So my region has had record breaking cold for the month of April, and May looks like it’s on track to also be unusually cold. Skip to the break if you want to read my observations and how I’ll be adapting.
To give you an idea of things, April’s temps were what we expect in December, I’ve had multiple sowings of cold hardy crops fail to germinate which has *never* happened before, and most crops are at least 2 weeks behind where they should be. The big wheat farms on the other side of the state are also having very delayed planting, and they’re project a lower harvest this year because of it.*
On the other hand, La Niña’s effect on summers is much weaker than the effect on winter and spring, so I expect either a much cooler summer than usual (meaning very little harvest from heat lovers like tomatoes, basil, squash, corn, beans, etc without some sort of argumentation) OR it to slingshot from our cold, wet weather to unusually dry and hot like last year.
Did I mention that we had one(1) day back in early April when it got up to 70, and since the the highs have barely reached the 50s until last week?
Here’s what I’ve noticed this very cold & annoying** year and how I’m going to incorporate it into future garden planning.
First off, over-wintering crops have done magnificently, and have a clear advantage over the same crop sown early in the year. Arugula, Kale, Chard, etc, etc, have all had much better spring harvests (surprisingly so) from over-wintered plants than late winter and spring sown crops, many of which failed to emerge.
Radishes, surprisingly, did better with the cold than some other crops.
Crops in the hoop house, while more than 2 weeks later than last year, are still doing well. I am immensely glad for the strawberries and I look forward to making a (few) cold frame(s) so I can move away from plastic. I’ll use what I have as long as it works, of corse, but I’ve already got some sliding glass doors I got for free and I’m very excited to use them.
So, going forward, I will put a much stronger emphasis on crops that can over-winter well, and not depend as much on early-spring sowings of crops for spring harvests. Peas, brassicas, chard, etc, will all be sown early enough that they’re about 4 inches tall by Oct. 31st so they can over winter and get a head start on spring, but I’ll also have Brassicas, chard, etc as full grown plants on Oct. 31st so I can continue to harvest from dormant plants through the winter.
How I’m preparing for the summer, which will likely be unusually cold *or* unusually warm and dry:
In case the weather stays cooler than normal, I can expect no harvest of any tomatoes bigger than cherry or plum, and I can expect crops like basil to just suffer- unless I do something.
In this case, I’ve got my roma and beefsteak tomatoes, along with my basil, in the hoop house, and soon more will be planted against a mostly south facing wall which will have glass doors leaned against it to provide a warmer micro climate. I’m also going to plant green beans in that lean-to. However, I’m going to skip corn this year, or at least delay planting and not expect a great harvest. I’m only planting cucumbers and summer squash, and I’m going for varieties that are specifically suited to cool, short summers.
If it is a cool summer, all the greens, root crops, and berries will be fine, if less productive, so they’re not getting any extra care. Sorry guys. The potatoes and fava beans will have a good harvest regardless of what the weather does from this point. Even if they did get a slow start. Probably.
If it does decide to warm up, I have some compost pit gardens ready and waiting for squash to go in them, and I’ll go ahead and plant the corn, too. If it gets really hot, I’ll take the cover off the hoop houses, and the tomatoes and basil will be fine. I’ve planted some of my greens and other less heat tolerant crops where they’ll get some shade, which will help them if it starts getting too hot.
Everything is getting deeply mulched and I’ve been working on increasing organic matter in my soil, so with the on-going heavy rains, I think there’s still a good chance that I won’t need to water very much, except for some crops, like the passion fruits (which I’ll only get a harvest from if we have a hot year).
Maybe this will be the year that we get our grey water system set up :D In which case, if it’s a hot year, we can expect bigger harvests.
There’s more, but I think that’s enough for now.
*along with the war reducing planting in the Ukraine & Russia, and India banning wheat experts, expect flour and other wheat based food costs to get even higher.
**Yes, annoying. We regularly have freezes and long, dark days full of drizzle from October to mid April, with out getting more than a light sprinkle of snow once or twice a year usually, so to have this cold and wet weather extend longer than usual is annoying. It’s also made making a living much harder this year, so it’s even more annoying. My region is known for it’s higher rates of depression, vitamin d deficiency, and serial murderers. So having an even longer winter is really bad for people’s mental health.
Carl Weathers: Whoa, whoa, whoa. There’s still plenty of meat on that bone. Now you take this home, throw it in a pot, add some broth, a potato. Baby, you’ve got a stew going.
Getting ready for the worst, hoping for the best here. The news today are giving me major whiplash - been jumping between terror and hope in a matter of moments. Ukraine will not fall!
