Strange Season

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Permalink Reply by Michelle W. Flannery on July 12, 2009 at 9:13am

Hi Penelope. It's strange here in Georgia too, but it is working for us instead of against us. After years of drought we had a very rainy spring that has helped our gardens flourish. I'm getting cucumbers for the first time after years of trying, and okra, more squash than I can give away or handle, and finally, a large number of tomatoes. I was reading recently that El Nino has returned and storms are going to increase this winter. Perhaps that is influencing the summer weather now. Congratulations on your apples!

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Permalink Reply by sandra anderson on July 12, 2009 at 9:51am

It's strange here as well....
Mid july and the peas are still hanging on (although they are ugly!!) the swiss chard never made it past 3 inches tall.
Lots of tomato flowers and small green fruit...as if all I planted were cherry tomatoes.
The zucchini is going gangbusters and the potatoes are filling up their barrels.
Most of the roses are the best we've ever seen...even my non gardening husband commented on them yesterday.
The green beans have just started producing.
The apple trees are full, one one cherry tree produced about 12 cups of cherries. The other cherry and the plum..nothing.
All the ornamentals have been deadheaded three times so far...as opposed usually to once or twice by now.
To me it seems like a very late start in the spring...then a race to high summer. It's only mid July, we have almost four months of growing season left and it seems like we are already in the decline....

Remember how full of hope we all were at the beginning of spring? Big plans, great ideas...that is one of the things I love about gardening. It teaches me patience and humility..I am not in charge!!!

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Permalink Reply by TAR HEEL on July 13, 2009 at 8:06am

Amen ''happy-face''......we are not in charge.

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Permalink Reply by Kay Robbins on July 12, 2009 at 7:03pm

It has been very strange here in Florida. We have had so much more rain than normal and it just keeeps coming. Since the sun is less intense than normal, I still have lettuce. That is unheard of this time of year. My cucumbers have done so well I keep everyone supplied. Tomatoes have not faired well. Many crack from the excess moisture and all are much smaller than normal. The garden pests seem to be thriving and this is the worst year I can remember for that. I had never met the tomato horn worm before this year.

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Permalink Reply by PennyG on July 13, 2009 at 6:33am

Same here, strange indeed.
I find that everything is about 2 weeks behind, and it sounds like my tomatoes and your's are at about the same place, lots of flowers, and same with the peppers.
I did check a few of them yesturday and i have tiny tomatoes, that are about the size of peas.
It was the end of July last year that i picked my first Beefsteak, and that sure wont be happening here this year~!~!

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Permalink Reply by TAR HEEL on July 13, 2009 at 8:13am

....if every growing season was the same each year,....now THAT would be ''strange''.

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Permalink Reply by John Walker on July 13, 2009 at 8:16am

I concur. Every year has its odd weather.
But then we wouldn't be real gardeners if we didn't complain about the weather.

Joke.
How do you make it rain?

Water your garden........

pax
John

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Permalink Reply by TAR HEEL on July 13, 2009 at 8:16am

....a rock told me that.Did you hear me JC? How strange.

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Permalink Reply by N & K Grant on July 13, 2009 at 9:05am

Things are a lot different here this year as well. Everything is very slow (rain and cool weather). Will make for an interesting harvest. The only people that I know of that are having beautiful produce grow it in the ground in a greenhouse. I find myself at the farmer's market, which I haven't done for years!

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Permalink Reply by david e kelley on July 15, 2009 at 3:35pm

It's mid July in North Texas, and so far we've had 18 days over 100 degrees, 8 days in a row up to 106 and no rain in sight. My beautiful tomato plants which were producing abundantly, now look like a flame thrower had been used on them. There are a lot of tomatoes left that are scorching in the sun without enough leaves to shield them. The peppers bonce back every morning so far; the zucchini wilts each day and perks up in the morning. Okra looks good. I just planted some new tomato transplants in hopes that they will survive the heat and produce in the fall. A drip system efficiently supplys even watering during this heat.
Thank Mother Nature for not making this an annual event, because I know it will get better in the future.
Such is the wonderful life of a gardener who does not depend on crops for a living.

Stay natural.
David

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