Keep an eye on the weather this weekend as freezing temps possible late Sunday

Posted on October 6, 2012 by Rob Gates

Standard disclaimer: Weather is a fluid situation, advice given here should not be taken as Gospel, but as a guide to potentially help you preserve your garden through this time of cold weather. 
Will this be the end of the 2012 growing season?
According the National Weather Service, freezing temperatures may blanket northcentral Kentucky and most of Indiana late Sunday into early Monday. Areas that do not experience an actual freeze, will likely have frost if the current forecast holds.
This event is not unusual for this time of year and if you past through the archive of this blog, the second week of October always seems to bring a threat of freezing temperatures. And if you look through the same archive, you will see that the forecast is generally wrong and we do not get the predicted freeze. That does not in any way mean it will not happen, it is just me telling you the past history of such things.
Regardless, if the forecast holds (and I will post again tomorrow when the picture becomes more clear or advisories are issued) than you ought to take some steps to protect your crops if you hope to extend the fall growing season.
By and large, if we get a hard freeze, there is not much you can do to protect cold-sensitive plants like tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, etc. Lettuce and other tender leafy crops are also at risk, but cabbage, broccoli and other brassicas and hardier chards and spinach should be OK.
If we end up with only a frost (actual ambient air temperatures remain above freezing, but it is cold enough on plant surfaces to allow the formation of ice crystals)  than covering your plants with breathable materials (do not use plastic) will usually get them through. The idea is to keep the frost from damaging leaves.
Here is a list of cold-tolerant plants to give you an idea of how to plan your planting weekend.