Frost

The calendar has turned to October, and with it, harvest and fall activities will accelerate over the next few weeks. We have already experienced a few chilly nights this past week with patchy frost in some areas, but when do we typically see our first freeze conditions? This first (last) official freeze is defined as the first fall (spring) day where the overnight low reaches 32°F.

Earlier today, I woke up and looked out a window to see a foggy start to the day. At first glance, I however overlooked the frost that was also present. As it became lighter and the morning continued, the frost lessened and by noon the beauty disappeared, although the fog is still hanging around.   

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. From violet jelly, to the invasive Paulownia tree, to further examples of this season's May frost.

After the 26F frost (apres le gel) at Secrest Arboretum on the morning of May 9 there was damage, but still much to enjoy, and far more to come.

The peak for OSU's Secrest Arboretum crabapples arrived this Friday, after which the frostman cometh. See the latest drone of Crablandia

As a May 9 morning frost looms at Secrest, Jason and the Acernauts try to prevent damage to tender foliage and buds on selected maples and other plants.

I have a prized Canaan fir (Abies balsamea var phanerolepis) in my backyard.  It's prized because I'm a native West Virginian and so is the tree.  My wife knows that if we ever move, the tree is coming with us!  The common name of this balsam fir variety is based on its first discovery in the once isolated, high-mountain Canaan Valley in northeastern WV.  Jim Brown (another native West Virginian and Professor Emeritus, OSU School of Environment and Natural Resources) spent much of his long career sorting out the five natural seed sources (provenances) of this tree.  The...