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Responding to a Freeze – Good Gardening Advice || Black Gumbo



How we respond to a devastating freeze is important if we hope to recover our garden. Some folks throw out all caution and start over. I’ll show you that you might not have to if you will take one word of advice.

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Black Gumbo shares our suburban, backyard, sustainable gardening efforts. We work a small-scale teaching garden, much like the typical Zone 9a backyard garden and raised beds, the kind of gardening accessible to all. We tend to take the slice of life approach and hope you will enjoy our family, our dog, our cooking, our adventures, and occasionally some commentary and advice. We love family, joy and friendship, and we invite you to enjoy these things with us!

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43 Comments

  1. Frank Yellowsnow

    It was in the low teens here in Georgetown SC for a few days. Just went out to my garden today in the mid 60s today. I covered the 3 beds at night and I am surprised that some to the plants made it. I went through through and cut out all of the dead leaves there is new growth I am happy with what was saved. Quite a-bit of lettuce made it. I am starting 36 new lettuce plants today in the house once they start I will move them into my little greenhouse then plant them back where all my beets didn't make it.

  2. Jeanette Schul

    If you wait, the leaves will get crispy brown or live and green again. Bonus for waiting: no slimy leaves to deal with and no slime to attract fungal disease if you just let the plant sort out the living leaves and the ones needing removal.

  4. Sean Rich

    Thanks for posting, I guess 17 is cold there. Negative 5 with 30 mph wind Christmas off Lake Erie. Gardening ? Not a chance.

  6. Derek Cox

    Here in my area of Alberta Canada ,I basically have 1 rule of thumb. If it’s spring and we get a big frost that kills everything…I replant with my backup plants because more often than not,we need to be ready for that in spring if we put our plants out early. In fall,I just cover plants until I can see that it’s a lost cause,then I harvest everything before the freeze and sort it out afterwards😂

  7. Charlene Quinilty

    I covered my cabbage and kale and broc with plastic. They did get some damage. Trimmed off the burnt leaves and they seem to be ok. Hope they will continue to make the heads. Same with the carrots which were not covered. Trimmed off the burnt leaves and new growth are coming up.

  10. Awkward Texas Stranger

    I’m leaving all the brown stuff right where it is, to insulate against the next crazy freeze we may get before spring. It was a hard lesson for me to let nature do what it does, and not try to keep everything tidy all the time.

  14. PrettyAliceNight

    All my lettuce and greens totally turned to mush so I just added to my compost. I was trying to wait and see if any would survive but none did. That’s ok though because it’s good compost material.

  15. TiffyStrangeBird Brown

    Thanks to your videos, i saved many of my plants. the kale, cabbage, oleander… I even threw a big old dog bed over a fat tomato vine on the ground and it's still green! there's much hope. I'm also seed bombing planters rn to replace the dead with both seeds that need stratification and more tender early spring seeds, Im hedging my bets.

  16. kate Draus

    I wished I had had the time to cover more. The Temps dropped so fast… I too, thought most of my crop was a lost cause because I got it in later than normal. My Swiss chard also died of frostbite. Some of my baby bok chois and pak Choi are hanging in there though. Some of my young kale are coming back to life as well. God is good!!

  17. Jai

    Thank you. This channel is truly God sent. I was gonna give up on this garden but once again your encouragement has been given right on time.

  18. Latinos Over 40

    Hola Scott, I feel your pain. I also live in the Houston area (Near Gulfgate Center). I registered 18.5F at it's coldest. Most of my Eugenia Surinam Cherry trees were hit hard but they are 6yr old 2" trunks in the ground since spring this year 2022 and hope they make it. All of my Citrus plants and many tropicals are in pots and were brought into the garage. My two 4' tall Avocado trees are in the ground (Mexicola and Poncho – Grafted). They are trees that can tolerate down to 17F but only when 15' to 20' tall so I hope the trunks are viable above the graft. That's gardening, sometimes you win and sometimes you don't. Much luck to you sir, we'll know more come April or May. …. Javier

  19. Anonymous

    Thanks for the advice. Here in NE Fla. we got down to 24 or so a couple of nights. I covered my baby cold hardy avocado with a garbage can and it is great. The bigger Hass I covered with a tarp but the leaves will probably all fall off. Looks really sad and I hope it comes through. The brassicas, onions, garlic and leaf lettuce all froze stiff but came back with a little damage, look pretty good. Loquat still has fruit looking good. My Myers Lemon got frostbit but I think will be OK. The grapefruit, satsuma and navel oranges are champs. Lost all the tropicals. But then, I'm not in the tropics, so I need to grow what works in 9A. Lost the potatoes but dug out some I can cook. Did OK mostly, and learned some stuff.

  21. Jackie Horsley

    I understand what Your talking about It got really cold here In Oklahoma as well we even got snow and Ice as well I think I might of lost some bushes to I guess time well tell

  22. PhatKat Reigns

    Thanks for doing this video.I did cut off all the mushy fruit but I remembered you saying not to start cutting what you think is dead. I removed the fruit but left the branches and leaves. These videos are definitely teaching tools. Nothing else survived but all the trees made it. I feel Blessed. 💜

  25. Chris Morris

    At the other end of the scale, do you ever get heat damage in mid summer on crops.?
    I'm down in New Zealand and its mid summer here. We get temperatures in excess of 35c (95F) and certain plants just cannot handle it.

  28. Terri Sheridan

    My cabbages are bouncing back. Lost my Brussels sprouts but broccoli looks like it’s coming out ok. I’m in Lower Alabama we get your weather a few hours to a day later. I will be waiting to clean up the mess for a while.

  29. WILL IT GROW

    why am i not one bit surprized phobee would end the year causing some trouble! its good to see you still saved some stuff.

  30. Training Olives

    I thought my garden was a goner for sure. The kids and I went out and piled it high with oak leaf mulch the day before the freeze which felt like such a futile endeavor. Alas, I went out two days ago and was astounded to find life! We worked to uncover all the beds yesterday and then watered with some fish emulsion. I’m still a little shocked, but so SO thrilled! 🙌🏻.

  31. Old Bear

    Yes! Plants can be crazy hardy and just because they look a bit rough I wouldn't count them out too soon 👍👍

  32. Cindy Nielson

    We are in spring planting mode here. Expecting snow over the holiday weekend. I love your positive attitude it is very encouraging. Happy New Year! 👍🧨🎉🥂👏

  33. Toney Johnson

    I live in Georgia west of Atlanta and we got temps down to 6 degrees and we are doing the same thing just waiting to see what happens. We did move the Myer lemon and our orange tree inside. I will be getting them in the ground in March. Good luck and as always thanks for sharing.

  34. Michael Tillman

    Exactly the video I was hoping for. Thank you sir. This gives me an idea of what to expect with a couple of responses to a forecasted freeze. I didn't have anything growing other than some very tasty wild onions that have been around my place for several years, so learning from your experience is very helpful and highly appreciated. 😎

  35. Lyn Moore

    Great video……… Now I want to know where do I post my single challenge…………. cos I am so excited…………….. 3 weeks ago….. I planted a Pumpkin seed…………….. just one as single seed challenge…. took photos and today…. like OMG I saw a green thingy coming up…………. so I so want tp post…. but not sure where?…… so where do I post?>

  36. barbara engle

    Zone 8b,had real feel of 2*,covered u garden with fencing and plush blanket, wrapped towels around Bace of fruit trees… amazing….thanks

  37. Jeannie Scarber

    Start buy cotton sheets at thrift shops. They are cheap, can be easily sewn together.. make great winter low tunnel covers. You can cover citrus trees and hang warm hands to protect the dwarf trees easily

  38. Ray Del

    Thanks Scott. Great God honoring attitude. Elderberries, you can't kill if you tried. AAs for the kale — you will have some great plants. –Happy New Year –Ray Delbury Sussex County NJ USA.

  39. Kathphlox

    I'm so glad you're waiting to see, you don't know, just give it time. My purple sprouting survived -11C for over a solid week, I told you about it. They are going great guns, I'm looking forward to some lovely sprouts in a couple of months.

  40. Wendy Burston

    Hi Scott. Happy New Year! We have had a lot of rain in two days and the snow is pretty much gone. I can now see the bok choi in the raised bed. The rabbits ate the lettuce but left the roots✓ who knows, they may come back. The bok Choi are still there with only one of them looking a bit glossy. Even if they just survive long enough to be a cover crop ( do they make a good cover crop? 🤔) I'll be happy with that. There's so much to learn. Exciting eh? Thanks for the encouragement!

  41. sonnya moran

    We got freezes over Christmas weekend. But 80 today New Years Eve. I planted my second group of green peas and started my pepper seeds today. 11 varieties. Mid January I'll be starting my tomato seeds. I'm putting in my cabbage and broccoli starts tomorrow while harvesting my first cabbages, cauliflower and broccoli. Zone 9b central Florida. I'm so blessed to live where I can grow year round. God bless you. Perfect timing for video. Thank you 😊.

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