This has been an odd summer, weather wise. April and May were warmer than normal. The garden did very well. Then June came along. The entire month was one long, cool rain storm. Now it is July. The sun has come out and it certainly feels more like summer, but is not nearly as hot as normal. I have to say that I really like the weather, but some of my garden plants aren't very happy. The days are in the 70's and low 80's. The nights are in the 50's and we had a few nights in the 40's last week.
The cool weather crops are still doing well. Normally, the peas and lettuce would have been ripped out by now. Normally, I'd be looking at tomatoes getting ready to ripen and peppers starting to look good as well. This year the peas and lettuce are still going strong. The broccoli and cabbage are happy. The tomatoes are small and looking like it will be a very long time until harvest. The peppers are completely non-existent. There are a few flowers, but no real fruit.
One thing I have noticed is the lack of squash vine borers this year. They usually lay their eggs in June. By July, I have dying plants. In order to get around the SVBs, I plant a second crop of zucchini a month after the first. They are all still healthy. As a result, I'm swimming in zucchini right now. We have it every day. So far it isn't so bad, but I can foresee zucchini fatigue setting in soon.
Right now, I just want the tomatoes! They are the reason I started to garden in the first place. There is truly no substitute for a homegrown tomato. I'll continue to drool in anticipation and hope for some heat for the garden.
Now you have a good feel for what it is like to garden in the coastal pacific northwest region! Our summers rarely get very hot - and when they do - it is not for very long. This year has actually been quite dry and warm for us, a rarity. Growing tomatoes and peppers is a real challenge as a result. However, like you, I cannot imagine a garden (or life for that matter!) without vine ripened garden tomatoes - so I pull out all the stops and tricks and make it happen. I hope your weather normalizes for you soon.
ReplyDelete