My vegetable garden has suffered a bit of a setback. After weeks of spring-like weather we had a cold snap last night. One of the best frosts of the winter. I lost almost all my tomato plants, even the ones inside the greenhouse. I lost my best pepper plants, and all the pumpkins, melons, gourds, zucchini, and potatoes got major frost damage but I'm hopeful at least some of them will survive. Those that are not planted out yet (still in pots) are spending tonight indoors as another frost is expected. The good news is I've still got healthy lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, celery, black currents, raspberries, strawberries, cauliflower, silverbeet.... and lots more seed.
You live and learn. I've learnt that even frost cloth can't save sensitive crops from a bad frost. The climate in this little valley means that even well into summer you're never 100% safe from a rouge frost. My neighbour, who has lived here much longer than I, told me that she gave up trying to grow tomatoes up here after a rouge frost in February took out her entire crop one year. I'll just have to plant more frost hardy crops. For anything I want to grow that is frost tender I'll just have to hunt out the quick maturing varieties and take my chances.
7:11:04 PM 
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