Frost damage to spuds despite covering!!!

[binley100]

Metcheck -6 BBC 3......... lets see shall we.........

Our lottie is pretty well sheltered so everythings crossed ......tomorrow I could be crying.

[chris]

My min/max thermonitabob turned up today, so I'll see what the temp actually was tomorrow - quite excited now, forgot I'd ordered that

[womble]

Flipping heck, it's bloody freezing outside, 0c outside my backdoor already and that's in a sheltered position in between the house and the garage!
I dread to think how cold it's going to get down the bottom of the garden.

[Bramble_killer]

bbc says 1C, metcheck says -1C, bbc says light rain, metcheck says cloudy.

I give up. I'm buying seeds that are proven to grow in Arctic weather.

[selfraising]

That doesn't look hopeful Womble. No idea what temp is outside down here but it feels bloomin cold brrrrrr!

[selfraising]

BBC says 1 and metcheck says -5. Either ways its cold and I don#t like it

[Kittypickle]

Metcheck is saying -3 here whereas the BBC says 4. Went to the allotment today and most people's spuds look dreadful, as do runners, sweetcorn, courgettes and tomatoes. I had been very cautious and didn't have anything tender out plus had earthed up my potatoes a few days, but a few leaves had come through that look the worse for wear.

[solway cropper]

We had -4 last night and the spuds got frosted despite the fleece and upturned pots. Worst affected were the Charlottes and they are the least developed. Thankfully I have a load in tubs/bags in the greenhouse so my dream of new tatties by the end of May might yet be realized....he said hopefully.

[maypril]

I poured a watering can of water over them to try and thaw.

Whoa, don't do that! A fast defrost will do more damage than a slow, gradual one.

[selfraising]

Oh dear! I thought I read somewhere that the sun thawing leaves out causes more damage. Yikes won't be doing that again!

[FionaH]

My spuds look stuffed

[chris]

Fiona

I'd put a load of news paper all over my spuds (that were in a shed) - the temp around them was 6.5C last night, frost on ground (light) this morning, so quite suprised about how much differnce that can make...

[SarzWix]

Hi
...Some leaves were frozen so I poured a watering can of water over them to try and thaw.

Whoa, don't do that! A fast defrost will do more damage than a slow, gradual one.

Oh dear! I thought I read somewhere that the sun thawing leaves out causes more damage. Yikes won't be doing that again!

I've definitely read that watering with cold water is better than defrosting by the sun. I think it possibly depends on the type of plant, and the hardness of the frost? But if the alternative is the sun hitting the frozen leaves, then the very cold water is not such a daft thing to do. (Obviously warm or hot water would do as much damage as the sun )

[HeyWayne]

I predict that it was cold here last night too.

I've resigned myself to the fact that I may well have lost my Kestrels, but the Golden Wonder, King Edwards and Pink Fir Apples were all far less exposed and will hopefully fare better.

Flaming May indeed.

[Flummery]

Twas -4 here last night as well as Monday. Supposed to be May. Feels like March.