Five weeks of winter?

[Belfrybat]

It appears that winter is over. Today was 83, and we had 79-81 three days last week. We had our first cold day/ freezing night on December 10th, and our last on January 16th. The month-long forecast shows 60-70s during the day and 50-60s at night, occasionally dropping into the 40s. Unfortunately no rain in the forecast. We might have some freezing weather in March (our last average frost free date is March 26th), but it appears I can plant an early Spring garden and cover things if do have have some cold weather later. I should be happy about this as it means less utility costs and a chance of a garden before the heat of summer hits. But I'm unsettled than anything. Plus, I just wish it would rain.

[Johnny Dolittle]

If I were you I would be planting and planning to deal with the frost. My first outside planting will be early April with chance of frost late May and even early June. But I have high tunnels and they get planted early March. Hope you get some rain. I have Candy onions coming from Dixondale farms (somewhere in Texas) ....

[where I want to]

My friend had a term for that - Junuary. Unfortunately it is followed Janapril.......

[Whisperwindkat]

Same here. We have the first round of spring crops in now and will be going with the second round in a few days. My winter garden hasn't ever slowed up and winter broccoli is now bolting. Worried that I won't get spring broccoli at this rate. Yes, rain...need rain everywhere, especially ya'll. It is gonna be a dry year...not good.

[Alice In TX/MO]

I have Kale up already. Bought a wee greenhouse today, and I hope to get the rest of things planted in flats tomorrow.

[Ravenlost]

I dug up potatoes and onions today for supper. Found a lot of earthworms and a big spider who was not happy with me!

We were in the uppper 60s today...I was out digging up veggies in a teeshirt. Weeds are blooming, the elm trees are starting to bud out. I'm definitely itching to get started in the garden, especially since I figure it will all be dried up by the first of July.

Weather patterns are definitely changing. We gardeners have to change with it.

[BobbyB]

I was looking at the extended forecast for here and thru February, highs from mid 70s to low 60s. Morning lows low 30s to anywhere on up.

We do live in a large low area and the temps here are consistently 4-5 degrees lower than just a mile or 2 up the road in ether direction. I had tomato plants really growing well a couple years back and we had a freeze and it got them all. I had buckets over them, but it was a freeze and not a frost and well, it was ugly.

Unless the forecast for March shows something unexpected, I plan to have most everything up and growing by the 2d week of March.

[Callieslamb]

Just quit your bragging.

[unregistered65598]

WOW !!!! We just got 8 inches of snow dumped on us. Lucky for all of you.

[Tracy Rimmer]

I am really not happy. With any of you.

[CaliannG]

It's not bragging. Belfrybat is worried. I am worried too. Short, mild winters bode no good around here.... they mean long, hot, DRY summers. We should have cold, nasty slush through Valentine's day so that the ground is wet enough to support our spring growth. We aren't going to get that unless we get a harsh March...which is unlikely.

NOAA predicts drought conditions through April in their 3 month forecast; if it continues through May and we don't get our May rains, we will be back in drought....with the associated wildfires and lack of hay. However, since the Midwest is ALSO in drought, we won't even have the option of trucking hay in. It will hurt the Midwest too, as last year, we were trucking our hay up there for their drought.

I am buying my hay for the entire year in a couple of weeks, and I am buying enough that I can feed everyone for the whole year even if this entire place turns into 10 acres of drylot.

It's not bragging...it's fear.

[Belfrybat]

CaliannG -- You are dead on right. I"m on city water and we've been restricted to once a week watering for 18 months now. The only reason I have a garden at all is due to rainwater tanks, but they empty fast when there isn't rain. Had Lake Brownwood dropped another inch last summer we would have been at zero outside watering. Without a wet spring, we are almost certain to go to that this year. The lake has less than 2 years of water left in it. Scary indeed.

[CaliannG]

Exactly.

I have a well. But groundwater had dropped 15 ft in the last 2 years. No way I can water this place...or keep a garden alive, if we go to metering. They are talking about metering well water also, due to a drop in the aquifers.

I am attempting to set things up for floating hydroponics...as it uses only 10% of the water needed to keep the same sq ft of dirt garden alive...it may be my only hope for tomatoes.

[Shine]

I wonder... Nestle is down here and they have been pumping quite a bit out of the Hillsborough aquifer. While that aquifer produces millions of fresh water a day, I am thinking that I heard that they are allowed 800,000 gallons a day. This is all bottled under a brand name of Zephyrhills water. Granted, a lot of this water flows out to the sea and I do not know the intake of the entire Tampa Bay Area but we are under restrictions also. Something that just dawned upon me is that there are a multitude of fresh water springs that are out in the gulf that produce a like amount of water daily. Ginnie Springs in Ocala pumps out... quote from the Ginnie Springs website: "Each day, the 7 separate springs of Ginnie Springs Outdoors discharge hundreds of millions of gallons of crystal-clear water that is a constant 72 degrees, year round"

----, I don't know where to go with this now... do we make use of these resources to make man happy or do we just let them keep Florida how Florida was?... sorry... I was having some bad thoughts there - but I still feel that the ground water of any state should NOT be sold for commercial enterprises unless they are going to compensate the people of that state with the profits made... ----... that got deep in a hurry...

Be Well...

[Whisperwindkat]

I agree, we aren't bragging we are real nervous. We haven't had the severe drought that ya'll have had in Texas and the midwest, but we have been in our own drought the past couple of years. I'm losing trees. Fortunately, I use biodynamics for the garden and don't need near the amount of water that I used to need. However, warm winters mean long hot dry summers and that doesn't bode well for my pastures meaning higher feed costs and less hay to be found. Also poorer quality hay. We should be knee deep in icy mud right now and we aren't. Our pond is usually full by this time and it's only half full. It's gonna be a hard year. Blessings, Kat

[mmoetc]

Just woke up to a thunderstorm. It's supposed to be -10 in two days. ????????

[Chucknbob]

Don't want to turn this into a debate, but I believe this is part of climate change and we're all going to have to adapt.

I'm lucky, I have a cistern for farm water and city water for my home. What worries me more than water is the lack of hard freezes and the hot dry summers.

[Callieslamb]

When you're stuck under 10 inches of snow and planting is 12 weeks away - it's uncomfortable to hear others talking about their 2nd 'spring' crop. Your opening posts said nothing about the hardships of what you thought was coming.

We're at 50+ this morning already and the melting snow is making a mess everywhere. Add to that the 3 inches of expected rain and you've got a real mess. The ground is still frozen under all of that, though perhaps not for long. Flash flood warnings are out and many schools are delayed due to the fog. But it's not bragging that we're getting rain and you're not. We were as hard hit with the drought as everyone else. Early warm up here means the fruit trees will start their blooming cycles and a frost is sure to get them. Fruit is what my area produces. I'd hate to see the orchards empty again. And I really need to reseed my pastures.

[blooba]

Guess I could shovel out a spot and plant snow peas.......lol

[BobbyB]

It was 71 when I left for work at 545 this morning. High today is supposed to reach mid 80s with a front coming. Supposed to be storms and rain but last I heard it was going to slip past us to the East. We may get a sprinkle.