I just found your post, I am in zone 8b as I was just reminded. Glad to find this post I need as much as help as I can get, and I love to compare notes with people in the same growing zone. Each year I lean more to growing things under hoops and in cold frames, et. With all the weird weather and all the bugs looks like that is were we are headed.
I have a few tomatoes started, did have a few peppers (after tonight's 30 deg.temp) I may not have, I left them out in the cold frame with no heat.