OK, so here is the after action report on the big freeze-out that occurred on May 8^th that I wrote about on May 9^th (Garden: Big Mistake).

Here is the first thing that I found interesting…nothing I had in the ground received any freeze damage at all. All of the freeze damage was in the green house.

PLANTS                           # BEFORE THE FREEZE             # LOST or QUESTIONABLE

• Tomatoes                                     35                                                     7
• Cantaloupe                                    6                                                     3
• Watermelon                                   2                                                     0
• Cucumbers                                  10                                                     7
• Peppers                                       38                                                     8
• Squash, Butternut                          1                                                     1
• Squash, Zucchini                           2                                                      2
• Flowers                                        14                                                      1

Vegetables lost – 23%

Flowers Lost – 6%

Bottom line…it could have been way worse!

Here are the lessons learned from this event:

• Have routines for all important chores…and be faithful to that routine. Write it down if needed.
• Pay close attention to weather reports and don’t trust them 100%. Error on the side of caution.
• Just because the plants are in a green house doesn’t mean they are protected from cold weather.

Now here is something to think about…If we were dependent on the garden for survival we would now be short of food by ¼. That could be really devastating in a survival situation. Therefore, I learned that I should overestimate plants needs by 1/3rd at the least. If I have too many when it comes time to plant…then give the extras to those in need.

Related Articles –

• Garden: Big Mistake!

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