Return to the Growing Tomatoes Forum
| Post a Follow-Up
37 degree night
| | |
Posted by
Julie717 6 OK (
My Page) on
Sun, May 1, 11 at 12:31
| So I finally planted my (purchased) tomatoes a few days ago, after they spent a cool rainy week on the screened porch (and a few nights indoors). I put them in sturdy, very hard to remove cages to keep my dogs from trampling them. They're mulched lightly with straw.
Ever since I planted them, the weatherman keeps forecasting lower nighttime temps over the new few days. Now the lowest forecast has gone from 42 to 37 overnight on Monday. It's about 50 and raining outside now. After Thursday, nights are supposed to get in the 50s again...
So anyway, I have read a suggestion to wrap plastic around tomato cages to protect plants from wind, but I'm a little skeptical that would have much effect unless I completely encase them. A lot of my other options would be difficult with the cages already in place, and I don't have a bunch of empty plastic bottles lying around. WOWs would be expensive, plus would they work if I install them when it's already cool and cloudy (no sun to warm them in the daytime)?
So what would you guys do? Just wait and see, or should I try to find some way to keep them warmer? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: 37 degree night
| | |
| Some of the plants are maybe a little big for it, but what if I just bought gallon jugs of water to dump and put the jugs over them? Would it hurt the bigger ones if were pressed against the tops of the jugs? |
RE: 37 degree night
| | |
| Wrapping the cages works. One of the ladies wrapped her cages with a light plastic about 3' high and it really helped the plants. I didn't think it would but I was wrong. So get some cheap painter's plastic and some shipping tape and do a quick round or two and be done with it. When it gets hot, cut it off and let them free again. |
RE: 37 degree night
| | |
| I really wouldn't worry about 37 degrees. It won't help the plants but it shouldn't hurt them. One dangerous thing about wrapping the cages - if the following day it turns sunny and warm, you can bake the plants in a matter of a couple of hours unless you want to poke holes in the top and sides to let air through. Mike |
RE: 37 degree night
| | |
| Well, I wrapped black plastic around them, but only about 18 inches high (taller than the plants). Tonight it's supposed to get down to the low 40s and rain, rain all day tomorrow, then upper thirties and clear overnight on Monday. So I was thinking about leaving them as is with just the wrap tonight, then tomorrow night putting a tarp over the top of the cages. The tarp should overlap the plastic so they will be mostly covered that way, with maybe a little gap at the ends. Or maybe the forecast will change completely tomorrow and I won't have to worry about it:). Thanks for your help guys. |
RE: 37 degree night
| | |
| 37 and clear weather, cover and hope your weatherman is right. Mix rain with it... late blight wiped out most of casual gardeners around here two years ago. Once it starts, all you can do is bag your sick plants and hope your neighbors do the same. |
RE: 37 degree night
| | |
| I covered mine with 5 gal. buckets. High temp. today is 58 and supposed to drop again tonight. Will it hurt to leave the buckets in place till Thurs. around noon when the temp is to be about 68? |
RE: 37 degree night
| | |
| Could get really hot under the buckets at 68 or even 58 degrees. Can't you just cover them this afternoon? What's the temp supposed to be tonight? We're predicted to hit 25 tonight, got sleet and a little snow (just a coating) last night. But I don't have anything planted out yet. We got almost an inch of rain yesterday, I haven't even planted peas. |
RE: 37 degree night
| | |
| I wrap mine in floating row cover and cover the whole cage (you can get a big sheet and cut them down). It really works wonders. |
RE: 37 degree night
| | |
| This is an old story that can repeat. First, 37F night low is not going to harm tomato plants. One thing to understand is that the night low is just for a short time, maybe for an hour, NOT all night long. Second. With a cage, there are many possibilities, wrapping the cage with plastic, saran wrap, sheet. Or inverting an empty pot, bucket of the pant. I have planted some of my tomatoes about 10 days ago and since then we have has several night that temps dipped to 38F. And I did not do anything for them as protection. No problem here. |
This post was edited by seysonn on Wed, Apr 16, 14 at 14:16
RE: 37 degree night
| | |
| Depends on how big they are, hardened off or not, how long you plan to keep covered and with what. Sounds like Betterviewll wanted to leave them covered for more than 24 hours while temps were 58-68. It was the OP years ago who mentioned 37 degrees, we don't even know how low the temp is going to get for Betterviewll tonight. Probably would have been better to start a new thread giving that info. |
RE: 37 degree night
| | |
| I live in a valley and it always gets colder than predicted. When the forecast is in the thirties that is too cold for comfort. Old sheets from yard sales and row covers are good. Dogs will think you made a bed and lie on them if there aren't cages or something to protect them. |
This post was edited by helenh on Thu, Apr 17, 14 at 12:11
RE: 37 degree night
| | |
| Heres a photo of my tomatoes in cages wrapped with row covers. They made it through two nights of temps in the mid-30s and went on to produce very well. We discussed this in another thread I'll link to from last year. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Tomatoes at 37 degrees
RE: 37 degree night
| | |
| I used to use wall o waters and other "warmers", but now I have my doubts. It seems to me that they get stunted for the whole season by being chilled just once. So, I think it is better to just wait a couple weeks. Let the tomatoes be transplanted into warm soil on warm days. So many seeds planted directly outdoors after it is warm seem to catch up and surpass those planted inside and transplanted out too early. Best to plant them inside and delay transplanting a bit... |
Post a Follow-Up
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in.
If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Growing Tomatoes Forum
Information about Posting
- You must be logged in to post a message. Once you are logged in, a posting window will appear at the bottom of the messages. If you are not a member, please register for an account.
- Please review our Rules of Play
before posting.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you
will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review your
post, make changes and upload photos.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in
order to see it.
- Before posting copyrighted material, please read about Copyright and Fair Use.
- We have a strict no-advertising
policy!
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit
our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we
will be happy to help.
Learn more about in-text links on this page here
