About 10,000 minutes remain until the last drop again has been squeezed from summer, into a jar that will be kept in the freezer until June.

Fall begins next Thursday.

The day after, on Sept. 23, is when Bismarck typically gets its first frost.

It got awfully close to freezing Wednesday morning, when the temperature dropped to 35 degrees. Seeing one's breath vaporize serves as a reminder to cover the tomatoes.

Other tips for late-summer gardening, courtesy of the Burleigh County Extension Office:

3 Get rid of the last few weeds before they go to seed.

3 Remove vegetable plants that have finished producing.

3 Don't forget to harvest vegetables.

3 Houseplants that have summered in the garden should be moved inside.

3 When covering tomato plants and tender vine crops, use burlap or blankets, and make sure to remove the covering as soon as temperatures warm. Thin plastic or bedsheets might not be enough covering.

Root crops can survive a few frosts, and the frost won't damage most squash and pumpkins, even though the vines are killed. After the frost, however, the squash and pumpkins should be cured at 75 to 80 degrees for two weeks before storage.

Also, green tomatoes can be taken inside to ripen in a warm room.

According to the National Weather Service forecast, the Bismarck area shouldn't be in danger of facing freezing temperatures until after the weekend of Sept. 24-25.

Highs through this weekend will be in the mid-70s to mid-80s, with lows in the mid-40s to mid-50s. Forecaster Nathan Heinert said lows during the first fall weekend could dip to the upper 30s, as drier and cooler air begins to come in from the west.

(Reach reporter Tony Spilde at 250-8260 or tony.spilde@;bismarcktribune.com)