You're not the only one having weird weather. It has been very dry here, finally got 1" of rain late last week - I put out my kale and spinach transplants on Sat since Friday was dry and 78! It's been bouncing back and forth between mid-high 70's and high 50's, with lows ranging from low 50's down to high 30's. Now 38 at 6am today, they're forecasting 32 for 5 am tomorrow.

I can cover the transplants with more straw (had a little on them since heavy rain was predicted late Sat), cover the strawberries that are blossoming, maybe cover the blueberries, raspberries and blackberries I planted last April (blueberries are blossoming, raspberries are in full leaf and have flower buds), but I can't do anything about the wild berries (too spread out) or the apple trees. I'm afraid that for the 2nd year in a row we're going to lose the fruit with a freeze while they're in bloom.

I never did start my peas figuring it was getting too hot for them, and I'd need the trellises soon for cukes and beans. I was going to seed carrots, radishes, and lettuce today but with a hard freeze tonight I'll wait til tomorrow or even Wed. Actually, Wed was when I was going to start hardening off my tomatoes since it was going to be back up to 65. Hoping to get those out Memorial Day weekend - but who knows???

We are under the frost advisory til 9 am this morning, but I don't see any frost by looking out the window. I don't have anything outside yet, but the plants are definitely ready to get in the ground. My little market starts Saturday, so they will look good for that.

At this point, I'm not sure how much I'll plant, but I've got to sell off some of these plants. If I sell most of them, I guess I won't plant many.

Not only has it been cold, but we've been saturated all spring. Any precip sends the creeks out of their banks. I managed to get all the alliums and potatoes in at the farm, but that's it. The onions, shallots, and leeks aren't growing much. The potatoes need hilled, but there's water between the rows. Asparagus is really weird this year with its growth--a lot of misshapened plants and inconsistent growth. One day I'll pick 10 lbs and the next 2.

It looks like it will be a great fruit year if I can control the bugs and disease. My little trees are loaded, and the blueberries are solid berries. Summer raspberries are blooming as are the blackberries. Gooseberries are really loaded, but the rhubarb is sluggish like the asparagus. I do have some beets, chard, spinach, turnips, and a lot of lettuce planted; but they were put in so late I'm not optimistic for much of a crop. Rain is supposed to hold off for a few days, so I hope to get carrots, radishes, and parsnips in. I have a feeling it will be a rush trying to get all the summer crops in. I won't even bother with cole crops this spring.

I lost probably 7 or 8 flats of Broccoli and cauliflower due to the fact that I couldn't get them planted. I am going to continue to grow my spring crops I have planted, but I am going "All IN" on summer crops and hope the weather holds. I am going to be direct seeding cucumbers and zucchini today. Hopefully I can get some more plastic down and direct seed melons by this weekend. I also have sweet potato slips coming this week and next week. I am ready for them!

Jay

Yeah, same here. We are just getting into the gardens with the tractor this week for the first time.

My high tunnel tomatoes keep looking better, fortunately. I am hoping to have my first ripe fruit in about 30 days. That should beat the outside plants by at least a month.

We were under normal precip by about 3" last month, the inch we got in the last 5 days has been the only in May so far, I would say I envy you all the rain but we had a really wet year in 2011 so I know to be careful what I wish for ;-)

I don't know if it's worth doing cool-weather crops, I had the kale and spinach started so put them in but if they don't survive the freeze I won't bother to start new until July (for fall crop). Just finished mulching the strawberries with what straw wasn't too wet/decomposing already in the compost bin, plus some old hay, and since wire hoops were up covered the 33ft bed with 2 EZ Up sidewalls and a tarp. Got 4 old sheets at Goodwill, covered the blueberries that weren't blossoming with inverted tomato cages and sheets clothespinned to them, 2 that are blossoming with 5 gal buckets, and the 2 rows of brambles with burlap. The wild berries are on their own. But I've got over 100 peppers and 250 tomatoes sitting in my family room ready to start hardening off (I'll probably plant half of them and sell the other half).

Sheila, I keep an eye out for those old sheets, especially if it's bag day at the thrift store.

Paid $1.50 each for them (half price) but well worth it to save a blueberry that was in 2 gal pot last year (I got through conservation district, $12 each but believe that size usually sells for a lot more).

So Jay, what did you get in for spring crops? How are they doing?

Our bag days are $1-2 per large paper grocery bag.

Not only am I dealing with the crazy weather but also a greenhouse that wasn't working- killed brassicas and summer squash plants, and then was destroyed in winds on Saturday. I knew it didn't have another year on it but was hoping it got through this one! Some of my planted crops are doing very poorly and the weeds are going to be real bad this year. I am wondering if the CSA season will be successful at all.

Sorry Minnie to hear your losses.

What did I get in for spring crops? I have 1 tunnel of carrots and onions, one movable spot of kale, napa cabbage and chard I direct seeded Kale, radishes, turnips, and mustard in the other. (I wasn't thinking, it is the weedest spot and I have lots of hand weeding to do!) I also direct seeded outside radishes, turnips, and more carrots. I also have half a building of Summer Crisp lettuce with 3 more succession plantings to go out after that.

I call these little cucumbers and zucchini spring veggies too!

Never planted broccoli or cauliflower this year, :(

Jay

Minnie - so sorry, you've had a tough year already. Still doing the baked goods? Is your CSA a "true" CSA so shared risk? I know you will have some unhappy customers, but the good ones should understand. Make it up to them in brownies ;-)

Jay - sounds like you have a good bit to keep you going til the summer veggies (? zukes and cukes are spring?) come in.

Planted in the high tunnels, we will have them in early June. Last year we had them in mid May.

Jay

Yes I think it is possible I will be baking and making jams. That is what I have had to do for the spring shares (only 3). But hey, soon some crops might be doing awesome. I had to reorder and will replant my onion plants since most died.

I had to hold onto my onions far longer than I wanted to, but they are coming around as long as they don't drown. Leeks, on the other hand, are at maybe 40% loss. I'd say a fourth of the potatoes drowned; and if it doesn't stop raining I'll lose the rest to weeds. I'm afraid to till much because at least now the soil is compacted enough that most of the water runs off. Of all things, I'm also struggling now w/asparagus beetles. They've ruined probably 40% of the crop as well. I hold out little hope on all the lettuces, spinach, chard, and beets. We had pounding rain, which crusted the soil, and weeds are the only things coming through. Oh, and all the rain flooded our basement --twice-- till I figured out gutters were clogged as well as the window well. The first time the sump pump float got stuck. It's getting nearly impossible to keep up 2 places and work 3 jobs. My allergies this year have also just knocked me down. The pollen is so thick this year that the pond is coated w/a film of it. Thank God summer is almost here, but I am ridiculously behind. Then again, so is everyone else. It's currently raining yet again.

Wow! It is so crazy to see excessive rain in one place and terrible drought elsewhere!