It ’s delinquent by a calendar week or more , but it looks like even southern Minnesota will get its first Robert Lee Frost overnight or in the next few day . How should a northern gardener respond ? Winter is coming , of course , but there are ways to stretch out the season , whether that means a few more harvests from the vegetable garden or foresighted blooms on your pet flush .
hoarfrost , Freezes and Hard Freezes
A duet of years ago , we did a C. W. Post explaining thedifferences between a frost , a freeze and a tough frost . Basically , a frost involves temperatures below 36 degrees for several hour . A freeze mean temperatures are between 28 and 32 degree for four or more hours and a hard halt means temperature below 28 degrees for several hours . The air temperature in one part of your garden may vary from the relief of it , based on whether it ’s a gamey or down in the mouth spot , so make readjustment consequently .
Kale is one of the vegetables that can handle a frost well.
A hard freezing signals the remnant of the vegetable and yearly peak horticulture season unless you have invested incold frames , hoop houses , a greenhouse orother time of year extenders . ( If a greenhouse is on your regard list , see out the how - to story in the November / December 2021 issue ofNorthern Gardener . )
First Frost strategy
Assuming you require to continue to harvest somelate - season vegetablesor keep a few containers salubrious for a act longer , a simple natural covering may be all you need until we get to the hard freeze stage . Some root crops wo n’t be affected much by early hoarfrost because they are underground and the flavor of some unfearing greens , such as kale , actually improves with a bit of frost . Tender cat valium , such as lettuces , will need a cover or you may reap them . Other tender vegetables — and many Minnesota gardens still have love apple or peppers ripening in them this year — should be harvested .
Kale is one of the vegetables that can handle a frost well.
Most annual flowers , such as impatiens , coleus , zinnias , petunias and calibrachoas , will buy the farm in a freeze . Pansies , snapdragons , sweet alyssum and calendula can care frost but not a concentrated freeze . Depending on how depleted the temperatures go , you could deal display or break up the flowers for a beautiful bouquet indoors . Those lovely mum pot you buy for your front porch are best cut through up if the temps are exit below the mid-30s , just to check that they stay sound for Halloween .
Beyond the First Frost
finally , it will be November in Minnesota , and that mean more freezes and heavy freezes and the end of the horticulture season for all but those who extend the season with hoop sign or greenhouses . ( script recommendation , if that ’s something you ’d like to try . ) It ’s sentence , then , to clean up those country that require it ( veggie gardens , containers ) and appropriate those that do not command it tostand for the winter . It ’s a neat clock time to buy afew houseplantsor anamaryllisfor the holiday .
And , of course , design for next seasonand look forward to thelast frost in spring .
