After defending and nurturing tomatoes and peppers through heat, drought and pest attacks, gardeners now face another peril for the maturing fall crops. Freezing weather threatens to nip the Hill Country tonight and Sunday morning, so blankets are in order for beds and flowerbeds. National Weather Service forecasts predict temperatures around 30 degrees in Fredericksburg, Kerrville and other Hill Country towns between midnight and 8 a.m. Sunday. Temperatures here will stay in the upper 30s, said Mark Brundrett, meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in New Braunfels.
The chilly weather is on schedule. The average first freeze for San Antonio is Nov. 25, according to NWS data from 1950 to 2007. Outlying areas such as Boerne, Blanco and Fredericksburg usually beat that date by 10 days to two weeks.
That means it's time to take care of tender tropical and subtropical plants, either by hauling them inside or being prepared to cover them.
David Rodriguez, horticulturist with Texas AgriLife Extension Service in Bexar County, reassures gardeners that they can pick green tomatoes that have just started to ripen. Look where the stem attaches to the fruit. If it's turning white or light green, Rodriguez said, pick the tomato and let it ripen inside.
"It's physiologically ready to harvest," he said. The fruit has already achieved the vine-ripened taste gardeners toil for.
If tomatoes and peppers are still developing and a freeze is forecast, gardeners can wrap the cages around the plants with Grow-Web or a similar freeze-protection fabric that gives the plants about 5 to 7 degrees of temperature protection.
Blankets, sheets, tarps or burlap also work, and those are good choices for in-ground tropicals such as hibiscus and bougainvillea. Don't use plastic directly against foliage. Rodriguez said plastic can be used to protect plants if temperatures below 25 degrees are forecast to last more than six hours. First cover the plant with cloth or Grow-Web, then put the plastic over it for added insulation.
Watering plants well in advance of a freeze will protect the roots. The wind that often ushers in cold fronts will compound our already parched soil, Rodriguez noted. Add an extra blanket for the roots with a couple of inches of mulch, both for plants in the ground and in containers.
If you're hauling container plants into the greenhouse, garage or house, inspect the foliage and soil to prevent pests from hitching a ride. Water the plants well and make sure they have good air circulation, even if it means putting a fan in the area.
"With poor air circulation, you face more plant diseases and more insects," Rodriguez said.
Expect the next cold front to blow in Wednesday or Thursday with similar temperatures, perhaps a ?couple of degrees colder, Brundrett said.
And while we're sure to see plenty of spring and summer temperatures through winter, don't let your guard down. The average last freeze for the city is March 2.
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