March 5, 2015

Good morning, This really is one weird year, especially considering how this winter has gone. Since starting my garden in July of 2003, this year has thrown all of the rules out the window. That is weather wise.

Every year there has been a trend for warmer weather once we have reached the middle of February. This has not been the case this year. We have gotten days where it is really quite warm and I feel I am starting to get some solar gain in the soil and then along comes another ice or snow storm.

Take this first week of March for example: Sunday was near 70 but just prior to that were several cold days with ice. Then came a few warm days. As I write this on Wednesday morning, NOAA is showing snow showers Wednesday night but underground is showing just rain. ( Thursday morning ice on the windshields) Rain would really help at warming the soil. Sadly Any of the warm solarizing days have lost their gains with each of the frozen precipitation storms. On Sunday an uncovered bed was 40 degrees at 3 inches and a plastic filmed bed was 50. I really would like to see 50 in the uncovered bed. This would give me some overnight chill security. I can sit back and watch the weather a little bit, the seedlings are not getting to root bound at this date. But that time is approaching.

I need some “banked “ soil warmth to carry the seedlings through the night. Fabric is good for holding heat but does not generate warmth. I just do not think the averages are in my favor. I have many weeks vested in my seedlings, and I won't gamble on something that I am not reasonably sure of.

Presently I have potatoes that I planted last fall starting to come up. Potatoes can take cooler weather but not freezing. Once we have some soil warmth, the potatoes should be able to go through our cool mornings with a couple of layers of 19. I have 3 layers of 70 (a bit gun shy) over them and they seem to be doing fine. Although they have not out grown their good case of frost bite that they received. A few days of warming should kick them into gear. Their sluggish growth also gives credibility to my wait and see stance.

I am getting some of my replacement seedling to come up after the caterpillars clear cut them. Lettuce carrots, beets and radishes can germinate in forty degree soil. Especially with fabric covers. Monday this week I checked my lettuce seedlings (they were looking nice) but was unable to get into the garden on Tuesday. On Wednesday I caught a cut worm as it had just finished the last of my lettuce seedlings. It is because of this cooler weather that seedlings are not growing fast enough to get through their vulnerable stage. Just need to be more vigilant and provide more protection.

All of my greens are doing fine with this flippant weather. The last spell of warmer weather I did sow some beans and found that they had started to germinate before this go around. I am curious to see how they are doing on Friday. My experience with royal burgundy beans has been that they will germinate and grow in cooler soils. I have an abundance of some of my summer veggie seeds, I may have to try sowing some. The worst thing that could happen is they do not come up. But if they do? Shoot I might as well see if I can push the season. I am getting a bit stir crazy sitting on my hands.

I hope for a nice steady and gradual warming with no more of this frozen stuff. Well at any rate this too will pass! I am grateful for a very patient wife!!