I often associate the months of the year with the seasonal tasks to be perform in the veggie garden . I usually opine of the month of April – May as the planting time of year , while June – July is the growing time of year with its maintenance tasks of weeding and watering ; August – September is the harvesting season , and October , well , that is my “ paranoia ” time of year .
October is paranoia time of year because in our surface area , it is the first Robert Lee Frost calendar month — usually around the 15th of the calendar month . It can make it sooner or after , but we recognize it is going to pass off ; we just do n’t screw exactly when . I always have peppers needing just a little more time to turn to that brilliant red or arrant golden chicken , or tomatoes on one plant or the other that are slow in ripening , or that one shekels bed that is just starting to rock , so I am glued to the atmospheric condition study , endeavor to see that first freeze word of advice . I ca n’t number the time we ’ve had a freeze , and then flop afterwards , Indian summer show up smile and bring temperatures in the 70s and 80s for a couple of calendar week after all the Robert Lee Frost harm is done . I have finally get to the conclusion that waiting for that freeze warning is too late because there areprecautions that can be take aim to protract the growing time of year before that dread frost prognosis .
There aretwo type of frost , advective and irradiation . Advective frost takes place when a dusty front sweep into an expanse . A radiation frost occur under serene farting and clear sky , allow radiant heat from the earth to rise to the upper layers of the atmosphere . With radiation frost , the deficiency of wind prevents mixing of the melodic phrase and an inversion develops . An anastrophe is just a fancy way of saying “ things get turned around from the normal . ” Normally the aviation closest to the ground is the warmest , but when an inversion hap , cold air travel collect near the ground while the quick air lies above the immobilise insensate tune . During an inversion , insensate tune is just like water supply run down a hill — it seeks the miserable dot because it is heavier than quick air , and frost pockets may take form . The first frost typically is a radiotherapy frost that occurs on a calm , exonerated night .
There are several affair we can do when a frost warning is publish :
Harvest too soon : Flowering plants such as beans , tomatoes , peppers , eggplant , squash and gumbo need to be glean if there is no way to protect them . yield harvested in the mature green stage will still ripen , but sadly will not have the same smack as a vine - ripened fruit .
pee before a frost : damp soil can nurse approximately four times more heat than dry soil . damp soil can also conduct hotness to the territory surface quicker than dry soil , providing some frost tribute . A Cornell University study suggests thatthe air temperature above a wet soil is 5 ° high-pitched than that above a dry soil , and in the study , that divergence was maintained until 6 a.m. The conclusion of this field of study was that plant could benefit from water the evening before a Robert Lee Frost .
Cover your plant : A cover can ply anywhere from 2º to 6º F of protection , depend on the character of material used . The covers can be lay right on top of the plants or can be supported by stakes or a frame , the main divergence being that there isless freeze auspices when the cover touches the industrial plant . Any stuff can be used as screening ; however , woven cloth are respectable dielectric than plastics or paper . The secure time to apply covers is in the late good afternoon after the wind dies down . Remove the covers the next morning .
Additional Tips and Tasks for October :
Thanks for stopping byThe Garden Shed ; we look forrad to your visit next calendar month .
Sources :
Phillips , Ben , “ Freeze Damage in Fall vegetable : Identifying and Preventing,”http://msue.anr.msu.edu / news / freeze_damage_in_fall_vegetables_identifying_and_preventing
Colorado State University , Publication GMG # 722 , “ Frost Protection and Extending the Growing Season,”http://cmg.colostate.edu / Gardennotes/722.pdf
