skip to main content

Mid-Atlantic Gardening

Let's talk last frost dates

15 years ago

This is my first year with any sort of garden. I'm having a great success with peppers. After cutting back the jalapenos, the bells took off and have a ton of blossoms and small peppers. I don't want it to end and will be building some row covers to protect them.

But how long do I have? I'm located near Baltimore. I'm seeing first frost dates between October 11 and October 29. Quite the spread.

Comments (2)

fritz_monroe
Original Author
15 years ago
Obviously I meant first frost dates, not last. Sorry about that.
annebert
15 years ago
There is a difference between the first frost and the first killing frost. While you might get a night or two where the temperature falls to 30 degrees or so, if you have your pepper plants covered, they'll survive that. I think it will be close to mid-November before you get a night-time temperature of 25 degrees or so, which will probably do them in.

Remember, though, that the days are getting shorter and the sun is slipping to the south,so the peppers will be slowing way down in their growth. You might want to cut off all blooms from now on, so they'll focus their energy on the small peppers that have already formed.
Related Professionals
West Milford Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Hyattsville Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Severn Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Allentown Landscape Contractors · Brookside Landscape Contractors · Broadlands Landscape Contractors · Cliffside Park Landscape Contractors · Las Vegas Landscape Contractors · Las Vegas Landscape Contractors · Live Oak Landscape Contractors · Mastic Beach Landscape Contractors · Olympia Landscape Contractors · Wheat Ridge Landscape Contractors · Downers Grove Siding & Exteriors · Oak Creek Siding & Exteriors

Sign Up to Comment

Related Stories

BATHROOM DESIGN Expert Talk: Frameless Showers Get Show of Support

By Lawrence Karol

Professional designers explain how frameless shower doors boosted the look or function of 12 bathrooms

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: DIY Love Reforms a Dated Cape Ann Home

By Theresa Fine

Handmade touches and classic neutrals transform a dark Massachusetts house into a beautiful home fit for a family

GARDENING GUIDES Got Frost-Damaged Plants? How It Happens, and When and How to Prune

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Crispy brown leaves are a sure sign that Jack Frost has been to your neighborhood

LIFE If You Could Talk to Your House, What Would You Say?

By Sheila Schmitz

‘Pull yourself together’ or ‘thank you for transforming my life’? Notes to homes around the country hit us where we live

DECORATING GUIDES Expert Talk: Designers Open Up About Closet Doors

By Lawrence Karol

Closet doors are often an afterthought, but these pros show how they can enrich a home's interior design

KITCHEN DESIGN Expert Talk: 10 Reasons to Hang a Chandelier in the Kitchen

By Lawrence Karol

Unexpected? Sure. Incongruent? Not at all. Professional designers explain why a chandelier can work in kitchens from traditional to modern

EDIBLE GARDENS 8 Last-Minute Additions to a Summer Edible Garden

By Marianne Lipanovich

It’s not too late to get these vegetables and herbs planted for a bountiful harvest this year

CONTAINER GARDENS Beat the Frost With Natural Terra-Cotta Containers

Here's how to protect your pots during the cold winter months

BASEMENTS Design Workshop: Is It Time to Let Basements Become Extinct?

By Eric Reinholdt, Architect

Costly and often unnecessary, basements may become obsolete — if they aren’t already. Here are responses to every reason to keep them around

GARDENING GUIDES Let Lilac Love Flower This Spring

By Alison Hodgson

Whatever you bestow or receive for Mother's Day, lilacs can be an unmatched gift in the garden in May

Sponsored

Remodel Repair Construction

9 Reviews

Industry Leading General Contractors in Westerville