Jessica Tuggle, owner
of Sunny Seedlings, took caution against the cold so she could be ready for the
Homegrown Alabama farmer’s market.
“It was the night
before the market, and I was worried about my seedlings,” Tuggle said.
She grows tomatoes,
peppers and various herbs. She said she has a greenhouse, but because it’s not
heated, she brought all her plants in her house. Some plants have hardened
against the cold, but she said she was still cautious because it could stunt
growth in young plants.
“Better safe than
sorry,” Tuggle said.
Erin Jones, an Alabama
Master Gardener, said she was not as worried.
“I would’ve been more
worried if it was next week,” Jones said. She said there usually is one last
cold front in the beginning of April, so it was not unanticipated.
Jones said she has
mostly plants and herbs that are evergreens. She said she only covers her
plants when it’s a hard freeze, like it was this summer. If it’s a soft freeze,
in the low 30s, she doesn’t.
WVUA Chief
Meteorologist, Richard Scott, said his forecast was in the low 30s, and
Tuscaloosa reached 34 degrees, with scattered frost.
Scott said a
combination of cool air mass, calm winds, dry air, and clear skies allowed us
to have frost in central and west Alabama. He said since we are nearing the end
of April, we could still get shots of cool air, but nothing in the freezing
range.
“The latest freeze date
on record in Tuscaloosa is April 21,” Scott said. “If we were to have a freeze
after that date, then that would be record breaking.”
“The ten-day forecast
looks good, so I hope the weather stays warm,” Tuggle said.
