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Post by reed on Apr 29, 2017 4:58:45 GMT -5
The heat is here for sure. I haven't counted exactly but think we have had around 10 days in mid to high 80s in April. Don't think we've broken 90 though. Great thunderstorm last night and still going on. Not much wind or hail but a lot of really first rate lightening and rattle the windows thunder.
When we were kids we rated lightening on a scale of 1 - 10. I'd say we had a couple of 9 to 9.5 last night. One may have been a 10 but you can't assign a full 10 unless you directly witness the flash and it stays on your retina for a while.
[add] just looked at the radar, wow this is a big system. from New Mexico to Pennsylvania. I'm officially declaring a day off, no planting, no weeding, no mowing.
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Post by reed on Apr 29, 2017 10:09:27 GMT -5
Well as much as I enjoyed the overnight show every silver lining has a cloud I suppose. My tuber planted potatoes that looked so pretty and are about to bloom are all knocked around and splashed with mud. My TPS plants that are about six or seven inches tall are knocked over and also splashed with mud. Poor carrots are sticking up out of a big puddle as is some of the corn and beans. Stupid peas that were just leaning against their supports instead of holding on are mostly on the ground, my great big seed turnips are laid over. I think it looks worse than it really is, my garden drains quick and things will perk back up. Just that it all looked so nice yesterday.
Went for a ride to look at the creeks, county is out with front end loaders cleaning debris off the roads. I suspect the little gravel short cut through the state's hunting property isn't even distinguishable from the creek, not to fear they always put it back right away. Drove down to the river, it's rising fast enough you can see it if you watch for a little while. They probably have the flood gates open on the dam.
Ominous thing is the radio from Louisville said it's supposed to be mid 80's today and tomorrow. That just ain't right, when it's hot and storms it's supposed to be cooler when it's done. I reckon it ain't done. O'well I suspect the Anthropocene has lots of new and exciting stuff in store for us.
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Post by toomanyirons on Apr 30, 2017 9:27:32 GMT -5
High here today expected to reach only 43F, tomorrow's high forecast for 41F. Rain today supposed to change over to snow overnight then back to rain tomorrow. 1-3 inches accumulation supposedly. Snow in first half of May here is not all that unusual, but disappointing nonetheless. These temps are 20 plus degrees below average. Spring started early due to above average temps but the last two weeks everything has slowed down due to below average temps and cloudy/rainy weather. My early planting of potatoes got nipped by frost this last week, had two nights get down to 30F. This is the third year in a row my early potato plants have been hit. Oh well, I know it is always a gamble. They usually recover but as a result of the hit give me poor tubers regarding size/quanitity. I am now around a week behind schedule regarding spring planting of onions, potatoes, and other stuff. Not the end of the world for me, just a bit disappointed with how things were trending for an early spring and then just like that things changed. A few area farmers have been out planting wheat though they probably should not be out working the wet soil, but generally speaking plans for an early start on the season are pretty much over for them as well. I have been way behind starting seeds indoors this year but I think the late start won't be a problem now that the weather has trended colder. I am pretty much scratching May off for transplanting from now on, early June is a much more realistic target date regarding when to start certain seeds. I am kinda done pushing the envelope regarding planting warm climate crops like tomatoes/peppers or ornamentals like begonia/impatiens in our cold spring weather just to try to get some early harvests or blooms, the whole exercise has become rather pointless to me. I'd rather just wait until very late spring/early summer when risks are greatly reduced. Temps supposed to start improving on Tuesday. Perhaps things are changing for the better but I always expect to see a period of cold, rainy weather sometime in May yet, I don't think this current one qualifies. reed I am amazed at the high temperatures you are getting over in your region. We have had only two thunderstorms so far and no weather warnings of any kind yet. Been very quiet on the severe weather front, this trend can continue as far as I am concerned. Ate my first radishes from the garden with dinner last evening. Harvested some fresh young green garlic too. Also had freshly harvested Hosta shoots as a side vegetable. The Hostas ain't bad but the ones I have eaten so far have been bitter. level of bitterness varies between the varieties. I am not surprised, seems like most of the wild foods I eat have a tendency towards bitterness. Makes me appreciate the wonderful domesticated veggie varieties all that more, I think people really take them too much for granted. I think it would be pretty funny to have someone take a photo of me grazing on the Hostas in my flower gardens while the deer stand indignantly in the distance giving me stern looks for eating their choice grub... |
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Post by richardw on Apr 30, 2017 14:23:26 GMT -5
Tonight will be our first killer frost,so today I'll pick the last of the tomatoes, apart from that everything else has pretty much shut down without being hit by any frost, Strawberry popcorn has drying off nicely, the beans turned yellow two weeks ago and have dropped there leaves, i'll wait till a day of foehn winds off the alps before picking the pods that way it will be crispy enough that i'll be able to put it all on a double bed sheet layed out on the grass and stomp on em. Only thing i'll need to cover tonight is the Oca, would mind having that growing a few more weeks yet.
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Post by reed on Apr 30, 2017 14:36:00 GMT -5
I have radishes blooming, fine with me as I discovered I like the flower buds and seed pods better than the roots. Some radish and turnip pods and flowers, throw in some lettuce, spinach, a little kale, some garlic leaves, some kind of stinky cheese, yum.
It never used to be hot like this at this time of year. Frost and occasional snow wasn't uncommon in early May. I suspect it can still happen in May but this year has been even more unusually hot. My potatoes did get nipped a little when they first came up but that was a month or more ago, they are blooming now. I'm not set up to irrigate, never needed to. July and August are becoming more and more a down time for me. I'm not fighting heat and drought, I'll just garden in March, April, September, October and November instead. Heck looks like December, January and February might not be out of the question.
It isn't as hot today as was predicted, just 79 right now and a nice breeze is drying stuff out. Prediction now from Louisville is a few days with highs in the 60s and lows in high 40s. I'm looking forward to it, a few nice dry cool days to get some other work done. A couple more dead ash that were not threatening the house came down in a shorter lived but more violent storm last night so they and some other wood cutting is on tap for this week. 3/4 of the garden is already planted and 1/2 or more is already up or even maturing.
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Post by walt on Apr 30, 2017 17:22:46 GMT -5
I also like radish pods better than the roots. In spite of that, I've never tried Rat tail radish which is bred for pods.
Rain and cold here, Rain has been light and steady for the last 30 hours, with most of it soaking in.
Cold now means almost down to freezing nights. There was frost damage about 50 yards from my main garden Friday night, but none in the garden. I have no explanation, but i'm OK with it.
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Post by walt on May 1, 2017 10:48:38 GMT -5
I just looked my average last frost date. May 11-20.
I don't know how an average can have a range, but never mind the math. I checked the 10 day forecast. Nothing even near freezing. I might be OK.
With corn and sorghum up, citrus all leafed out, I care more about cold than normal.
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Post by toomanyirons on May 1, 2017 17:41:32 GMT -5
We did not get all the snow that was forecast for last night but at midnight it was "slushing", literally raining thick slushy globs. Something I have never seen before. What a sloppy mess. We got 1.5 inches of rain overnight, water now standing in the low spots in the fields and drainage ditches running fast. We did not need this rain, ground is pretty much saturated at this point.
Young rat tail radish pods are great in stir fry, adds a nice peppery crunch...
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Post by steev on May 1, 2017 18:42:53 GMT -5
We've got a week of 78-80F started; sweat-o-rama!
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Post by philagardener on May 1, 2017 19:47:53 GMT -5
After a few days in the 80s, Philly is heading into a bit of a cooler week ahead. My peas will be much happier!
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Post by steev on May 3, 2017 20:37:01 GMT -5
So hot! I'm looking out the window at a neighbor's huge oak, which seems full of flittering things; oak moths, I think; we see them every few years, though the drought seems to have discouraged them lately; their caterpillars swarm through the oaks so voraciously you can hear a gentle rain of frass. One doesn't look up under the trees while mouth-breathing.
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Post by philagardener on May 4, 2017 5:38:55 GMT -5
Seasonably cold back East.
I remember in the early 80s when the Gypsy Moth caterpillars first expanded through this area. It rained frass, then it poured frass. Then they ate the trees bare and the caterpillars started migrating around looking for food. You couldn't walk without squishing them, cars started having accidents because the roads got slippery. It was an awful mess as they starved out. Interestingly, about the only green deciduous trees left in the landscape were the Ginkgo trees - true survivors! Pretty much everything regenerated after that big biological crash, and a beneficial wasp helped restore the balance. I have never seen it like that again (and am grateful for it!)
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Post by SteveB on May 4, 2017 7:02:22 GMT -5
Ah the Gypsy moth. Such fond memories. I remember planes flying overhead and fine mist coming down on us as we were outside.....
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Post by steev on May 5, 2017 2:51:22 GMT -5
Earlier, showers were predicted for the weekend, but they seem to have dissipated; too bad; feels like we're done with rain until October.
Last weekend, I saw the first roadside burned area; the season is opened; thanks to the copious rain and the resultant growth, this should be a banner year for fire.
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Post by zeedman on May 5, 2017 21:02:41 GMT -5
Still cooler & wetter here than I would like, still waiting for the weather to warm up. Usually we would have had a warm spell by now, so I could turn over the garden; but not yet this year. Frost expected tomorrow.
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