Thursday, July 3, 2014

Oh, How the Wind Doth Blow

I mentioned in my post yesterday that we had some ferocious winds here on Monday and Tuesday.  How ferocious?


Well, they ripped one of my red kuri squash plants right out of the dirt.  The one you see on the right was out of the ground except for one feeble, white rootlet when I found it.  I "replanted" it but it doesn't look like it will make it.  The one on the left doesn't look too good either.  I put a couple more seeds in the hill, but it's getting too far along in the growing season for any seeds to sprout, grow, form vines and fruits, and mature before frost hits.

The same thing happened with my pie pumpkin vines.  None were ripped out of the ground, but they do look so sad that I planted more of those seeds, too.

The zucchini plants sustained a few broken leaf stems, but will survive. 

My dill and purple mustard plants were laid flat, but seem to be rebounding now.


This poor cherry tomato plant is another victim of the wind.  The leaves are losing their green coloring, becoming dry and brittle and curling up.

Being a gardener requires you to learn to roll with the punches, doesn't it?  We all have setbacks of one sort or the other to deal with.   I don't know what one can do to combat a natural happening such as high winds though.

Wait, I do!  Plant everything inside a huge hoop house that covers the entire garden.  A huge hoop house that is fastened down VERY securely!

13 comments:

Unknown said...

Bummer...

Freedom Acres Farm said...

I do believe that this is our most challenging gardening year in 29 years of gardening. We often have a set back of some kind or another. But this year we have had a late spring, TONS of rain, lots of wind, not much sun, and not very warm. The odds are against us. And in the year that I was hoping to can up enough to be 2 years out instead of 1. Ugh. I'll be lucky if I'm not behind in a few things!!!

Sue said...

Oh, so sad! I HATE wind. I'm sorry you've had such bad ones.
But Zuchinni? You're worried about zuchinni?? I think zuchinni can go through a nuclear holocaust. Those, and cockroaches...the only survivors! LOL!

I don't think we'll have time enough for the pumpkins here. The plants are just SITTING there, looking pathetic. That will be the second year in a row of failure on them. But I console myself with the fact that we have lettuce. Every day ---more lettuce. Bowls and bowls and bowls of lettuce. Need lettuce??????

tpals said...

You seem to be having a very challenging year for many reasons. I hope you catch a break from the weather for a while now!

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Wind is what killed our garden last year, along with flooding it with rain. All pepper plants were leveled and never recovered. We lost a lot last year. We do have setbacks for sure.

Mama Pea said...

Nancy po - Yepper, if it ain't the destructive insects, it's the weather, or hungry animals, or . . . Just all part of the fun! ;o)

Mama Pea said...

Freedom Acres Farm - Hubby and I were commenting recently that the last couple/few years have really been a challenger for gardeners! I feel badly for all the "newbie" gardeners (which I see as a good trend) because there doesn't seem to be anywhere across the country that hasn't had "unusual" difficulties of one kind or another.

Mama Pea said...

Sue - Everything in my garden just sat for the longest time. Hmmm, could it have been no sun and low temps?? Now, I'm happy to say, everything (not decimated by the wind!) is starting to look better. Too late? Time will tell. And, yes, bless the lettuce! If only we could preserve some of it in all its freshness to dine on in mid-winter!

Mama Pea said...

tpals - It almost seems as if we're finally going to get enough sun and warmth for things in the garden to start growing. As I said above to Sue, let's just hope it's not too late. Like too much rain or a sustained drought, there's not anything you can do to combat something like the high winds. Whatever will be, will be. Sure is a good thing we have some alternatives to obtaining food for the winter. Our ancestors didn't. How did they make it?

Mama Pea said...

Kristina - Nation-wide was a BAD year for gardeners last year. The past several (!) years have been difficult, I think. Anybody know what's going on?

Michelle said...

I want a hoop house. Just need to talk my husband into it.

Mama Pea said...

Michelle - Sounds good to me. I'll vote with you!

Mama Pea said...

Stephanie - Every gardening season, we all have to combat and find a way around, over or through all the challenges. Look at how hard you're struggling with drought!