Good morning,
Talk about a wild storm last Saturday. I always get very
apprehensive when a wall of such intense weather hits the garden. Of
course it really sets the tone when NOAA sends out a warning of
intense wind and meat shredder hail. Luckily we got just a little bit
of pea sized hail very briefly, but as for the wind it sure looked
like the garden would get lift off for Mexico. Not that I can do
anything about it but I do anxiously pace and watch the storm unfold.
It still is firmly in my memory how Coyanosa had a huge hail storm
this year and most if not all the onion crop was destroyed.
The
sad thing onions are a one shot crop. Seedlings are started in the
fall and then transplanted by March to mature in May or June. Bulbing
is triggered by spring day length, without the trigger all you get
are green onions (scallions). Lucky for us with a long growing season
there are other crops that can be planted and still have them mature.
When
Deb and I lived up in Oregon, there was a huge hailstone storm that
went through Hermiston Oregon. Like Pecos this town is known for its
melons. This storm went through and completely destroyed the crop.
Because Hermiston is so far North, at the 45th
parallel (half way to the Arctic circle), they only had the one shot.
It
is always sad to see the labors of so many destroyed in a blink of an
eye. I feel fortunate to have been so lucky since starting my garden
in 2003, I have had only a couple crops that have been pummeled by
hail but no total annihilation. The fabric has helped me survive the
worst storms that we have had, but if I were to have a Coyannosa or a
Hermiston kind of storm, I am sure all that I would have left is
white fabric mulch.
Wind
storms and freezing make me antsy but hail causes me to tremble to my
bones. All you can do is cross your fingers and hold your breath.
Not a very affective defense, but then again what can you do?
Like
they say if this was so easy everyone would be doing it.
The
garden continues to mature. Harvest amounts are very nice, even with
the assault of cucumber beetles, squash bugs, root knot nematodes,
and aphids. I am keeping my head above water with the use of Cold
pressed neem oil and Azagaurd ( a neem oil product). Having the drip
system has also been useful towards crop production, by having well
watered root zones. I do not think I would be fairing as well with
hand watering.
A
few more real warm days and the tomatoes will be in full production,
I still have one bed of okra to mature to start harvesting from. My
other two beds are coming on line a little more each day. Spring
lettuce has bolted and I have transplant my summer varieties with
this “cooler” weather.
The
wind lifted some of the chard bed fabric and what the wind didn't
bruise the guineas had a party with. There will be enough for bags.
Yes
all is good in the garden even with the weather anxiety and all. It
will be nice once we move beyond hail season!!!
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