Fight Freezing Temps

My garden is in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 and 4. The past two years, I’ve tried growing hardy cantaloupe and watermelon. They don’t ripen off the vine, so picking them just before a freeze wouldn’t work. Last fall, my fruits were so close to ripe, and yet a week of subfreezing temperatures was predicted. So, I used two 5-gallon buckets, one at either end, to hold up a 6-foot ladder. I painted several milk jugs red and filled them threequarters full of water; after leaving them out in the sun during the day to absorb heat, they radiated it out when temperatures dropped at night. I then covered the ladder and jug setup with clear plastic, and used a few jugs to hold the plastic down around the edges. This setup maintained 40 degrees Fahrenheit inside on 26-degree nights. It’s easily portable, too, so I can move it wherever I plant my melons next year.

Mary Martin
Rexburg, Idaho

Deer Deterrent

I live in a suburban community within a mile or so of a nature reserve. Deer have been a minor problem that we controlled with minimal measures. Until last year. Last summer, they destroyed my bean, beets, tomatoes, and peppers within a week.

This spring, my son and I constructed a 7-foot PVC pipe and deer netting fence around my beds. That worked until my veggies got some growth. Then, the deer jumped my fence and stuck their heads under the netting to munch on emerging salad. They decimated everything except my