GROUNDWORK FOR SUCCESS - Start a Community Food Garden - page 118

Fall Education Topics

Understanding Frost Tolerance Levels
Garden Cleanup and Composting

The First Garden Season: What Have We Learned?

UNDERSTANDING FROST TOLERANCE LEVELS

The weeks just before and just after the average frost date are touch and go. It is called an average
frost date for a reason—the exact date will vary from year to year. Many gardeners get anxious about
their beloved tomatoes and other hot-season crops and want to milk every last drop of warmth out of
the season, to get the most ripe fruit. A surprise frost can end those plans quickly, so encourage your
gardeners to monitor the weather and plan accordingly. Many crops, however, can stand some cold tem-
peratures. And some, like members of the cabbage family, taste even better after exposure to a few cold
days. It is important for your gardeners to know what to harvest when, to avoid remorse on those first
frosty days.

Frost Tolerance of Vegetables

Sensitive (damaged by light Semi-Hardy (tolerates light Hardy tolerates hard

frost) frost) frost)

Basil
Beans
Cucumbers
Eggplants
Okra
Peppers
Summer squash
Tomatillos
Tomatoes
Melons

Arugula
Beets
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Lettuce
Peas
Swiss chard

Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Collards
Kale
Kohlrabi
Onions
Parsley
Radishes
Spinach
Turnips
Leeks

Light frost: 28 to 32 degrees F. Hard frost: below 28 degrees F.

GARDEN CLEANUP AND COMPOSTING

Many community gardens go dormant in the off-season. In the north, the off-season is fall and winter;
in the south, it could be the superhot days of summer, when nothing can grow due to extreme heat. Only