Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!

[nachoqtpie]

So, the last couple days it was pretty chilly (you probably know where this story is headed....)

Last night about 9:30 it popped up an advisory on my phones weather app. I was in the middle of doing something and didn't check it. My daughter was having a sleepover with her friend, and I got a call about 10 that she didn't feel well and wanted to come home, so I went and picked her up. I gave her some meds, put her in my bed, and did a little research on a few things. I then remembered that I had a weather advisory on my phone and laid down for a second to read it. It was a FROST advisory. I laid there for a second trying to remember where I had put all the extra sheets and such so I could at least cover them with something!

I then got up, covered my plants with some sheets, made sure everything was nice and secure, came back in the house and went to bed..... or so I thought.



This morning I woke up and went to feed the dogs and get the sheets from the garden to throw in the wash and let them have some sun... except there were no sheets in the garden.

In the process of laying down for a minute or two thinking of where my sheets were I fell asleep!!!!!! All of my eggplant, save 1, are gone. I lost 2 tomato plants, but they were volunteers from last years plants, so they were extra anyways, so I'm not stressing about them. I lost one of my 2 peppers that I had started inside. It looks like all but one of the volunteer cucumbers are gone. I'm so mad at myself!!!

 

[so lucky]

I am so sorry! But at least it's still early in the season. I guess eggplants take quite a while to get to transplant size, but new cukes will sprout and grow fast. Gardening is always such a gamble.

 

[nachoqtpie]

*sigh* I'm going to try and start some more peppers and eggplants. I'm going to TRY and salvage some of my growing season. I refuse to give in and buy from the big box.

 

[Carol Dee]

Nachoqtpie

I feel your pain. Only this time I lucked out. Our spring had been so mild things are starting to set fruit and 2 nights ago we where supposed to get a freeze. (we did) but I was so ill, fever and chills, I completely forgot to go out and cover plants. It did wilt some leaves but it looks like everyhthing will survive. Whew. The bright side is it is early yet. Good luck getting things back in order.

 

[nachoqtpie]

Thanks Carol. I am kinda disappointed that our white cukes, which were volunteers that I wasn't counting on, but still would have liked to have had, keeled over. I did spy some apple blossoms today when I was outside, so that's a good thing I think. Lets just hope that the late frost didn't kill all the bees!! :/

 

[lesa]

On no- sorry to hear it! We had that crazy warm weather and have been back to normal for a couple weeks... and our bees are fine and flying like crazy! Day time temps in the 50's, and frost every night.

 

[nachoqtpie]

Well, I don't know what it takes to harm bees, but I would really like a huricane free year this year so I can actually get to arvest sized fruits! it sure seemed like last year the odds were stacked against me. It was our first year, it was unseasonably hot and dry, and we got a way late start. This year was starting out so well.... I guess what's what I get for wishful thinking! Eh?

 

[897tgigvib]

There's got to be a silver lining here.

It's only early April. Just think, in southwest Montana they will not get to plant until around June 8th, and will be worrying about a late frost until June 23rd, and the season there ends September 25th in a good year. Plenty of time left.

You even have time to find a local in the hills who has some family heirloom greasy cutshort pole beans, or some old person who grows her own kind of Collards, do some trading, and try some different varieties. The southern appalachian hills are a treasure trove of heirloom varieties, especially that west part of NC that touches Virginia to The east part of Kentucky. I'd drive to the tiniest towns, stop in the store or feed store...

 

[nachoqtpie]

Okay Marshall... you got me...

We live in the east tho... Jacksonville, home to Camp LeJeune Marine Corps base! We need ocean to survive.


We do have some smaller towns around here tho. I've got a BUNCH of heirloom seeds... some of which I have no idea what they are, we ordered them from ARK Institute and they literally just have what they are on the outside of the package (ie Watermelon, melon, 7 variety heirloom tomatoes, etc). They're made to save seed, so I guess I'm not supposed to know what they are!

I did start some more seed yesterday. My mom told me "You should just go get some from WalMart or Lowes" and I said "Momma... I want to grow my OWN seeds! That way I know I'm not supporting Monsanto." and she said "Well whats wrong with Monsanto? I used Roundup for years!" and I said "So THAT'S what's wrong with me!" and we both laughed.

I'm not giving up tho. I've got my seeds going! It might be getting a bit late for the broccoli and cauliflower tho. Most of them got eaten up by some sort of mystery bug that I can't seem to find. :/

 

[so lucky]

Nachoqtpie, In response to your mention of plants getting eaten by bugs you can't find: I have found that some bugs, caterpillars, etc, feed at night. If you have more problems with them, you might consider going to the garden at night with a flash light. Do the CSI Carolina bit. Check the underside of the leaves. I found the caterpillars that were eating my echinacea that way. At least if you find them, you may be able to identify them, then figure out how to send them packing.
And like Marshall the optimist says, there's still lots of time to grow from seed. :coolsun