I have what is hopefully an easy-to-answer question, but I can't seem to find an answer yet elsewhere. I put my purchased tomato transplants into the ground this past Sunday (the same time as every year, more than a month past my last frost date). I also have one in a 10-gallon container placed next to the garden area. I suppose I can just bring that one inside.

Now - in southern Arkansas - forecasters are calling for lows in the mid-30s this evening. Is there any hope for my baby plants? Should I attempt covering them with anything or just hope for the best and replant if they die?

As of right now, there are no freeze warnings in effect or anything, but I don't figure tomatoes like to be so cold.

Any tips?

I got worried last night because we hit 31 and I didn't have enough cover but even at that, I only had minimal freeze damage. That is probably because it didn't frost.

Weird weather this year. Down to freezing last night and again tonight. We are already 2 weeks late for normal planting date up here in north central AR and I am waiting another week still given the forecasts.

Dave

Cover up your plants, if you have time you can also set a 2 liter bottle of hot water by them and that can help keep them warm. Usually we set a bottle by every plant and let the sun warm them up and it helps keep them warmer on cold nights. This is in our high tunnels and not outside.

We have hundreds of tomatoes planted in our high tunnels. Everything was covered with row cover and there was no damage. It didn't get below 46 degrees under the row cover. This is a weird year. Last year I was on my third succession planting of green beans, tomatoes were waist high and it was 94 degrees. What a difference a year can make!

Jay

I'm really glad we took those precautions because I was surprised to see a pretty heavy frost when I went out to take them off this morning.

And Charlie, I've been patiently waiting like a good gardener, anxious to get plants in the ground this year, but not too early. I sure thought that tomato anxiety disease did not hit me this year, as late April is supposed to be the safe zone. Oh well, live and learn and watch the forecasts closer. :)

Hopefully that'll be the last of it for my southwestern corner of the state.

If I waited til lows were above 50 every night I'd be planting in June every year - though I had the past 2 years anyway. I usually set out tomatoes the last week of May (shoot for 25-28th) and peppers few days to a week later. But we've had 2 cold rainy Mays the past 2 years (though 2012 March was warm and the summer was hot and dry), looks like May will be colder than normal this year too so it'll probably be June again before I get the tomatoes out. I think I potted up 4 times last year waiting for good weather, and I finally started my cukes indoors. Might have to do that again this year too.

The temps have been all over the place lately - most of the year 10 degrees below normal but yesterday it was 10 degrees above normal (25 degrees warmer than the day before)!