Help - frost warning tonight 34degs

[Ready_set_g0]

Hey all! Looking for some advice or consoling as a first timer. Tonight and the next couple days we are looking at 34-35 degrees for an hour or two in the weee hours of the AM.

I was hoping to wait a few days to harvest, and am not entirely prepped to do it. What to do?? Should a harvest right now or can I wait out a minor frost, if it happens? I was even thinking about taking an extension cord out to the garden and putting an oil space heater out over night.

Thoughts?

 

[steamroller]

Covering your plants is the easiest and first step IMO.
If you can safely use a heater after that hen have at it.

 

[Adamvz89]

Will a trash bag fit? May be enough of a barrier in the short term.

 

[mysticepipedon]

I wouldn't spray the plants, but if you wet the soil as well as cover the plants, you'll increase your chances.

 

[Ready_set_g0]

I have two. This one is about 8 feet wide so a trash bag won’t fit. I was stretching this one for just a few more days or I think I’m just going to take it out. I have a smaller plant that definitely needs a another week or more that I may just cover with a tarp and the heater.

 

[nashobaTHC]

Don’t cover and don’t bother with a heater. These plants are tough and can take low-mid 30s. Your fence will protect a bit. Just realize that the temperature forecast is not at your house but in an open area…often at nearby airports or town halls with a weather station. If you get through tonight and have a few sunny days ahead you’ll be good. A plant that big won’t let a little cold weather push it around.

 

[fuego.de.basurero]

This is my process for the whole garden - tomatoes, peppers, cannabis, etc. I throw bed sheets, blankets or "light" tarps (i.e. not heavy) over everything to shield the plants from freezing dew. My experience is the freezing surface moisture is what does the most damage in quick temperature dip scenarios such as yours. I cover everything before night fall to avoid the dew and try to capture some heat from the day (also some radiant heat from the plants). You should be fine.

 

[Ready_set_g0]

Update

I harvested the large plant because I was only looking to wait another couple days and the risk / reward didn’t make sense to take a chance.

Luckily, because as Nash mentioned above it was colder locally than forecasted, getting down to 31 and we saw I heavy layer of frost.

For the small plant I cut upon a couple garbage bags and duck taped them together to ‘almost’ for over the plant, then loosely draped a tarp over top of that. The top buds looked a little chilly, but I think they just got matted down from the covers.

Today, will tell but I think the plant I left in the ground should be ok. Here’s a couple pictures.

 

[Goodshit97]

Hey all! Looking for some advice or consoling as a first timer. Tonight and the next couple days we are looking at 34-35 degrees for an hour or two in the weee hours of the AM.

I was hoping to wait a few days to harvest, and am not entirely prepped to do it. What to do?? Should a harvest right now or can I wait out a minor frost, if it happens? I was even thinking about taking an extension cord out to the garden and putting an oil space heater out over night.

Thoughts?

My plants frosted 3 times this year. They didnt quite finish how i would've liked but neither plant took any damage. Some plants will do fine, some will die by lunch time after a frost. Its totally your call, maybe wrap her in plastic, tyvec, a blanket, anything would work to keeo the frost off her.

 

[Deadstill]

Howdy, and welcome to the Farm!

Yeah we have had frost warnings for the past week here in my part of Colorado. As long as it's only below or at freezing for an hour or two, these plants do just fine. You can keep covering at night if you need to get a few extra days out of your plants, but these plants will survive frost surprisingly easily.

 

[Goodshit97]

As long as it's only below or at freezing for an hour or two, these plants do just fine.

Totally forgot to add this. Its definitely about length of exposure for sure.