Frost is Coming

A few nights ago we had a cold spell and some of the more tender veggies ended up with some frost damage.  It wasn't a killing frost, but it was close and I wasn't expecting it since the forecast was only calling for overnight lows in the 40's.  Daytime temps have still been up in the 80's here, but being that it is high desert here, night time temps do tend to have some wild swings at this time of year.

There are a few crops that I did want to protect from colder temps.  The tomatoes and peppers are still heavily laden with fruit that needs more time to ripen so I will be covering those with a sheet of heavy plastic to ward off the night chill for a few more weeks.  They can also enjoy a little extra heat during the day if I leave them partially covered.  Other crops like my cucumbers, summer squash and green beans will be left to their own devices, so I am making my final harvests in those beds this week.  I am excited that my late nights of canning pickles will be behind me for this year.  I will also be cutting and drying as much celery as I can to preserve it for future use in soups and chicken stock I will be making this winter.

Some crops like my root crops of potatoes, carrots and parsnip I will harvest at my leisure for quite a few more weeks.  Their tender tops might die back, but the ground will protect the roots from freezing for a few more months.  I will try to harvest all that I can before the ground freezes solid, but for now I will let the cold nights add sweetness to my carrots and parsnips.