So far this summer, we've had more truly hot days than we usually get all season. Global warming? Sure didn't feel like it when our spring and first weeks of June were so darn cool.
The high temps are doing a number on my cool weather crops . . . the broccoli, some of the cauliflower and the peas.
The broccoli heads that are supposed to grow to 8-10" across look to me to be about to put forth their little yellow flowers which means they are close to past prime harvesting time. Not good. The heads are about 6" across and aren't "tight" as they should be. Some are even sending out side shoots already. I've never had that happen before cutting off the main head. I'm thinking the hot weather is not to their liking. I'm also thinking I'd better get busy and harvest them.
Here are a couple of sad cauliflower plants. I had seven "extras" I started from seeds and planned on putting them in the field garden as soon as I knew where I might have room for them. They went out a few weeks later than the first batch I put in a raised bed.
I'm not sure why the one in the middle has given up the ghost (they've all received adequate water), and the one on the right is looking as though it's going to follow suit. The other five are (so far) doing okay, but they probably don't like the heat either.
Neither the sugar snap peas nor the shell peas are coming along as they should. They tell me they aren't happy with our temperatures. Plain and simple.
I must admit this heat and humidity is sure getting me down. I just don't function well in it. Logy and pep-less is my current state of being. I'm finding it hard to summon up the energy to do what needs to be done.
Tonight there are fourteen pounds of cleaned (thank heavens) strawberries in the refridge. Tomorrow I'll make some into fruit leather and use some for a double batch of jam. The rest will go into the freezer in quart containers for future smoothies.
When I was putting a fresh supply of peat moss in the blueberry patch today, I noticed there were haskap berries on the ground under those bushes. Ooops, a sure sign they are ready to be harvested. My dear husband helped me pick all of the berries from one of the smaller bushes . . . at which time we were both about to collapse from heat prostration so we left the other two bushes for tomorrow morning. (Is that procrastination or being wise?)
We went into the relatively cool house (so glad our house does stay comfortable), sat at the kitchen table and cleaned the haskap berries. Three quarts (exactly) from the one bush went into the freezer as the beginning of the stash for wine making this winter.
Rain forecast for tomorrow afternoon (and into the evening) should take the temperature down a bit. Probably won't do much for the humidity though.
I'm putting in a request that The Sandman brings me a fresh infusion of get-up-and-go during the night tonight. I'm gonna need it tomorrow.
12 comments:
Don't know how you keep going, in heat/humidity.
Seems like I say something like this, every comment, doesn't it? I need a new line!!! >,-)
Good wishes for restful sleep.
And a break in the weather. We got it here. Hope it moves over your way.
Oh it's still hot. But it's summer.
Sooo happy to hear you've gotten a break in your weather 'cause I know you've been hotter than we have. We've got a big exhaust fan in our attached garage and by turning it on, and opening all the right doors we can get a lovely breeze coming all the way through the house which makes things all the more comfortable for the night. I'm thinking it will be good sleeping tonight, maybe even snuggled under more than just the top sheet!
My mojo has gone out of the window as well, so it is good to know that I am not the only one feeling drenched in slothfulness. Very hot weather here too, and the vegetable plants I have managed to plant are not doing so well either. Oh well...... hopefully our energy levels will rise up again soon, meanwhile there is nothing we can do apart from doing what we can, and leaving undone what we can't do without feeling guilty!
Wise, definitely wise.
Oh, I know what you mean. I've been a bit crabby this summer.
Fourteen pounds of berries?! Holy cow. Your berries did much better than mine this year. Too bad about the broccoli not being as good as expected. My little garden is happy as long as I keep it watered - really hot here! -Jenn
Vera - Yeah, I don't know what it is. Must be something in the air, as they say. So many of us gardeners/homesteaders are having trouble with the energy level this year. Hey, guys, it's only July! We've got a long way to go and lots to harvest yet. Gotta collectively pull ourselves out of this slump!
tpals - Not feeling very wise just now. More like paralyzed because I don't know what to do first! (Not really that bad and I know the best solution is simply to start and go from there. And let's keep sending support to do so to each other, okay?)
Kristina - I had to smile at your comment. The Summer of the Big Crabbiness!
Jenn - The fourteen pound harvest was the biggest so far. Not a lot of blossoms coming on the plants, but lots of berries yet. More rain coming tonight and tomorrow so that will help the strawberries grow big!
Watering the garden seems to be a very necessary thing for most everyone this year. Last night mine looked dry as dust but I didn't take the time to water because of the forecasted rain today. I hope it materializes!
So sorry to hear you are dealing with not only heat... but the humidity. We deal with a lot of that down here.... but seems most unusual to read how your summer is going. We began cool too and then went straight to August type heat/humidity in late June..... and stayed there. Adding to that horrible daily afternoon storms that are most unusual also here... more like a Florida type weather day, than a South Carolina one. We are wilting. What is interesting is that over the weekend we had 2 consecutive days of low humidity and both my husband and I commented how we felt like we had extra energy for those 2 days. I've already thrown in the towel on the garden this year. Everything burned up so fast.... the zucchini didn't even get a chance to produce and that is MOST unusual. Hope you get the rain and cooler temps your way soon. :)
Mama Pea as I read your blog and others I struck by a theme.
One is the weather is wonky as heck and we are all in the same boat.
Two is a good deal of us are over the age of reason ahem. We don't bounce back as we did. I was just the other day lamenting how in Fresno county I could clean barns in 105+ heat all day taking only occasional toss body in pool breaks. Now it seems simply thought of it makes me break a sweat .
You and Papa Pea made a wise choice. Would hate to hear you were a dehydrated pool of slush.
Its been one of those weird summers for sure. Our humidity is ridiculous. This morning at 9 a.m. it already felt like 33 celcius with the humidity. Gah. Everything seems to be ripening too soon/quickly?
You and me, both, kiddo. My get-up-and-go has gotten-up-and-gone. I don't think it's returning until fall. I think it's only the lure of ripe tomatoes that keeps me hopeful and keeps one foot in front of the other. Everything is toasted at my end of the country - days on end of extremely hot, humid weather and very little rain. We had a thunderstorm go through that dumped (hahahaha) less than 1/16th of an inch of rain on my garden. It's been brutal.
Lisa - I don't think I'd trade my gardening "difficulties" for yours! When you have weather that literally burns up your efforts, what can you do about it? Nothing. Simply nothing. Interesting that you said you and your husband both felt a return of energy when your humidity level decreased. In the oppressive humidity I sometimes feel I'm just being a wimp and need to pull myself up by the old boot straps, but I'm beginning to see there is some truth to the way the humidity affects our bodies. And it ain't good!
Goatldi - 'Tis true we may not have as much bounce to the ounce (unless it's wiggle to the jiggle) as we used to, but my dear husband is operating on the theory that we've so messed up our environment that the holes we've created in the ozone are letting more of the sun's damaging rays through . . . therefore, the heat we are feeling is a different kind of heat (and not a good kind) than that of 40-50 years ago. Hmmmmm . . .
MrsDM - Yes! Some crops of mine are definitely ripening too quickly while others are just sitting there not doing what they're supposed to do! (More signs we've messed up our environment beyond repair??)
Susan - After your brutal winter, you sure would have thought you'd get a less stressful summer. But . . . no. Are you being tested? Or what?
Post a Comment