Chilly temperatures and frost advisories are all part of the unpredictable weather in Idaho. But how is that affecting your crops?

After a few nights of frost advisories, Pam Olsen assesses the damage in the garden outside her Idaho Falls home on Tuesday afternoon.

"This leaf is probably dead. It'll shrivel up and die," said Olsen, browsing her squash plants.

But a little frost can be a good thing, helping some vegetables to ripen. Olsen said the squash plant will grow up to be just fine. And more than fine, are her potatoes. While a hard frost could be damaging, the vines of potatoes are typically killed around September 10th.

"My vines are frozen, but that also helps them mature and finish," said Olsen.

"potato growers have been at this for so long, they know what to expect," said Wayne Jones, an educator at the Bonneville County Extension Office. "They're savvy about this."

Jones says it's the average gardener who may not be quite as savvy, panicking at the thought of chilly temperatures.

"Usually the home owner, the small fruit grower...they get concerned if it freezes. When should I harvest my apples? What about my pumpkins?" said Jones. "We don't have a lot of frilly plants here. They have to be tough to survive."

Some just aren't tough enough.

"Well, tomatoes. Tomatoes in the home garden. Tomatoes are a huge issue. People love to grow tomatoes, but it's hard to grow tomatoes here because of the short season," said Jones.

When it comes to protecting tomatoes from the frost, you want to use a thick canvas or heavy blanket. Cover the entire plant, all the way to the ground.

"There's a time and a season and you hate to see your garden go, but it's really good for it to get nipped and finally finish growing," said Olsen.

And in the case of apples, plums, and carrots, Olsen says that nip can make them taste even better.