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Spring Frosts and Crop Survival
Spring seeded small grains are generally quite tolerant to freezing temperatures during much of their early development.
Winter grains such as winter wheat or winter rye that are presently in the boot stage or are beginning to head are very susceptible to spring frosts. Frost injury is evident by whitened heads and bent awns when the heads emerge from the flag leaf. These symptoms do not develop until a few days after the freezing temperatures.
Flax becomes very tolerant to frosts shortly after seedling emergence. Soybeans or dry beans are easily killed by spring frost. Corn seedlings can be frozen up to the five leaf stage (eight inches tall) and still develop leaves from the growing point below the soil surface. Sunflower tolerate 25 degrees F. temperatures when emerging but loses frost tolerance after 2 leaf stage.
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