Despite very warm temps here in the St Louis Area.. (on border of zone
5-6) Last night at 2:00 AM it was 70....I know the frost is coming
soon. I am a rookie fall gardener. I am prepared to cover with
plastic my:
Broccili
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Brussel Sprouts How cold would this be necessary??? Also will
light frost kill the lettuce? Thanks Joe Mc

Everything you've listed is a cold season vegetable. They should be
OK til you get a hard freeze, at 28 degrees.

Regards, Dianna


On 9 Nov 2005 20:35:47 -0800, wrote:

Despite very warm temps here in the St Louis Area.. (on border of zone
5-6) Last night at 2:00 AM it was 70....I know the frost is coming
soon. I am a rookie fall gardener. I am prepared to cover with
plastic my:
Broccili
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Brussel Sprouts How cold would this be necessary??? Also will
light frost kill the lettuce? Thanks Joe Mc

_______________________________________________
To reply, please remove "fluff" from my address.

wrote:
Despite very warm temps here in the St Louis Area.. (on border of zone
5-6) Last night at 2:00 AM it was 70....I know the frost is coming
soon. I am a rookie fall gardener. I am prepared to cover with
plastic my:
Broccili
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Brussel Sprouts How cold would this be necessary??? Also will
light frost kill the lettuce? Thanks Joe Mc

All these will take 20F without dying. In fact my kale and collard take
10F without dying. Light frost will typically not kill the lettuce, but
it depends
on the type of lettuce and how established it is. I plant hardy lettuce
in august
and overwinter it under cover, where it, too, takes down to 5-10F
without dying.
In spring it is ready one month before the spring-planted lettuce.

Interesting.. So what are you covering your overwintered plants with..?

Interesting.. So what are you covering your overwintered plants with..?

Plastic is not recommended as a cover for frost-sensitive plants. Cloth is
better. We/ve had good results using old bed sheets.


wrote in message
oups.com...
Despite very warm temps here in the St Louis Area.. (on border of zone
5-6) Last night at 2:00 AM it was 70....I know the frost is coming
soon. I am a rookie fall gardener. I am prepared to cover with
plastic my:
Broccili
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Brussel Sprouts How cold would this be necessary??? Also will
light frost kill the lettuce? Thanks Joe Mc

Do you prop the sheets up over the plants, or just drape over and let
them touch..? How long do sheets last for you?

Thanks

In article .com,
"gonzo" wrote:

Do you prop the sheets up over the plants, or just drape over and let
them touch..? How long do sheets last for you?

Thanks


I generally use poles to prop since any plant touching the sheet freezes.

Sheets last me about 3 years.

Cheers!
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

no, you make hoops with plastic pipes, and clamp the plastic sheets to
them. The plastic is the one painters use to cover floors, 4 or 6 mils
clear poly. The arrangements are called hoophouses. I keep permanent
hoophouses over my beds, and cover around Thanksgiving.

"simy1" wrote in message
ups.com...
no, you make hoops with plastic pipes, and clamp the plastic sheets to
them. The plastic is the one painters use to cover floors, 4 or 6 mils
clear poly. The arrangements are called hoophouses. I keep permanent
hoophouses over my beds, and cover around Thanksgiving.

I use #9 wire for hoops and Ag-19 row cover anchored all around with bricks.

Regards,
Bill