Frost damage to potatoes

[rary]

This is more a worning and advice, this morning after an overnight frost I removed poly tunnel cloches from my potatoes and noticed some leaves looked slightly discoloured but didn't do anything, but when I was re-covering them some of the leaves were blackened, caused by frost damage, even though the potatoes were covered the damage happened because there was no space between the poly covering and the potato shaws the covering was pushing down on the leaves. What I should have done when I noticed the damage this morning was that I should have washed the frost off with cold water then shaded the plants from the bright sunlight, tonight I have covered the potatoes with fleece before replacing the tunnels, I will let you know how they look tomorrow

[ameno]

I've had to cover mine with a double layer of insect mesh, because it's all I have (used all the fleece on other stuff). It's only supposed to be going down to 2c, though, so hopefully they'll be okay. We shall see tomorrow.

[rary]

I had a post all written out and when I went to add photos I lost it all, so will give it another go

[ameno]

I don't think there was a frost here in the end. I haven't yet checked at the allotment, but I went into my garden at around 5am, just before I went to bed (I keep odd hours), and there was no frost on anything (cold, though). The allotment is only three minutes walk up the road, so it's probably the same story there.

[muckdiva]

I forgot to cover mine and they are all wilted with blackened leaves now...what’s the best thing to do?

[rary]

If the foliage is damaged they should recover but it will set the harvest time back quite a bit

[rary]

After reading amenos first post I decided to make a enviromesh tunnel over them so I will still put the poly tunnels over them but I shouldn't need to tie them down and the enviromesh will also give protection from the cold, so thanks ameno for giving me the idea

[rary]

Should have added for muckdiva if any plants get caught by frost, if you catch it early enough you can wash them down with cold water then shade them from the sun, if you do that most plants will recover

[ameno]

Second report.
There was a frost at my allotment, despite there not being one in my garden. The tips of my potato leaves were slightly blackened, but otherwise the double layer of mesh seems to have done a fairly good job of protecting them. They certainly seem in a better state than the potatoes on neighbouring plots, which were unprotected.
My oca, too, was sightly singed but otherwise okay.

Miraculously, the tomato and melon seedlings coming coming up in my asparagus bed were completely unharmed.
The same can't be said for my poor grape vines, though...

[muckdiva]

Thanks Rary, that’s useful to know about the shading etc.

[SimpleSimon]

In most people's experience do frost damage potatos survive? We didn't have a frost but it was 0c overnight on the plot and the tips of my potatoes went black and wilted. It was only about an inch that popped through the earthing up. I don't mind them being delayed as I have some in tunnel but gonna be gutted if the whole lot dies

[rary]

If its just the tips that have been caught, they will push out new leaf shortly, if you know frost is forcasted and you don't have any fleece etc. that you can use layers of paper or cardboard which may prevent frost damage, also you can get frost from +3c

[SimpleSimon]

I was going to cover them but the rows are 8m long and there are 5 rows. I thought they'd be ok! Fortunately most of my maincrops I sowed later so they were not even through. And I'd earthed up the earlies and seconds for the second time the day before but ran out of earth to do it again. Fingers crossed. I lost all my beans as well but least I can resow those. Not sure I can with potatoes really.

[ameno]

Another frost due tonight. I packed some scrunched up newspaper around my oca and the smaller potato plants under the mesh, so help lift the mesh off the leaves and to provide a little extra insulation.
I'm not bothering with covering my grapes this time. It did more harm than good last time, and the damage is already done, anyway...

[1Bee]

I had three layers of fleece over my very early potatoes... right up to the point the wind blew it off overnight! Gah. *eyeroll