Mother Nature? Maybe she got a cocklebur under her sweater! 🙂
We’re rolling along with highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the upper 40’s or low 50’s and I look at the weather forecast and Monday, our high is in the upper 40’s and our low . . 18º. Tuesday’s night low will be 18º. Then, back to the same temps we’d been having. That’s probably low enough to damage the mustard greens and lettuce since they haven’t been hardened by cold nights.
This afternoon we picked about half a row of mustard and a few beets for a roasted beet salad.
Every time I’ve raised mustard greens, when it’s time to put them up, I wonder if it’s worth the effort. A whole 5 gallon bucket of mustard greens, stems trimmed and rinsed 5 or 6 times to remove the grit, amounted to three packages of greens for the freezer. I’ll put up more tomorrow, hopefully 6 or 8 packages and then do more on Sunday and hope for the best. If we can get through those two nights, I should have at least two more weeks of growing season . . but it all depends on whether it really gets that cold on Monday and Tuesday night.
Mother Nature always calls the shots . . no matter what I do, my gardening is at the mercy of the weather.
Janet says
As I go through this in mid June and July (freezing temperatures) I have devised a system for covering my potatoes and other things I’m concerned about. A wood frame lower on one end than the other, a big tarp tied on to the bottom of the frame. It just takes a minute to pull it over and tie it off on the upper part of the frame, and about the same time to pull it off in the morning. It doesn’t keep all frost away but does work if it isn’t too heavy.
Susan says
But when you eat them, you remember why you took the trouble, right? =) It sounds like your dip is going way lower than ours, and might come back higher. It’s been so great in E. TN, and we even had a couple of days in the 70s earlier this week, and predicted for Sunday, too! But 58 on Monday and 50 on Tuesday. Lows around freezing. I think winter might get here soon! It’s really unusual for you to be so cold, isn’t it? We used to spend part of the winter in Crystal City, south of Uvalde, and it was always so pleasant.
vickievan says
I hear ya. I have to go to Spokane tomorrow, over the pass, which has traction tires required…which means the reason I am going, to escort an oversize load home…may not be able to cross the hill. Oversize loads can’t cross when tractions tires are required. Hopefully the snow will slow up while I drive across the hill and let me get home Sunday 🙂 In the meantime I have one quilt to take for binding and 2 to quilt and bind….so all 3 grandsons get a quilt!! Wasn’t planning on the drive….but that is trucking…you never know.
Marilyn Smith says
Judy, it is still in the 80’s here in the Palm Springs area. We are still wearing shorts unless we go out in the evening. I get up early…5-6am and ned my winter robe and slippers then to read the paper out on the patio, before the sun comes up. Our grapefruit are ripining but smaller this year. Also have lots of oranges, a few lemons and Mexican limes (no stickers). Our neighbor has lots of Meyer lemons, I may raid his tree. I squeeze the lemons and freeze the juice in ice cube trays. Keeps me from buying lemons all year long and I have 2 types. We used to plant a garden but travel too much anymore to keep up with it. It gets too hot in the summer and we are gone than anyway. Our son in Honolulu bought a simple canner (the only kind I know how to use) and put up a few pints of pickles from his garden. He said they are good. We will see if he can get into a co-op garden and have enough to harvest. He is very excited about it.. He is an excellent cook and is excited about this. The garden is at his GF’s home and he has not moved in yet. Had lots of years in college as a bartender and sous chef and the chef for a B & B. Of course, his Mama taught him how to cook. Our youngest son is also the cook in the house. I taught them well! So did you.
Love hearing about your garden, your chickens, your exciting shopping outings (hit Lowe’s and the Depot today), your cooking, knitting and of course your quilting. Your’s is the first site I visit early every morning. Sometimes I am there before a new post is up. I need to learn to sleep in.
Love you and miss you….
Marilyn
Jevne says
18 degrees? We’re in NW Indiana and we haven’t seen 18 yet. 70 degrees one day last week. Of course that was just one day and now it’s so dark and cloudy. The sun must be shining in TX, your garden is doing so well.
Brenda says
Judy,
My mother covers her garden for the first few freezes and has very good luck with that– she uses tarps, carpet pad, old blankets, quilts (gasp… you have NONE of those right.. LOL) or whatever. It does really help, but 18 is down there… Good luck!