STILWATER, OKLAHOMA (KOKH) — Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning, some parts of Oklahoma could experience the first freeze of the season, which could impact plants and crops.

The National Weather Service issued a freeze warning for parts of Oklahoma early Wednesday morning.

Below-freezing temperatures are expected, which could kill or damage some crops and plants.

“The broccoli and the lettuce and the like can have freeze damage, like what you might see if your refrigerator is too cold in one spot and your crop gets a soft, mushy feeling,” says Oklahoma State University Graduate Research. Assistant Sam Pratt: “You’re just deteriorating the quality of the crop.”

Cool-weather crops, such as carrots and romaine, will not be as affected by a freeze as warm-weather crops, such as tomatoes and okra, which are likely to have their last harvest of the season due to the cooler weather.

OSU experts told Fox 25 they plan to leave their crops uncovered overnight in cold weather, but as temperatures continue to drop they will do everything they can to keep them warm.

“When it gets below freezing for four hours or more, we usually cover them, like in late November,” Pratt said. “We will have our hoops, which are low tunnel hoops, specifically made for use in low tunnels. and then we use plastic with holes in it for ventilation so we can let it breathe and at the same time retain heat for the crops so they don’t get too cold become.”

They say people growing crops or plants at home should also do their best to keep them warm when temperatures drop.

“You can get creative with it, you can use things like garbage bags or cardboard boxes or even sheets and things like that to cover those plants, or you can move them closer to your home and use the residual heat from your home. can warm those plants up a little bit and keep them alive during the frost,” said Sam Buie, a student farmer at Oklahoma State University.