Still planting and hopeful

After an orgy of planting and transplanting fall veg; lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, kohlrabi, spinach, radishes and rappini, the garden is looking like it should this time of year.  The lettuce especially is beautiful as well as tasty.  The weather remains dry, but not excessively, so everything is growing normally.  I'm still scarred by the miserable June weather, but things are definitely looking better for the late garden.  Growers whose whole season was planned around long season crops planted in May and June are probably not feeling the love right now. 

Teaser showers

The NCR was finally blessed with a few showers last night and for germinating fall spinach plantings it was just the thing.  I hope we get at least another couple of tenths today, but I won't complain either way.  The fall crops look good so far and the additional rain will help, but it is not really necessary.

Coming scarcity

It is midsummer and as I write this, cucumbers are bringing $35.00/bu., summer squash is out of sight and even corn is tight.  These three items are usually virtually free on markets at this time of year due to the productivity of farms and favorable weather.  This "summer", the conditions have been anything but favorable and it is reflected in veg prices.  Heavy rain in the spring followed by a heat wave and then a very cold spell has most growers shaking their heads.  If this is climate change, growing crops will become even more risky and food prices will trend higher because of it.  The rains now inundating the Midwest will probably result in reduced corn and soybean harvest which will translate into higher prices for commodities also.  It becomes more apparent every day that our civilization is balanced on a razor's edge of climate variability.  A few degrees either way from what is expected can bring disaster.  Meanwhile, our elected representatives tune up their violins and rearrange the deck chairs....

Image as reality

The Republicans have every right to be afraid of the Hillary Clinton biopic being produced by NBC.  Much as Helen Mirren made Queen Elizabeth a more human, likeable person and perhaps saved the monarchy by her portrayal in "The Queen", Diane Lane could well put Hilary over the top in the Presidential sweepstakes.  While Ms. Lane is past the sex appeal she exuded in many of her early films, she is still a very beautiful woman.  Most of us tend to see the screen as at least an approximation of reality and Ms. Clinton will get a serious dose of star power from Ms. Lane's turn.  I'm sure the team around the erstwhile presidential candidate will whip her into shape and try to glam her up to movie star standards.  With unlimited money virtually anything is possible.  The hedge in the last statement is there because even a tidal wave of cash could not transform Sarah Palin into a credible national candidate.

Time and Temperature

Although it is still early in August, many growers are running out of time as temperatures stay cool here in the North Country.  Many acres of field corn and soybeans which were planted late will never mature with the cooler temps.  On the veg side, peppers, tomatoes, cukes and squash are at a standstill as night temps hover in the low 50s.  On top of that, Mother Nature seems to have turned off the faucet and fields have gone from muddy to pavement hard.    Late planted crops like carrots, beets and fall greens need a drink and I refuse to wish for rain.  We are supposed to get some showers later this week, but if recent experience is a guide, they will be spotty and unreliable.  Trudging up and down beds dragging a hose is no fun, and while it is not a waste of time, there are many things I would rather be doing.  The wild ride continues....

Gardening for the fall

At 50 degrees this morning it feels like fall is already here.  It is the 5th of August and it feels like late Sept.  The first spinach planting is already showing damping off, so perhaps the second will do better with this cooler weather.  I'm still seeding lettuce and bok choy and transplanting cauliflower and broccoli.  Of course it is dry, but I'm not complaining.  There is adequate soil moisture and some showers are predicted for this week.  I transplanted some nappa cabbage seedlings I started last week.  Nappa is a flea beetle magnet, so it should be interesting to see if I can keep them off at least until the seedlings take off.

Rain and Shine

Despite the recent dry weather, I am loathe to wish for precipitation.  The last time I did that it did not stop raining for three weeks.  We did have a nice shower yesterday which helped germinate some late crops like radishes, beets, spinach and herbs.  It will also help the summer crops keep up production and the fall cauliflower and broccoli to continue maturing.  The tomatoes and peppers are coming, but many of the plants made vegetative growth but very little fruit.  Some of the Ace peppers on the other hand have 2 or 3 large peppers hanging off a plant that is less than a foot tall.  It has been a learning experience this summer, but one I hope not to repeat.