Getting an Early Start on Planting Warm-Season Veggies

I have my "Kozy-Coats" ready to go.
I started my tomatoes from seed indoors
a few weeks ago. As soon as they are big
enough, in a couple more weeks, I'll be
planting them in the raised beds with
the added protection of these handy devises.
Without the added protection, I would not
recommend planting tomatoes, or other
warm-season crops outdoors here in the
High Desert any sooner than
mid to late April'

Is there anyone else out there who’s noticed the weird weather? One day it seems to be spring with hints of summer coming soon, and the next day winter is back with its chilly temperatures – not to mention the wind. Are any of you trying to plant a veggie garden and are worried about the cold nights killing those tender new plants? I noticed that there are a lot of tomatoes, peppers, and other warm-season vegetable plants for sale at the local garden centers. Unless you plan on keeping them indoors, or have some kind of plan to keep them warm, they will most likely not survive the night-time temperatures. There are a number of products on the market — most through catalogs — that can help prevent cold/frost injury to the young plants, thus allowing you to plant a few days or even weeks sooner than would ordinarily be safe.

Since tomatoes are among the most popular “vegetables” (botanically, tomatoes are actually a fruit) for home gardeners, I’ll start with them first. There are a couple of nearly identical products that can allow tomatoes to be planted six to eight weeks sooner than usual, which include “Wallo’ Water” and “Kozy-Coat.” Each is approximately 18-inches high and consists of a circle of tubes that are filled with water, which creates a tee pee over the plant that literally has a “wall of water.” The idea is that the water absorbs the sun’s heat during the day and releases that heat slowly through the night, keeping the plant in a warmer environment, and keeping the frost away. The “Wallo’ Water” claims to protect plants to 16 degrees F., while the “Kozy-Coat” protects to about 22 degrees F. Both are reusable over several seasons.

The main difference between the two products is that the “Kozy-Coat” has a red tint to it that is supposed to enhance photosynthesis by reflecting red light onto the plant, thus allowing the tomato plant to grow bigger, and produce larger and earlier yields — giving similar results to what red mulch can do, with the added benefit of frost protection. “Kozy-Coat” is slightly more expensive than “Wallo’ Water” (approximately $21.50 versus $19.95 respectively for packages of three), so it depends on your preference. I have been using the “Kozy-Coat” product for years and they continue to do a great job year-after-year. Occasionally one of the water tubes springs a leak, but that problem can be easily remedied with repair sleeves, which are available for both products.

There are a number of fabrics/floating row covers available for placing over young vegetable plants to protect them from the frost and temperatures as low as 24 degrees F. depending on the specific product. Territorial Seed Co. offers several choices: “Grow Guard 20” is a polypropylene fabric that weighs only 0.6 ounce per square yard, allows 85-percent light transmission, and provides protection down to 27 degrees F. as long as there is no breeze; “Reemay” has a long-standing reputation, same weight as Grow Guard 20, 75-percent light transmission, and protection to 30 degrees F; and “Frost Blanket” is three times the thickness of Reemay, allows 50-percent light transmission, protects down to 24 degrees F., and is UV stabilized. Gardens Alive carries a similar selection of products.

If this information comes too late for this year’s garden, save it and try out some of the ideas next year. You’ll be the envy of your neighborhood when you have ripe homegrown veggies earlier than the rest because you were able to plant them in the ground sooner. Check out the Web or your local garden centers for these products. The Territorial Seed Company’s web address is www.territorialseed.com, and the Gardens Alive address is www.GardensAlive.com