Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Garden Update



As I write this on Tuesday I am weary. In the twilight hours of Wednesday morning we are predicted with freezing temperatures here in The Holler. I have feared this happening all spring as the high temperatures broke records day after day. Like everyone else I celebrated being able to open up the windows and doors. I enjoyed those things that come with warm weather like grilling outdoors and hanging clothes to dry. i thrilled over the early blooms and blossoms after a long winter. But deep down I knew that just as easily mother nature could swing again in the opposite direction with devastating results to my garden and orchard. With imminent 32 degree weather in the forecast overnight we have spent the day scrambling to cover tender vegetation. Straw what we can and cover what we can. But we know that there is no way we can protect everything. The fate of the gardens and orchard are in Gods hands.  


Notice the plums in the picture above. That was taken this morning. There is a huge crop of young plums hanging on the trees that if frozen will fall off.  


These are young peaches. Again the trees are loaded with young and tender immature fruit. 


These are the beginnings of apples. The bloom petals have fallen and notice the immature fruit just starting to swell. Again a bumper crop. 


























The strawberries loaded with blooms and young berries. 




The grape vines are putting out new growth and if you look closely you'll notice the blooms are plentiful.  Another bumper crop of what would turn into grape clusters.




Just to show you that indeed we are a technologically advanced gardening operation here. Some of my favorite estate purchases and some of the most useful tools in the garden.  They require no gas or oil, just a willing human to push them along and do a great job of cultivating out those tiny weed seedlings. I'd say this one probably dated back to the 50's and cost me $10 years ago at an estate sale. 


This one dates back a little further but works like a charm at making furrows. Great for planting seeds or seedlings. Again no fossil fuel required.  Cost $5 : ) I also have one like this with tines for cultivating but it is at my son in laws right now getting some much needed welding repairs. All of these are still in use after all these years. Tokens of a slower and maybe simpler time. 


As you can see above the broccoli, cabbage and chines cabbage are doing well. All snuggled under their straw and growing like bad weeds. All these were seedlings I started. 


Spring peas, onions and potatoes. The mustard, lettuce, spinach and beets are all up in this garden also. Before these last rains we planted 2 more rows of peas and 2 rows of green beans, 2 rows of corn and another row of mustard greens. So this garden is now completely full and we will move on to the larger warm season garden that only has 2 rows of potatoes in it. Lots of room left.


Say a little prayer for us tonight and our gardens. Nothing is quite so disheartening as losing an entire crop like this. You feel so helpless but still try to do everything you can to prevent it. The worst hit would be the fruit trees that should they shed their fruit would not bloom again until next year. 

How's your garden coming along?

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter

13 comments:

  1. Good luck, we're in the same situation. Peaches, grapes and maybe the plum but I didn't see any little starts yet. Let's hope it gets windy and won't frost.

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  2. I will keep you and Kathy in my prayers that the weather will remain warm and temperatures won't reduce to freezing.

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  3. I'm praying with you for a frost-free night.

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  4. Bless you and your holler! We are expecting the same! Prayers go out to you and your orchard! Best of luck! Maybe the weather forcasters will be wrong! Certainly it won't be the first time! Hang in there! Best of luck! Mindy

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  5. We too had the bottom fall out for temps today and tonight. My first thought reading your post was "yeah and she's just a small family garden - what about the nation wide producers?" They're gonna have the same troubles - can you imagine what it will ADD to produce prices?? Ugh.

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  6. Sending prayers! I had to check the weather fast when I read this but I see we have the cloud cover here in KS and our temps should be fine. Phew. Hope everything is okay over there!

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  7. WOW! you all are gonna have a big harvest!

    And the Baker family will be praying!

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  8. My son 'The Geek' and his wife 'The Latin Lovin' Hillbilly' are puttin' outta a veggie garden that'll feed three counties and beyond. My garden consists of boat loads of flower gardens...I take it to a new level of illness!

    I to live in a frost holler that can freeze 'till May 15th but all my perennials are up and my roses are filled with buds. It frosted last night but I don't think it killed anything but I'm just holdin' my breath!!!

    You sure have yourself a beautiful garden there, I pray that your fruit trees survive and your ground veggies say safe!

    God bless ya sweetie and have a magnificent day!

    (I had a dump truck load of mulch delivered yesterday...guess what I'm gonna be doin'...who needs a stinkin' gym??? Heeehehehe!!!)

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  9. I hope the freeze wasn't as bad as you thought it would be. It'll be here tonight-so I'll be covering and praying too!

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  10. I hope God blessed you. ♥
    *hugs*

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  11. I hope it doesn't freeze your beautiful crops! We are in the opposite situation..early heat waves. God bless you!

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  12. Update? How did everything fare with the frost?

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    Replies
    1. The vegetable garden looks good. We were able to put a layer of straw loosely over the vegetables and thus far we see no evidence of damage. The fruit trees on the upper part of the property show very little damage thus far. There was some leaf burning etc on the lower lying parts of the property. It will take a week or so to tell exactly how much damage if any there are to those fruit trees.

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