I ran into some big trouble with my tomatoes and Mahogany Splendor hibiscus seedlings. I started them too early (mistakenly planning for an April 15 last frost date), and they were desperately outgrowing the seed tray. So I planted them outside and sure enough, they got frosted.

Figuring better late than never, I set up a easy DIY low tunnel and it turned out to be surprisingly effective!

Building the tunnel

I bought a spool of wire at Home Depot- I don’t remember the gauge but it’s about 1/8″ diameter. Mr. Bee cut it into 5′ lengths for me. The no-till rows are 3′ wide and I poked each end of the wire, across the row, 4″ or so into the ground. Spaced every 2-3′ down the row, the height allows the seedlings underneath a good amount to grow.

I bought Agribon frost cloth last summer, so that was on hand already. I laid it down the row, on top of the wires, leaving a generous length at the beginning/end. Just to be on the safe side, I made two layers. You can see the difference in opacity between one and two layers.

Public Service Announcement: Do not attempt this on a windy day.

To hold the cloth on the wires, I used clothespins. One at the top and then one on each side works very well, even on a windy day.

On days with temps in the 70’s, I unclipped the clothespins from one side, flipped the cloth up and over, and re-clipped the cloth on the other side. This prevents the cloth from whipping around if there is a breeze. You need to be able to easily open the tunnel; it will get too hot for the seedlings on warmer days.

In the evening, it only takes a couple minutes to lower the cloth and keep the seedlings cozy on chilly nights.

Saga of the Frosted Seedlings

It was either bump up the tomato and Hibiscus seedlings into bigger pots or put them outside. I kept an eye on the 10-day forecast, and it looked like temps would only go down to 40°F. I took the easy route and planted them outside.

My optimism was misplaced. I swear, the minute I planted them the weather app changed the forecast to mid-to low thirties.

We were leaving for a week vacation the next day, so there was nothing to do but suffer regret until I got back home.

Altogether I lost 4 tomatoes and 6 hibiscus. The tomatoes look a bit wilty but the hibiscus suffered the most. The remaining 5 plants look pathetic, but they’re pushing some new growth and I think they’ll be fine. I especially love the hibiscus stick I’ve got. LOL.

Once they got under cover, they are much happier.

I started my cosmos too early too! Thanks to my handy-dandy low tunnel though, they are doing great! Cosmos are heat-lovers, so I’m not expecting a ton of growth right away. They look good, don’t they?

I love the no-till rows, it may sound weird but I feel very ‘farmery’ walking between the tunnels. It’s a different vibe than tending the raised beds. 🌻🌻🌻

I’m a little nuts trying to keep up with the seedlings. I want to keep the blog in ‘real’ time, but I’m on to the next chore so quickly I can’t keep up. Time for a reality check, and I’ll have to post out of chronological order. I hope that’s okay with you!

Here’s some daffodil love before I go.

Have fun getting dirty in the garden, flower friends!

Hugs, Pam