Frost shouldn't hurt them. Ours even stand freezes. They will wilt from overwatering or being too dry. How often and how much water do you give them? We have a collard plant that is one year old and the heat never made it wilt. It got up to 99 this summer for a few days.

I water them regularly, probably once or twice a week in the raised beds, usually once the soil begins to dry out. The ground level plants get watered less due to that soil stays moist longer. I need to fertilze everything with some 10-10-10, but I still can't figure why everything wilted the morning after the frost. By that afternoon they had perked back up and with a little water, perked up even more even though the soil was somewhat moist. And they wilt in the sun usually on the warmer days, and so far I have not seen any signs of clubroot or pests on these plants. I just want them to grow the heads so I can harvest them as I am pretty impatient lol.

When (some) plant leaves sense near-freezing or freezing temps they move water out of cells/xylem and the xylem quits sending water out to leaves.

This keeps the xylem and leaves from damage. If they were full of water ice crystals can form which damage/kill cells as well as possibly rupturing xylem. Some plants also increase a type of natural anti-freeze production in a physiological reaction to temperature induced wilt.

When things warm up the xylem starts pumping water back into leaves, perking them up.

By the way...

Now that your greens/broc/cabbage have experienced their first hard frost they should handle future frosts much better as long as they're not getting watered to death.

I am trying my best to not overwater them. I think I am doing pretty good considering. My patience is getting the best of me now. I am ready to harvest something! My plants just seem to not want to form heads. The ones I planted in probably mid-september are growing well for the most part and have tiny heads that are barely visible, but have plenty of leaves. The ones in the raised beds were planted in early october and some are starting to form tiny heads as well. My temperatures are all over the place from freezing to almost 80 in less than a week! How much longer will my cabbages grow? Will they stop growing at certain temperatures (highs or lows)? Is 10-10-10 fertilizer or liquid soluble miracle gro better to fertilize with? I really just want to have a successful garden and any other tips will be greatly appreciated! I will have pictures tomorrow night!

I think now it's more a day-length thing. Once you drop below 10 hours the plants just maintain but don't really grow.

By the way, it's taking the plants longer to mature because of day-length too. That's really why the fall plant dates are so important.

Ok, that makes sense. Some of them still wilt in the sun though even when the soil is wet or dry. I have also checked for any root problems and so far there are no signs of any. If my plants have stopped growing, will they still make heads in the spring? Our winters arent terrible here although we will get a couple extremely cold (like teens/lower 20s) for lows with 30s and 40s for highs. That is cold for us lol. I am hoping I can do something with them. My first batch was planted mid sept and the second transplants in mid october. Also, will it hurt to give them some 10-10-10? Thank you for all the help!

It won't hurt to give them some 10-10-10. Just a little bit. Read the label. We are warmer than you. I don't know how cold those veggies will take it on a regualr basis. Can you go to/or call your local ag. center and ask them? We didn't get broccoli until January. It takes a long time for winter crops to grow.

My cabbage is doing the same thing that Lexie described. I think it's from cold night's and warm days. It's been 40 or 50 at night and in the 80s during the day and we have had a lot of rain. They wilt in the day but look fine in the evening

day wilt can be a sign of a root maggots... i had a bit of an issue with them, but i think your too warm to get them. your much warmer then i am, and should be close to harvesting cold weather stuff that you wintered. I suspect something is wrong, if i get daily temps in the 80's, my broc starts to bolt. i have very poor natural soil, so i supplement hard; even then i use liquid 10-10-10 regularly.

If you transplanted them, that's a huge variable and would help. I'd say too much water or not enough. Or too much water during a cold night.

Soil temperature and moisture is more important then air temps. Some wilt in high temps is normal and should be expected if your plants are underwatered. Seems to early for wilting due to air temperature. Keep em watered if it's hot.

I live in east Texas and we have had lots of rain this year more than I have probably ever seen. So I'm thinking it's getting to much water. I'm not sure if there gonna produce a head anyway being that it gets in the 80s during the day but they don't get a lot of direct light only in the morning and afternoon