Frost Alert!

There are no active frost alerts in Skillin's Country yet BUT the extended forecast does show Portland area lows on this coming Saturday night/Sunday morning to be around 32degrees. The forecast for Sunday night and Monday morning is about 38 degrees. If Portland goes that low in temperature then much of Skillin's Country will probably be susceptible to frost--especially low lying valley areas.

If temperatures drop lower than the "mid 30's" AND we have clear overnight skies with little wind, then frost is very likely to occur. Keep an eye on those night time temperatures! 

What to do? I have many flowering containers that still look great. We should have quite a few more days of great weather in October to enjoy any containers or other annual flower plantings. Depending on your situation you can bring containers inside your garage or house that night. Or you can cover containers and annual plantings with a sheet to keep any frost particles off your plant. Not enough sheets? We have frost cover blankets or "Harvest Guards" here at Skillin's that can be used time and again to protect your plants. Frost protection is a fact of life here in Skillin's Country so be ready!

Still got tomatoes? You should probably pick those. Plantings of greens like lettuces, swiss chard and spinach will probably be fine although covering those plants with some sort of a sheet or frost blanket is not a bad idea.

Houseplants need to be brought inside!

If you cannot cover your plants then give your plant material a shower of water at dusk and then if frost has occurred give the material another shower to melt off the burning frost just before sunrise occurs. The early morning sun can touch those frost particles and cause the particles to in essence "burn" the plant material.

Let us know if you have any questions about frost damage!