Beware Of Frost Conditions on Your Farm
March 29, 2012 
Thanks to the unusually warm temperatures we have seen in recent weeks, growers in the northeast thinking of planting or have already taken the plunge, need to proceed with caution.
That is advice from Mike Orzolek, a professor of vegetable crops at Penn State University. Even though some growers have started to plant, they need to be wary of frost.
“It went down to 18 degrees in Pennsylvania two nights ago,” he says. “Even though days are warm, the nights are not, and that will kill plants.”
Asparagus Pointers
For those producing asparagus, in particular, Orzolek encourages them to put straw mulch over the plants to keep the soil cooler, as warm temperatures during the day will cause the spears to come up too soon, putting them in danger when frost conditions are present.
“We can have killing frosts in the northeast until late April and that will kill emerging asparagus spears,” he explains. “You could take a chance, but what will happen if we do have more frosty nights? By using the straw mulch, you will suppress the plants through April.”
For more information on how to cope with cold temperatures, click here.