of the veggy garden. Some of the hardier annuals hung on until the temp dropped to 27 and that was the end of them too. :( :(

[Phia]

Our first real hard frost should occur in Mid-November, but then last year I was still planting bulbs in November.

[Maudie]

<_< Ahead of you, we already had a light frost last week. We're expecting another tomorrow night. :ph34r: It's not too bad; only two of my gardens have enough blooms left to cover now. :(

[digiflower]

Well we are getting down to 36F tonight. <_<
OH please hang on my cosmos under cover. :unsure:

[mla2ofus]

I hope your cosmos hangs in there digi. Mine bit the dust before any of the seeds matured :ph34r: :( :(

[TransplantShock]

)ct 26 here....but I have a feeling it will be sooner. Its dang cold this morning. You know when the dogs do thier buisnees outside and it steams, its dang cold (i think I spend too much time with my critters.... -_- ) I hope my Coleus cuttings are ok.....(they are rooted now but I forgot to bring them into the covered porch)

[yellow22]

This a personal message because I didn't read the other responces. I know just when and hate the dropping of Ficus leaves. I should have brought them in last night because some of my Begonia leaves were hit by the 40's maybe 50's. It's cold enough. Just once. I set up at least one section of grow lights and have a few more. I even have a stargly plant, the one I bought that CA ginger. Well some did great and some that I placed into a larger pots didn't. I should take a picture so you can see what effect they had. I gave the cuttings away. All the Colues is still out there. I have yet to take cuttings but I cleaned both green house at work this week so I'll be ready on Monday to secure what I want to save. I kind of keep this week as a not so fond memory. Went in on the early morning to deleiver my daughter on the 4th when it was warm and sunny and left a few days later to cold and wet. I didn't know friend told me that I have a New Yeras Baby. I told her what are you talking about Andrew was born on the first...then she told me about Irish twins also. Speak to me in the plant world....