As usually happens in the month of June, the growth in the garden is s-l-o-w, and I'm once again positive nothing will ever grow to maturity. The fact that we've been suffering from lack of rainfall hasn't helped the situation this year either.
I can't remember a season when I've had to water the garden so often this early in the year. But, 'tis what it is, and we have to flow with it.
My pepper plants, even situated under their cold frame protection, haven't been showing much growth. Most of the transplants aren't even yet a foot tall.
However, this little plant (bless it's heart) has decided to put forth fruit anyway. I don't know if this means the plant is Superman-strong or has decided to put a last ditch effort into producing one lovely green pepper before claiming exhaustion and calling it quits.
* * * * * * * *
To insure I'll have more hours to put into our "big project" here this summer, we've decided to plant only half of our usual gardening space. This is hard for me as I simply love gardening and growing as much of our own food as I can, but Papa Pea and I have both been trying very hard to make some changes in our lives and this means slogging through some uncomfortable ways of doing things. At least for a (relatively) short (I hope) interim.
I'll post an explanation of our "big project" (and my lack of blogging) soon. Promise.
16 comments:
Wow. I am totally intrigued now!! Hope you guys are not working too hard??
The first paragraph of your post is reassuring to me, as all the pep talks I've been out giving my plants don't seem to be doing an awful lot of good. Thankfully, we have had more moisture this spring than last, and I've not had to water much at all. We've been seeing the big, orange, hot blob over northern Minn. on our weather channel's maps, and think of you every time.
That is some feisty little pepper plant!
We've been watering tons, in the 90's/101 the other day! We're just trying to mulch, mulch, mulch. Hope everything is ok with your big project?
Rosalea - Well, we probably (no doubt about it!) are working too hard just now, but we're convinced it will lead to much more organization and ease on ye ol' homestead in the future.
We have had more really hot weather already this summer than we usually get all year. Can't figure out what's with that. Then the hot is complicated by really cool spells (down to the 40s . . . like this morning) which further makes us wonder what's going on.
Nancy - We've had what's hot to us but nothing like you have! All is going quite well with our big project . . . it's just taking so much time! More than we anticipated. (But what doesn't??)
We've had unusually dry weather here, too, as you know, but my garden is looking better than many years. Not that I've harvested more than strawberries and greens yet, but it looks promising for more food to come. I hope your 'smaller' (still big to me!) garden ends up producing plentifully for you! As for the wonky weather, I heard a very good (re understandable to laymen) explanation by a weather scientist. Let's see if I can recap: The increase in the global average temperature, slight as it may sound, is magnified at the poles, because melting ice masses mean more open water which heats up faster than ice, which makes the ice melt even more rapidly...a spiraling process started by human activity that is now beyond humans' ability to stop, tragically. Those changes mean the heretofore relatively stable jet streams are unleashed to 'dip and bob' (kind of like a top that starts wobbling as it slows down) into unfamiliar territory, causing more variations of cold, hot, moisture and lack thereof in regions around the world. So yes, the effects of "global warming" cause more severe winter storms, more severe tropical hurricanes, more severe drought. So hang on, folks; it's going to be a bumpy ride!
Michelle - Yep, I've been reading, too, that our weather patterns are going to be unpredictable and "unruly" for the next several years. Some experts say all of us alive today have been living in a fairly calm period of weather history (we've not known anything else), but that we're now starting a period where, as you say, we're in for a bumpy ride!
So glad to hear your garden is looking really good this year as I know you make good of use of what you grow and it all goes toward feeding your family.
It's been a tough year here too. Some good things, some disappointments. Not enough rain, then too much. All our cabbages, which were looking so good, literally rotted in the ground. I blame the mulch and my husband's over-enthusiastic watering coupled with some really heavy rain. Everything seems to be growing so slowly. Usually by now we have squash and cucumbers but not this year. But the beets, onions, leeks, beans and kale are thriving, as are the tomato and pepper plants. So we shall see. Just too hot, and too humid here to really enjoy this garden season so far.
Granny Sue - I remember when I first learned that weather that is TOO hot produces poor results in some crops I always thought would thrive in high temps if they had enough water. Squash, tomatoes, and corn are some that might not be happy then. I guess it just goes to prove that too much of a good thing is not always best. Certainly the hot and humid weather you're having is not conducive to cheerfulness in humans either! I would be a puddle of slothfulness. AND cranky.
It must be a pretty big project if you're only planting half your garden!
We've had to water more than ever before too. It's really tough when the rain collection tanks get low. But the remnants of tropical storm claudette brought us almost an inch and a half of rain last night and today. Blessed relief!
Leigh - We've had light-to-medium rainfall most of the day today. I just checked our rain gauge and it held an honest 1/2" and is still coming down lightly. Supposedly we're to have high winds tonight so I'm not sure what that means. At any rate, I don't like wind! Good to hear you got a good amount of the wet stuff. Hooray!
I admit this will sound strange. Once again location, location, location. If it rained between June 30th and October 1st large amounts or any at all we would be struggling as you are dealing with watering by hand or drip or whatever. But I do understand your dismay . In all my years there has never been a time that we didn't water.
Love your determined little pepper that may produce a single pepper larger than itself. You go little pepper plant!
Goatldi - Of course! How involved we can get in our own little world and completely forget that others in their own particular location (!) normally deal with that which we feel is "unusual." You said it, girl. Location, location, location.
Aww. It seems a shame to eat that one pepper! What an effort that little plant has done.
Retired Knitter - Now that we've had some rain (not a lot, but some) there are all kinds of blossoms on the other pepper plants, too. None of them are yet to normal sized plants but they don't seem to know that. I haven't picked the one in the picture yet. It may get a bit bigger!
That pepper is almost as big as the plant! I can hardly wait to hear what your big project is -- don't keep us in the dark too long!
Oh the suspense! Looking forward to the reveal! Get yourselves a good weekend!
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