How do you tell if fruit/vegetables/plants have had frost or freeze damage?

[Gardening with Rabbits]

So, last night I almost went out to cover things, but it was 2:30 in the morning. I had gone out before bed to see if the rabbits had water because a couple of them spill their water sometimes and just to check on things and could see my breath in the air, so went back to check the weather. The 2 weather reporting places close to me said 42 at one and 37.6 at the other. No frost or freeze warning anywhere, so I went to bed and my DH said there was frost on the truck in the front yard this morning. I went out and the leaves and stuff are wet. I ate some cherry tomatoes and they seem fine. I touched a few things like peppers and beans and they seem solid. How long before I will know if things are ruined or okay?

 

[digitS']

Ha! I had about the same experience. Funny how that was ...

I drug myself outta bed to face the day about the same time. It was 43°, I was assured by the Weather Service. At 4:15am, there was ice on the top of the pickup ... Oh well, coldest will be nearly 3 hours from now. I can't fight off the frost for that long, or longer. All is lost!

Except, it wasn't. The garden with frost on 9/11 didn't lose a leaf. Neighbor's peppers and tomatoes are fine ... no blackened leaves there, either.

Tonight may be colder! Next night, colder still!! I won't know about the big veggie garden until tomorrow unless I take a drive out this afternoon ... not much out there.

Steve

 

[Smart Red]

Basically you will know if there has been frost damage later in that same day. Once the air temperatures rises and the sun comes out, the frosted leaves will grow limp and start to blacken. It is easy to see damage.

It often seems to me that even if some things are touched by frost, others under or near them are undamaged. Frost flows like a river winding through the lower spots so don't be too quick to tear everything out.

It might take a bit longer to notice frost damage to the fruit on those plants.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

Ha! I had about the same experience. Funny how that was ...

I drug myself outta bed to face the day about the same time. It was 43°, I was assured by the Weather Service. At 4:15am, there was ice on the top of the pickup ... Oh well, coldest will be nearly 3 hours from now. I can't fight off the frost for that long, or longer. All is lost!

Except, it wasn't. The garden with frost on 9/11 didn't lose a leaf. Neighbor's peppers and tomatoes are fine ... no blackened leaves there, either.

Tonight may be colder! Next night, colder still!! I won't know about the big veggie garden until tomorrow unless I take a drive out this afternoon ... not much out there.

Steve

i think it is WEIRD . Same here with the frost earlier in the month, nothing was hurt.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

Well, I am bringing in the vegetables and check them out I guess. So many peppers and I hope they are okay. I will cover the plants. There are still flowers and small peppers. I had brought all the cucumbers in yesterday afternoon because I am going to can relish and I did not want to have to deal with the peppers today. What will the fruit look like if it is ruined?

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

Basically you will know if there has been frost damage later in that same day. Once the air temperatures rises and the sun comes out, the frosted leaves will grow limp and start to blacken. It is easy to see damage.

It often seems to me that even if some things are touched by frost, others under or near them are undamaged. Frost flows like a river winding through the lower spots so don't be too quick to tear everything out.

It might take a bit longer to notice frost damage to the fruit on those plants.

I do know what to look for on the leaves, but the fruit I guess is what is the question, mushy or a change in color? They looked great when I went out at noon, beautiful color still.

 

[Smart Red]

Someone else chime in here. I'm not sure. I seem to remember white spots on the tomatoes rather than black one right after the frost, but by the next day they were turning mush -- only in the damaged parts. I would cut the damage parts off and use the rest or just bring it in and rush it to the freezer.

 

[catjac1975]

Next time you think there is frost on the plants take out the hose and water everything down. The frost damage occurs when the sun hits the frosted leaves and burns them. You can do this in the middle of the night too to help prevent frost damage. That is if you can make your self get out there.

 

[digitS']

You can also cover everything with ice breaking the plants right down on the ground, flat ...

I have too many plants to cover in the fall. The water either does the job or it doesn't.

Some plants can look like popsicles and come out okay. Of course, I'm usually hoping the flowers can come through - tenderest part on the plants, petals are.

Steve

 

[digitS']

It's 33.6°f at 4:15am, a couple miles from the big veggie garden ... a weather underground volunteer station.

I can report that the damage there was minimal but this is yet another cold morning. The plants must be toughening a little to the cold. Only the topmost leaves on the tomatoes were black and the petals were damaged on only some of the dahlias there. Anything with some protection is still unharmed but, I don't know ...

Extending the harvest is about all I can hope for. Not only overnight temps but afternoons are supposed to warm, we will have 70's again for a few days.

Somewhere, there must be a chart showing shadow length, latitude and date. I was thinking that a tree's shadow must be very close to its height here and now. Imagine my 6' corn stalks. On the north side, their shadow at noon cover the 2' path beside them and the entire 4' bed beyond that.

It isn't quite that dramatic out there but all of the plants are shading each other. Soon, it will almost be a relief for the leaves to drop off some of the trees so that a little more light can get down here for us ground dwellers ...

Steve