GLYNDON — With temperatures dropping into the 30s tonight, gardeners could see frost on their plants tomorrow morning.
Owner of Green Leaf Greenhouse Mark Annis says once water collects on your plants and then freezes, it kills the leaves and that, in turn, kills the plants.
"You want to use blankets or something like that, that is going to have a little more protection," Annis says.
The needed protection depends on the vegetable. Corn, peppers, beans, and tomatoes are sensitive to frost, but root vegetables — like beets, carrots, onions and squash — can usually handle the cold and don't need to be protected.
He recommends covering plants early in the day because it will help them collect the ground heat.
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Annis wasn't expecting a frost this early in the year.
"Well, we usually we try to get through September; the last couple years (the first frost) has been right around the 10th of October."
He says he covers his plants whenever temperatures look to be in the 30s.
If you cover your plants tonight, they should be able to survive.
WDAY Meteorologist John Wheeler says things are going to warm back up, so if you can get your garden through the next two nights it should be OK for a while.
