Frostbite

While I was vacationing in South Texas a few weeks ago the first frost of the season hit my garden. My indoor/outdoor thermometer (or rather, its memory) says it got down to 33, but the receiver lives in a protected area under the barn roof so I'm thinking it got a few degrees cooler than that.

I wasn't too worried when I saw the forecast - the cool season crops can tolerate these brief brushes with freezing temperatures. A few other crops though not so much.

The tops and edges of the bell peppers took a hit. I should still be able to pick a few more before I pull them out for winter.

The potatoes are done and ready for digging, while the row of Brussels sprouts in the same bed couldn't be happier.

The beets (as well as the kohlrabi) show no wear for the worse.

Because I was on vacation, I left it up to my house sitter if she thought the garden quilts would need to come out. But that wasn't necessary. The potatoes and peppers were near the end of their growing season anyway. Had this been as cold as last year's hard freeze I would have been a little more worried.