Some of the usual spring crops are not doing well at all at these higher temperatures. Sugar snap peas are stunted and yellow, broccoli and cabbage are bolting rather than producing heads, as you can see from this picture of cabbage I took last week.To be feared also are the insects that may be in waiting! Without the cold temperatures in winter more harmful insects may be out this year. Hopefully the beneficials will be out in full force as well! I am taking extra measures to draw more of these beneficials in. There are herbs and flowers interplanted with the summer crops such as marigolds and dill. I have a feeling much time will be spent handpicking these bugs off plants!
Not all is lost with this out of season warmup though! As long as it doesn't come up a cold spell we will have some things early and for a longer season, as far as summer vegetables go.
Strawberries are blooming away and already producing. This is a month early! The blackberries are leafing out and look fabulous as well. I am switching out the sugar snap peas with green beans. I consulted with a fellow farmer and he agreed with me that a bet on early green beans beats waiting out failing sugar snaps.
The 2nd garden plot has been worked and I've got a few things planted. Under the row cover is tomatoes, eggplant, parsley, basil and dill. On the left darker row is zucchini and scallop squash.
If temperatures do dip down my hope is they won't dip down too cold that the row cover won't prevent damage. It's hard to tell what to plant or what to wait on planting. The lack of cold weather is causing the spring crops to be less than desirable yet fearing a cool off prevents heavy summer planting. I know there are some who could care less about the climate. They are just happy to have warm weather and clover to munch! These are my sweet girls, Ethel, Lucy and Clementine.
One other thing I am super excited about! An actual entrance to the garden with an arbor gate that I built myself! Super easy if you know how to use a saw and a drill and the best part is it only cost $40 to build one yourself! I had been having to step over the fence and have fallen on my face several times (in front of friends and neighbors, embarassing!) so this is great! My plan is to have a climbing rose on one side and cucumbers growing up the other.Here's a few more pictures of what's growing now. Forgive the weeds. That is on the ever growing list of to do's!
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| garlic |
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| lettuces |
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| broccoli and cabbage |
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| onions with potatoes starting to come up behind |
