For Tennessee gardeners, the weather is very unpredictable and can be frustrating. Can you relate? I set out broccoli, kale, cabbage and other cool-season crops later than usual this fall – it was just too hot! The temperature yesterday morning at my house was thirty-six degrees F and a layer of ice covered the windshields and much of the lawn. All of these crops are frost/freeze tolerant to a point.
The vegetables aren’t even close to maturity, and I want to help them keep growing by extending the growing season using frost/freeze protection when needed. I used a frost cover placed over pvc pipe hoops on raised beds this past March/April to protect the broccoli and cabbage that I had growing then. Supporting the cover above the crops keeps the cover from pressing on the crop and provides additional air space between the crop and ice layer.
Several fabric or plastic covers allow various amounts of light and moisture (rain) to pass through and reach the crop while also providing air circulation. A clear, solid plastic cover will provide light penetration and a heated air space. Don’t have a cover? An old bed sheet will help – but not much.
may or may not have a harvest to enjoy this fall, but I am going to give it a try. Check out several season extension methods for fall vegetables shared for the month of October in the 2026 edition of the Tennessee Home Fruit and Vegetable Garden Calendar: