I began this Monday, April 22.
I am sitting here listening to thunder and a light rain falling. So far we have received over 1/4 inch. That is delight to our farmer ears since they spread the fertilizer on the hay fields two days ago!
We have been in the 60's for a few days but by noon will be back to the 40's and another freeze for tonight
and tomorrow night. Mother Nature is doing her best to ruin my fruit crop. I checked yesterday and the peaches and plums were good. The peaches still have the husk around the fruits so I am still hoping that will help protect them. The little plums are bare but the tree is heavily leafed out and shrubby so that should help.
I worked out for several hours after milking yesterday morning. I think I have finished weeding the Light Pole and New bed. It doesn't look like much but at least the dead nettle and cheatgrass is gone. The poor storm damaged peach tree needs the chain saw's attention. I couldn't bear to cut it down completely so will struggle along with it until it dies a natural death.
Well the cold front lasted two days with night temps falling to freezing . I haven't checked the fruit trees yet but will do it today. This is supposed to be our last nighttime freezing temperatures for a while. I did see scattered frost out this morning. We are still running cooler than the norm for this time of year.
The cherry tree is in full bloom; so is the Seckel pear. One of the apple trees is showing a little color too.
The cherry tree pictures never come out to suit me but I took one anyway.
You can see the Seckel pear just to the right and in front of the cherry tree.
April 25, Thursday
This was a good, cool day with highs in the 50's. I milked and then stayed out to do more yard work.
I finished weeding the Humming Bird Bed right outside the kitchen. Trimmed around the trees in the front and west yards and began the horrible mass of cheat grass that is in the end of the Kitchen Window Bed.
That will be mostly a hand weeding since the base of a clematis is buried in there somewhere.
I got in 2.5 hours before I quit and mowed the east yard area. I was forced to use the new Cub Cadet since the other one is still in the shop......I still don't like using it!
April 26, Friday
Well today will not include yard work.....I awoke to a sound of rain falling and it is 49°, That was at 2:45 AM and it is now 8:10 AM and the rain is still coming down. It is another light rain but it all counts; so far almost 1/2 inch. This is so different from our hot and dry spring last year.
As of yesterday, the fruit looks good. All but the plums still have the tiny husks around the fruit which acts as protection against the cold.
Love your picture your farm is very pretty! We planted 8 fruit trees last year, then worried because of the drought, now I've been worried about the nights getting to freezing if not one thing then another! :) I awoke this morning to a second day of rain maybe (fingers crossed) with the rains things will be better this summer than last :)
ReplyDeleteA word of advice; worry doesn't help.....I should know. I have apples trees that still haven't produced fruit. Maybe this year will be the charmed one. Same for pears.
DeleteA freeze that comes in the early morning hours and lasts only a short time naturally does much less damage than several nights of all-night freeze. I hope your fruit is safe. We have one pear tree that had lovely blooms, zero fruit set. Peaches do tend to die back, don't they. Do you have berries? There are strawberries here that act as ground cover in flower beds. Critters mostly get the berries but they are fun to see. Weeding is never done; pruning is never finished. I just keep pulling and hacking.
ReplyDeleteOur neighbor sent me a tray of 'Vidalia-type' onions -- they're only Vidalias if grown in certain GA counties but those grown here taste the same, sweet. We had onion pie for supper. Lane had seconds. Please send rain this way.
Nell, just recently I read about tomato pie and now your onion pie. That must be a southern thing. Up until now I had't hear of either. I may try the onion pie when my Candy onions mature. The are sweet as can be.
DeleteI do have blackberries and a new row of strawberries. I also have a few black raspberry plants.
We are expecting more rain later today. I wish I could share.
Hi Glenda, I hope the weather improves, and all of your fruit is safe. We had warm weather over the weekend. They said our high of 81 was the first time to be in the 80s since October. In a couple days, more cold is expected, and the highs are to be in the 50s for a couple days. The lows are to be in the mid 30s, so hopefully, there will be no more frosts or freezes. We all need to hang in there, and enjoy the nice days as they come.
ReplyDeleteSue, so far, the fruit is good. I hope this next cold front with nights down in the 30's doesn't cause any damage.
ReplyDelete