I just saw that this area has received 14 inches of rain, in just 4 storms the last month and a half. It has been crazy heavy rain and wind. I did lose a lot of my young plants that I started for the autumn and we had some crazy storms then too. But some have hung on. None are as big as they would normally be. I am quite spoiled by the fact that we are in Agricultural Zone 9B and don’t really have much of the year where we can’t plant. Most early spring crops (like peas) are winter crops here. We do get an occasional freeze but since then sun comes out the soils warm up. So my schedule is unlike what most areas have. Matt and Dave said they are going to set up my Green house out on the MBD Farm so hopefully I can get some seeds started. We just have to wait (and wait, and wait) to find out exactly where the ADU is going so I can start my annual garden!
Normal years, I would be harvesting my Romaine, Snow and Snap peas, Collard greens and chard already. And the broccoli and rabe. The broccoli and rabe were wiped out twice, and it is too late to restart those. Taking care of Baby Gabe also means I didn’t pay as much attention as I could have, so I just didn’t respond as fast as I might have to restart those. I also had to restart the Romaine and Collard greens but those croaked earlier in the winter. So now I have Snow and Snap peas, Swiss Chard, Collard Greens and Romaine struggling in the garden. Some of the peas were better protected and have grown a decent amount. I have the first snow pea flower for this season right now. Normally I’d have a decent pea harvest going by now. “Tis the farming life. Ha!
The snap dragons also look quite bedraggled but are still producing flowers! The primary stem is about 1 1/2 “ in diameter now. It is 4 years old. So much for snapdragons being an annual plant! And my strawberries have their first flower showing. The pansies and daffodils are also just starting to bloom. Spring is coming! As a Californian I can’t complain about rain but these storms are taking a toll on the plants around here! But it sure is a very pretty green around here right now!
I also started a Blue Oyster Mushroom kit this week. We will see how that goes. The vermiculture bin is growing like crazy. So many worms! And it is kinda fun seeing all those wiggling worms and the soil getting higher and higher. Can’t wait until my garden beds are in and I can make “worm compost teas!”
So overall there is hope to get some winter plants harvested. The Tower Garden in Wilton got some kind of contaminant so I am pulling it apart this week. Good thing we do not have to live on what I can grow!