My mom is an amazing gardener and usually grows a beautiful garden but this year? She decided we needed to plant the three biggest tomatoes outside now because we could just cover them at night when it froze.
I planted three of them and put the tomato cages around them where we could lay the blankets over the top of the cage.
Well mom is now 88 and she decided it would be hard for us to lug blankets out there so we would use a small blanket, a sheet and a piece of black plastic.
Wrong choice. The one that was covered with the black plastic cooked this morning after the sun came up but before it warmed up outside. It was still freezing out but cooked it anyway because of the sun.
Lesson learned: Never cover your tomatoes with black plastic even if it is lighter then a blanket.
The second tomato that had the sheet looks like it should be in ICU as it is not very healthy looking, I think the sheet was a little to thin to work good.
Lesson learned: Cover with a blanket not something thin.
The third tomato had a blanket around it and it looks pretty good this morning.
Lesson learned: All my tomatoes will be covered with a blanket. I put a blanket around it and then put dirt all around the bottom like we do our tent in cold weather and closed the top with clothes pins.
Tonight all tomatoes will be covered with a blanket but I really don't think the two are going to make it but I won't give up as long as they are standing at all..I am stubborn that way.
Lesson learned: Wait the 4 more days until it says it won't freeze at night for at least a week. Impatience is not a good thing.
Two of my friends told me that they have froze their tomatoes and cut them back at ground level and they grew again and were very productive. So guess who was glad they covered the dead one and the ICU one along with the healthy one. I got up this morning and uncovered them and cut them off at ground level so I will let you know what happens.
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