Would watering have saved them?

[GardenGeisha]

If I had gotten up before sunrise to water my zinnias and squash on this cold morning, do you think that might have saved them? I always get up early to watch the hummingbirds, but they are gone. So I stayed in bed. Had I gotten up at the coldest time of the night (early morning) and watered them, could that have prolonged their life? How does that work?

 

[897tgigvib]

The water actually only gets as cold as 32 degrees and no colder under normal conditions, even if the air is 28 or 25 degrees. As I understand it.

You might have been able to save them for a few more days, or a week or so. Maybe.

 

[GardenGeisha]

Can you just pour the water over them with a watering can? My hose won't reach clear out to the zinnia patch. I would have had to have hand watered most of them. Maybe I should have watered them last night before I went to bed? As best I can tell, the air here was down to 35 F or maybe 34 F, not as cold as 32 F.

 

[digitS']

Damage from freezing seems to be partly dehydration. If a plant is already dehydrated, it is vulnerable to frost damage.

Around here, well water is about 55f.

Water pipes carry that 55 water and, using sprinklers, you can warm the air and plants with that water. It is a way to "mitigate" the effects of frost.

Steve

 

[Nyboy]

Sometimes you just have to except their seasons over.

 

[GardenGeisha]

The ones I covered are still okay looking. So they have another week or so before nighttime temps drop again.