Fran Farmer wrote:

And of course summer was a total washout what with the heat during the
day, (now officially the most hot days in the summer period ever), the
cold at night and the lack of rain. We have only just begun to get
tomatoes in the last 2 weeks when we should have had some at least 2
months ago. Nothing did well and of course we lost every single piece
of fruit on every tree due to an early hot Spring followed by the
return of the cold early Spring. The second summer of 2013 was a
total washout garden wise.


A bad season here except we got some fruit as I was pumping from the dam to
keep the orchard alive. The river stopped for 6 weeks, the longest in ten
years, and the pasture was down to brown stubble heading towards dirt. We
have had some nice rain mid Feb and then again last week, it was getting to
the point that if I didn't get some we would have no summer growth and be
hand-feeding all winter. It looks OK now and if we get some more before
winter I will mow the orchard instead of keeping it as reserve.

But I'm putting in stuff now hoping for a long Autumn (mostly leafy
greens) and even then I am going to buy large slabs of plastic and
straw bales and try to extent the growing season.


As well as being so dry the neighbour had this genius cow that got through
the barb wire, the electric tape round the house area and the chook fence
round the vege garden. She ate all the greens, brasicas etc and tromped the
rest. One night I put her out (with the dogs) three times but she kept
coming back.

D