Good Growing Weather?
As a nation, we are obsessed with the weather, mainly because it controls our daily lives, it can make or break plans for outdoor events, it can mean the difference between a nice day off work or a complete waste of a days holiday.
The problem with our weather is that it is so unpredictable, we need to make plans and take precautions for whatever it might throw at us at any given time of the day.
Gardeners need to be especially observant of the weather, even a dull day can still be quite warm, allowing the greenhouse to heat up quickly resulting in wilting plants. At this time of year I open the greenhouse doors first thing in the morning regardless of whether it is sunny or not. The windows and vents are permanently open. If leaving greenhouse doors and low side windows open, it is worth putting a strong open mesh frame across to prevent animals from getting in. Cats especially love to bask in the warmth of a greenhouse, often making a bed on top of your precious plants.
Outside the weather is perfect for growing, warm temperatures and plenty of moisture, runner beans are racing up the canes, visibly putting on inches daily. Tuberous begonias are loving the semi tropical conditions.
Some plants are suffering from the particularly heavy downpours, preferring a more gentle consistent shower, the thundery rain is too heavy resulting in them being knocked to the ground.
Fruit will be benefitting from the current weather, some younger fruit just setting on the trees will be knocked off by the storms but the more mature fruits will benefit from the plentiful supply of water combined with the warm sun. Raspberries grow well in shade, being native to woodland areas, the extra rain they are getting should ensure a bumber crop of large juicy fruits. Strawberries, on the other hand, will be damaged by the heavy rains, some protection can be given using mats which prevent the fruits from lying directly on the soil and rotting off.
An alternative is to grow strawberries in the greenhouse, planted in growbags placed on the staging, the fruits cascade over the side allowing the benefit of protection from the elements and earlier fruits for the grower.
As with most things in life, there is for and against the present weather we are experiencing. Some plants will thrive whilst others will fall by the wayside.
Technorati Tags: weather, gardening, greenhouse, gardeners, raspberry, strawberry, runner+bean, begonia, fruit,
June 20th, 2007 at 18:07
The begonias here in the states have been loving the tropical weather too. They are almost a maintainance-free plant.