Frost coming to parts of Alberta – here’s what you need to harvest from your garden Achi-News

As the last days of summer end and fall arrives this weekend, so do the overnight lows that are cool enough to kill some of those hard earned garden bounties.

Environment Canada has issued frost advisories for parts of Alberta, including the regions around Edmonton and Calgary.

A frost advisory is issued when temperatures are expected to reach the freezing mark during the growing season, resulting in damage and possible destruction to plants and crops.

For many green thumbs, the risk of frost means covering their tomatoes at night. But sometimes, even a blanket can’t protect your well-earned bounty.

Here is a basic list of what you should harvest when the temperature drops to zero, and what can hold on for a few more weeks.

What to choose and enter

Beans and peas: Ripe or not, beans and peas do not do well with ice. If you expect hard frost overnight, harvest these and enjoy.

Horn: Ripe corn will not do well with frost and should be harvested immediately. Immature cobs can be left on the stalk with hopes of another week of growth, but a good freeze will shorten their shelf life by three or four days.

Tomatoes and peppers: Ripe tomatoes or peppers should be harvested immediately. If you have some unripe ones on the vine, and the forecast calls for temperatures around 0 C, you can take a gamble. Try placing your plants along the south side of your home and cover them with a blanket. If the forecast calls for -2 C or colder, you’re better off harvesting the unripe produce and letting it ripen inside.

gourds: Ripe gourds with thick skin should be harvested immediately. Eat your cucumbers immediately. Store your pumpkins, squash and zucchinis in a cool, dark room on a non-metal or non-concrete surface – this will make them last longer. Immature pumpkins or squash will not ripen off the vine, so you will want to leave them out until their skins are quite hard. Hope for the best by covering them with a blanket on those cold nights and be careful not to crush the vine.

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What to leave in the garden

Apples: Many types of apples can stay on the tree until the end of September (assuming we don’t see a significant snowstorm in late September). Light frosting can make the fruit sweeter and tastier.

Root vegetables: Vegetables such as beets, carrots, onions and potatoes can stay underground until the soil around them starts to freeze. A light frost would not be a problem, but any kind of frost that would freeze the ground around them would damage the goods.

Lettuce and salad greens: A light frost will change the texture of these items, and they should be harvested to avoid freezing. But if we see a few more nice weeks, the base of the plant could continue to grow. If you’re optimistic, try cutting off the usable greens and holding out to see if you can get another growth before the end of the season.

Kale, cabbage and chard: These hearty vegetables do well under a light frost. Their colors can become more vibrant and their flavor more robust. But no garden plant will survive a deep freeze. If you think the temperature will drop significantly below 0 C overnight, your best bet would be to harvest them and bring them inside.

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