Sometimes seasons can be so confusing! – especially if you live in Georgia! Well, it doesn’t really matter if the weather changes every day, right? It doesn’t effect anything, right WRONG! If you are a gardener - whether you grow flowers, vegetables, or just maintain your yard – inconsistent weather effects your plants. We experienced excessive rains in Georgia this Spring. I am not talking about a shower or two every week. I am talking about inches of rain constantly for weeks at a time with rarely a break or a glimpse of sunshine. The result? Excessive water build-up in the ground which results in:
An inability to plow and till delaying the planting of crops
Winter vegetables rotting due to excessive moisture
Delay of growth due to lack of sunshine
Abundant weed growth due to water and inability to work beds
Of course, we’ll be begging for this water in July. It’s human nature to want what you don’t have! Then, of course, we have the temperature fluctuations. We really enjoy these warmer days in the winter right? Not our plants! Fluctuations in temperature cause:
Seeds to germinate then terminate when temperatures are unseasonably warm then cold
Plants to prematurely grow or bolt when cold weather crops are exposed to warm weather
Bulbs to grow short stemmed due to warm temperatures in cold seasons
Premature blooming in warm weather and crop losses when blooms freeze
While we as humans enjoy spring-like days in the midst of freezing weather – it has adverse effects on gardens. What can you do about it? Not much really. God is in control, but you can help by...
Make sure you have adequate drainage around beds and planting areas.
Add in a good compost and mulch mixture so your soil has good drainage, especially for root crops
Use row covers and hoop houses to protect plants from freezing
Use shade cloth to protect plants from extreme heat
Plant at appropriate times to prevent plant exposure to weather for which they are not suited
I hope to get out and plant some today since the sun has decided to make an appearance for a few days! So excited to get my hands back in the dirt!
Here we grow again!