IT’S NOT TOO EARLY TO BEGIN WORRYING ABOUT FROST
As I mentioned in my blog last week, it’s time to bring your tropical houseplants indoors now. Only Mother Nature knows when we will have our first frost in this region. Our average date of our first frost in this region is October 20th, which is NOW! According to the 2025 Old Farmer’s Almanac, our first frost is expected on October 31.
Houseplants
To continue with houseplants, be sure to inspect the plants closely for insects and complete any necessary pest control measures while they are still outdoors. If the pot has been in contact with the soil, you may want to soak it in a bucket of water for several hours to drown any insects that may have taken up residence through the drain holes. Be sure to drain the pot well before moving it indoors. Before bringing plants inside, clean the foliage.
TIP: With lower light and cooler temperatures, tropical plants will slow down growing, so less water and fertilizer will be required this winter.
Vegetables
If there are tender plants, such as tomatoes, in your vegetable garden that still hold an abundance of immature fruit when frost arrives, plan to cover them during the frosty night. The warm days after the frost will mature some of the fruit as long as the plants have frost protection when needed. Summer squash, melon eggplant, cucumber, pepper, and okra are some crops that cannot withstand frost and should be picked immediately prior to heavy frosts. Store the vegetables in a refrigerator until needed for eating or processing.
Cool-season crops, such as cabbage, cauliflower, peas, broccoli can withstand some cold; in fact, their flavor if often enhanced after a frost. Kale, spinach, lettuce, parsley, parsnips, carrots are examples of crops that may survive all winter in your garden.
DETERMINING FIRST FROST
You may be thinking, “How is the first average frost determined?” Weather systems and local effects largely determine the exact date. The first freeze of fall forms when the air is relatively cool the day before. Be wary of cloudy daytime skies that prevent maximum temperatures from reaching 65 degrees. Freezes are especially likely when these cool days are followed by a clear night with little or no wind. Freezing temperatures will fall below freezing, usually just before sunrise. Cloudy skies at night reduce heat loss and freeze risks.
Let’s all hope for a late first frost. Even we do get our first frost our ground soil is still loose and warm and that makes the “FALL IS FOR PLANTING” season still very active.
PLANT A LITTLE HAPPINESS – POST FROST!!!!!