It only got down to 32 here last nite, but NOAA is saying 27 tonite! I just went out and put pots over the ferns and hostasÂwhich seem to me to be coming up awfully early this year! ItÂs already down into the mid 40's at 7:30, so I do way believe itÂs gonna go below freezing tonite!

Anybody who has tender stuff outside, if you canÂt bring it in, cover it with a sheet or lightweight blanket or invert a pot over it if itÂs small enough. Cardboard boxes work tooÂif it doesnÂt get windy or rain!

How were your plants when you checked them, Kenny?

Skybird

My little GH was warm and toastey inside with a little 20 dollar, made in China, 750 watt heater with fan, on a thermostat. So nice to have. but it, the GH, is built like a tent and the winds try to tear it apart.
I think the ground may be more cold this spring than normal.
Its normal to get at least one frost, even later than this, in May to keep us honest.
Kenny

I got the potatoes, baby roses and tomato plants covered last night. It's 28 degrees here this morning. BRRRR. Haven't the winds been something this spring? They're out of the north one day, out of the northeast the next, then out of the west.... My mother gave me some big, heavy crocks and I wasn't sure what to do with them. They have been well used covering plants this spring. Let's hope we don't get June frosts. I don't know about you, but I'm quite done with the cold and ready for warmer weather!
The truck, wagon and me are heading out to the botanic gardens this morning for their plant sale. My 20 feet of pot ghetto needs some additions!
Barb

The toms and tomatillos want to come out of their cozy WOWs, but I don't think it is time.

I'm still going to sow cuke and melon and squash under film outside and ready the ghetto cloches in case cool nights come again.

I'm also leaving the sheet on the hoops over the badadas just in case, but I tore a hole in the row cover this morning as the wind was tricky on the pre-caffeinated dork out there this morning...

Dan

Dear Brother Dan,
Okay I need to be schooled. Please elaborate on what a ghetto cloche is and sowing under film.
Much appreciated,
Newbie from FOCO

I was riffing on Barb's reply. Welcome to Dan comments. ;o)

o A 'ghetto' cloche is a pop bottle, blister pack, old jar, or other plastic consumer packaging repurposed into a frost-protection device.

o There are numerous petrochemical-based films out right now that are used in the garden to repel insects, trap moisture, reflect certain light wavelengths, or retain-add heat. This film is working very well in my garden to raise soil temps.

Dan

Well I only went down to 33 after all last nite! The temp dropped and dropped during the evening, and then actually went up a couple degrees by the time I went to bed around 1:00. Still glad I covered the things I did so I wouldnÂt have to lay there and worry about them.

And, yeah, TreeBarb, IÂm tired of the coldÂand the WINDÂtoo this spring! Enough already!

Dan, IÂm gonna plant my squash directly in the ground todayÂunder nothing! I was gonna start them in pots a couple weeks ago, but never got it done, so IÂm gonna just stick them in the ground and cover them with pots like the ferns and hostas if necessary. I FINALLY got the other half of the veggie garden turned over yesterday, and I need to get the root crops in today or itÂs gonna be too late! Gonna hold off another week or two on the cukes!

Gie, welcome to RMG! Where is FOCO? I know where SoCal and NorCal are, but F O CO is a new one on me!

I just checked NOAA, and IÂm glad to see thereÂs no more threatening nites coming up in the near future! I know itÂs just a tease, but IÂll take it for now at least!

Skybird

Skybird, I was checking WOW tomatoes yesterday, it's steamy in there. I spotted 2 pumpkin or watermelon, I'm betting pumpkin seedlings sprouted in the corner of the bed. I guess I know where I'm sowing the rest! I think you're right to do it now. It feels like time. I am impressed that you can keep ferns. I admire them, but I bet conditions are too harsh here for them.

gie1971, thanks for the reminder to speak english!

Dan, I got caught on my potatoes, too, crisped them a bit by forgetting to cover one night.
The toms not in WOW are getting shuffled in and out of the house, haven't spent a night out yet. The same on the peppers. They are a battered looking bunch. I envy people with greenhouses.
Happy Mother's Day if applicable and if not, enjoy this pretty day!
Barb

I feel for each of you. We were 38 here yesterday morning. But 60 miles SW of here in OK they were 33. The weather always has swings here. And we can always have a late cold spell but by my records this one has been more of consistent roller coaster than most. Last week one day we were 90 in the day and 39 that night. Everything I don't have in cold or hot frames has to be carried in every night and back out in the morning. The hot frame has worked well. Around ten degrees warmer than the outside temp most mornings. Yesterday morning the low was 50 inside on my hi/lo thermometer and the outside temp was 38 for a low. Will use the manure that is composting and providing the heat for compost later. I don't have automatic vents on my frames but with a little propping up of the top doors of a morning have never had anything get too hot. I have cukes and squash growing good in plastic milk jugs with the bottom cut out in the garden. To garden in this area we all learn ways to cheat the system. And as long as it works it is a good idea. I'm getting tired of the carrying in and out of the other plants. Wanted to plant today. They are saying upper 30's Wed. night here and I saw even colder predicted for Denver. The wind is howling now. I may plant some today with buckets around them. Next year I'm looking forward to having the greenhouse finished and in use. After this spring I changed my mind and will heat and ventilate it. Put some tomatoes in big containers and then just cart them outside when it warms up. Today I hope to get all that I can in the frames. And hopefully open up some room on the light stand also. Jay

Spinach plants under hoops all winter seem immune to cold temps now, and recent nights into upper 20s didn't faze them a bit - almost can't keep up with them and two vars. sown about a month ago as coolish highs making them happy.

Unlike Jay's neck of the woods, we actually for a change enjoyed a pleasant morning today outside without wind. Also shuttling the peppers out to the old cold frame to get them ready for the garden next week - putting off a week as the cold spell coming mid-week might make them sad. Main cold frame coming down and greens getting distributed next couple of days. Almost too hot in there now, even when shaded and okra needs to get started.

Oh, and the first-grader brought home pumpkins for a Mother's Day gift for mom. Sheesh, why couldn't they have the kids grow sunflowers or beans or a tomato or something. Punkins?! Where are people going to put them around here?

Dan

Here in Fort Collins, I woke up to find sno-cone ice pellets that had fallen overnight:

Happily I'd covered everything and brought in the baby tomatoes the night before!

Dan I'm interested in what kind of top you have on your cold frame and the design. I'm just curious as you've mentioned several times about how hot it is in yours. I've never had heat problems in mine the way I built them. I followed the design of a man who has used them for many years. My tops are hinged and will lay all the way back on the ground to be clear open if needed. I sloped them from front to back I think with a 3 inch drop per foot if memory serves me correctly. On the hot frame I have a double tinted glass door. I can lay it open and place a screen door with the black fabric on it is really warm. The tinted door and the black fabric work great for hardening off plants. I have a piece of shade cloth I can pull over the cold frame when needed. I know there are several designs of frames out there. But I have kept plants in mine even when the daytime temps were 100 and never experienced any problems. I like the wind protection they give even when the tops are open. Especially with the screen door of shade cloth over the top. And I'm sure you may of posted pictures and I've missed them. Jay

Jay, here:

{{gwi:132874}}

You can see the row cover used for shading. I suspect the steep angle and high back wall (30º) retains too much interior heat, despite auto vent opener, so over the summer I'm going to put the small window vent opener on the top rather than at the bottom. I can probably prop and tie a lid to the trellis, but the winds here apply a lot of pressure and I'm worried about torquing the window frame as I didn't build it to withstand twisting force. So the vent opener at top should do 'er.

Dan

Hey Dan, your comment about the pumpkins made me laugh! My son's kindergarten class is growing watermelons. I asked the teacher if she knew what kind, hoping it was going to be something trellisable like Minnesota Midget, but no, they are Crimson Sweet, which get up to 25 lbs.

I was happier with last year's school project - zinnias and carrots.

The wind has been annoyingly constant here, but the forecast is calling for less wind tonight, and a low of 44º, which would be our warmest night in the last couple of weeks. Thinking of letting the tomatoes tough it out, but then again, I'm tempted to put the top half of the 2L bottles back on overnight.

Skybird, took your advice and planted pumpkins and sunflowers all down the side of our fence this week. Talk about a lot of work! Digging out all of the weeds, and turning over the dirt with nothing but a shovel was quite a job. We planted six different kinds of pumpkins, and three kinds of sunflowers. We even left enough room at one end for those watermelon plants my son will be bringing home from school!

Bonnie

Dan,
A very nice looking cold frame. Mine isn't near as nice but works. Everything I build I tend to use what I can pick up at auctions for a few dollars.I put the hinges on the bottom of mine so they will lay over and the top edge will rest on the ground. So I can open mine clear up if needed on hot days.

Bonnie do you have your tomato plants out. I was going to start today but got busy with other projects. Will start in the next day or so putting a few out every evening. Will take a while. Jay

Thank you Jay. That is mostly found material from dumpster diving at new construction sites. I bought the window frame material, glazing, sheathing insulation, exterior paint, and I ran short on screws. I'm going to re-do the front wall and put in some glazing so a little light gets to the front of the floor, not sure about the loss of insulation, but that problem will keep me out of trouble for a time.

BTW, most of us here have heard by now that there is a late-spring storm coming, right? Likely accumulation of snow if all goes well for the storm track? If you have transplants out, now is the time to prepare covers to protect them.

Dan

Jay, my wintersown tomatoes are still in their 2L bottles, and placed in milk crates for easy transport to the garage when needed. I did end up putting the tops back on last night, and it's a good thing I went with my gut instinct on that. The temperatures weren't the issue this time, it was the wind ... again. The forecast called for winds of 5 - 10 mph, but what we had was 20 -25 mph with 33 mph gusts. Yeah, I had to chase my garbage can down again this morning. Have I mentioned lately how tired I am of the wind?

Bonnie

I've said it before and I will say it again.
When you plant tomatoes in Colorado;
Put a bucket over them and a rock on the bucket.
Kenny, the old guy.

Looks like with this storm system we'll probably will get our last freeze this week, then finally 70s and sunny next week. Should be time for Cukes, Zukes, and Peppers soon.

Just looked at the forecast from NOAA:

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL
COLORADO.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SHOWERS ALONG WITH A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING EASTWARD ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS...FOOTHILLS...AND IMMEDIATE PLAINS AT THIS TIME. THIS IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. STRONG WIND GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS. THERE COULD BE SMALL HAIL AS WELL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

A STRONG SPRING STORM WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHERN UTAH TUESDAY
AFTERNOON...AND THEN TRACK ACROSS COLORADO TUESDAY NIGHT AND
WEDNESDAY MORNING. PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN THE MOUNTAINS TUESDAY...AND THEN SPREAD ACROSS THE PLAINS TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. HEAVY SNOWFALL IS POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY OVER THE FRONT RANGE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS. IN ADDITION...TEMPERATURES MAY BE COLD ENOUGH TO BRING SNOW INTO THE URBAN CORRIDOR AND PORTIONS OF THE PLAINS AS WELL...ESPECIALLY LATE TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY.

Eeek! On the bright side: it might diminish the possibility of grasshopper hordes...