Weather forecast:

------------
Wednesday Night
Becoming partly cloudy. Lows 20 to 25 (F).
------------

Our temperatures run from 5 to 10 degrees lower than the
nearest weather station (which is about 55 miles away and
about 1200 feet lower in altitude than we are).

Sigh. We'll be lugging the big pots full of veggies inside
again Wednesday. The lettuce and Swiss chard would probably
survive (covered), but I'm not sure whether some of the
Chinese veggies would.

Pat (in Pennsylvania's cold Northern Tier)

Pat Meadows wrote:


Weather forecast:

------------
Wednesday Night
Becoming partly cloudy. Lows 20 to 25 (F).
------------

Our temperatures run from 5 to 10 degrees lower than the
nearest weather station (which is about 55 miles away and
about 1200 feet lower in altitude than we are).

Sigh. We'll be lugging the big pots full of veggies inside
again Wednesday. The lettuce and Swiss chard would probably
survive (covered), but I'm not sure whether some of the
Chinese veggies would.

Pat (in Pennsylvania's cold Northern Tier)

Ain't it a pain? Moving pots in and out!
If we gave Air Miles, some of our pots would have enough to go south
where it's warmer.
Here's a copy and paste of Environment Canada's forecast for our area.
Temperatures are in Celsius.

Today..Cloudy with occasional rain changing to light wet snow this
afternoon. Wind becoming northwest 30 km/h gusting to 60 this
morning. High 7 this morning then temperature falling. Maximum UV
index 2.2 or low.
Tonight..Cloudy with occasional light wet snow ending this evening
then clearing. Wind northwest 30 km/h gusting to 60 diminishing this
evening to 20. Low minus 2.



Ross,
Ontario, Canada.
New AgCanada Zone 5b
43º19' North
80º16' West

But think how smug you'll feel when we're complaining about the 2nd
(or 3rd or 4th) week of 90+ temperatures and 70% humidity in a couple
of months.

AND two months since it rained.....
I am in Houston and its nothing to have 90 degrees plus for months, 90
percent humidity and no rain from May till August (or if it does rain its a
tropical storm thus a flood).

I do sympathize with your AAARGGGGHHHH though.

A couple years ago when tropical storm Alison hit Houston, I had just
finished my planting and mulching the day befo it ALL floated away, even
my landscape timbers were at the end of my driveway.
"Ross Reid" wrote in message
news
Pat Meadows wrote:


Weather forecast:

------------
Wednesday Night
Becoming partly cloudy. Lows 20 to 25 (F).
------------

Our temperatures run from 5 to 10 degrees lower than the
nearest weather station (which is about 55 miles away and
about 1200 feet lower in altitude than we are).

Sigh. We'll be lugging the big pots full of veggies inside
again Wednesday. The lettuce and Swiss chard would probably
survive (covered), but I'm not sure whether some of the
Chinese veggies would.

Pat (in Pennsylvania's cold Northern Tier)

Ain't it a pain? Moving pots in and out!
If we gave Air Miles, some of our pots would have enough to go south
where it's warmer.
Here's a copy and paste of Environment Canada's forecast for our area.
Temperatures are in Celsius.

Today..Cloudy with occasional rain changing to light wet snow this
afternoon. Wind becoming northwest 30 km/h gusting to 60 this
morning. High 7 this morning then temperature falling. Maximum UV
index 2.2 or low.
Tonight..Cloudy with occasional light wet snow ending this evening
then clearing. Wind northwest 30 km/h gusting to 60 diminishing this
evening to 20. Low minus 2.



Ross,
Ontario, Canada.
New AgCanada Zone 5b
43º19' North
80º16' West


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On Tue, 22 Apr 2003 12:48:02 GMT,
(Frogleg) wrote:



Pat (in Pennsylvania's cold Northern Tier)

But think how smug you'll feel when we're complaining about the 2nd
(or 3rd or 4th) week of 90+ temperatures and 70% humidity in a couple
of months. And you're outdoors in a nice breeze. :-)


That's true -- and it's one of the major reasons why we
moved here. I don't function at all well in heat and
humidity.

Pat

x-no-arhive: yes

Pat Meadows wrote:

Weather forecast:

------------
Wednesday Night
Becoming partly cloudy. Lows 20 to 25 (F).
------------

Our temperatures run from 5 to 10 degrees lower than the
nearest weather station (which is about 55 miles away and
about 1200 feet lower in altitude than we are).

Sigh. We'll be lugging the big pots full of veggies inside
again Wednesday. The lettuce and Swiss chard would probably
survive (covered), but I'm not sure whether some of the
Chinese veggies would.

Pat (in Pennsylvania's cold Northern Tier)


Yesterday before I left for work, I set a flat of cabbage seedlings and a
couple of tomato plants outside to harden off a bit. The weather was
cloudy and cool, and I put them under a tree to provide a little
protection. The only thing I was concerned about was a squirrel digging up
a few cabbage plants.

The weather turned gusty. My worthless family watched as the wind whipped
the plants to pieces and broke most of the stems. They were home all day
because school was out, they just didn't bother to bring in one flat of
seedlings. Daughter probably didn't notice; Wife probably did notice and
just didn't care or decided that somehow it served me right.

Regards,
Bob

On Tue, 22 Apr 2003 08:51:55 -0400, Ross Reid wrote in
rec.gardens.edible:

Here's a copy and paste of Environment Canada's forecast for our area.
Temperatures are in Celsius.

Today..Cloudy with occasional rain changing to light wet snow this
afternoon. Wind becoming northwest 30 km/h gusting to 60 this
morning. High 7 this morning then temperature falling. Maximum UV
index 2.2 or low.
Tonight..Cloudy with occasional light wet snow ending this evening
then clearing. Wind northwest 30 km/h gusting to 60 diminishing this
evening to 20. Low minus 2.

You must be a little to the west of me; I am near Ottawa. It was 24°C (about
75°F) last weekend.
=========================================
Issued 11.00 AM EDT Tuesday 22 April 2003

Today : Periods of rain developing. Temperature falling this afternoon to
9. Maximum UV index 1.6 or low.

Tonight : Periods of rain changing to snow overnight. Wind northwest 30
km/h gusting to 50. Low zero.

Wednesday : Periods of snow. Total accumulation 5 to 10 cm. Wind northwest
30 km/h gusting to 50. Temperature steady near zero.
--
Gardening Zones
Canada Zone 5a
United States Zone 3a
Near Ottawa, Ontario

In article ,
says...
But think how smug you'll feel when we're complaining about the 2nd
(or 3rd or 4th) week of 90+ temperatures and 70% humidity in a couple
of months. And you're outdoors in a nice breeze. :-)


Ah, the eastern humidity. Here in Spokane WA our humidity yesterday was
32% or so, and that was on a cloudy day! It will get up in the 90s here
now and then, but when it does the humidity will be 10%-20%.

And I'm still waiting for our annual thunderstorm - it'll make the front
page.

Of course, we do have to put up with a wee bit of snow some winters :-).

--
To announce that there must be no criticism of the president or that we
are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic
and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.
Teddy Roosevelt

In article ,
says...
x-no-arhive: yes

Pat Meadows wrote:

Weather forecast:

------------
Wednesday Night
Becoming partly cloudy. Lows 20 to 25 (F).
------------

Our temperatures run from 5 to 10 degrees lower than the
nearest weather station (which is about 55 miles away and
about 1200 feet lower in altitude than we are).

Sigh. We'll be lugging the big pots full of veggies inside
again Wednesday. The lettuce and Swiss chard would probably
survive (covered), but I'm not sure whether some of the
Chinese veggies would.

Pat (in Pennsylvania's cold Northern Tier)


Yesterday before I left for work, I set a flat of cabbage seedlings and a
couple of tomato plants outside to harden off a bit. The weather was
cloudy and cool, and I put them under a tree to provide a little
protection. The only thing I was concerned about was a squirrel digging up
a few cabbage plants.

The weather turned gusty. My worthless family watched as the wind whipped
the plants to pieces and broke most of the stems. They were home all day
because school was out, they just didn't bother to bring in one flat of
seedlings. Daughter probably didn't notice; Wife probably did notice and
just didn't care or decided that somehow it served me right.

Regards,
Bob


I'm in North Carolina and it won't stop raining long enough to even till
up for the garden. I guess after all the drought years I shouldn't be
complaining.

On Tue, 22 Apr 2003 13:43:01 GMT, "Norma Briggs"
wrote:

But think how smug you'll feel when we're complaining about the 2nd
(or 3rd or 4th) week of 90+ temperatures and 70% humidity in a couple
of months.

AND two months since it rained.....
I am in Houston and its nothing to have 90 degrees plus for months, 90
percent humidity and no rain from May till August (or if it does rain its a
tropical storm thus a flood).

Ah, yes. I forgot about the 'no rain' feature. *How* can it be so
humid laundry won't dry on the line, and yet bone, stone dry for
useful water? Along with my wish for a time machine that would
recycle Feb. cold air into my house in July (and vice versa), it'd be
nice if someone invented an outdoor de-humidifier that wrung out
summer air and dripped water for the plants.

On Tue, 22 Apr 2003 08:08:53 -0400, Pat Meadows
wrote:

Wednesday Night
Becoming partly cloudy. Lows 20 to 25 (F).

Pat (in Pennsylvania's cold Northern Tier)

Frost is status-quo for northern PA until a month from now. I only
put stuff out on long stretches of warm weather in order to minimize
back pain Especially the bay tree, which needs to harden off in
direct sunlight.

Some cold frames could stretch out the season, at least for cool
-weather plants. With a "cooking" mulch bed they could probably
stretch the season well into december and start a new season in early
February, maybe even through January with the hardiest plants.

Dan

On Sun, 27 Apr 2003 06:28:34 GMT, (Dan)
wrote:

On Tue, 22 Apr 2003 08:08:53 -0400, Pat Meadows
wrote:

Wednesday Night
Becoming partly cloudy. Lows 20 to 25 (F).

Pat (in Pennsylvania's cold Northern Tier)

Frost is status-quo for northern PA until a month from now. I only
put stuff out on long stretches of warm weather in order to minimize
back pain Especially the bay tree, which needs to harden off in
direct sunlight.

Some cold frames could stretch out the season, at least for cool
-weather plants. With a "cooking" mulch bed they could probably
stretch the season well into december and start a new season in early
February, maybe even through January with the hardiest plants.


We are building a cold-frame this summer. I'll have it in
time for fall protection.

We're also converting an unused chain-link 'dog run' into a
greenhouse - this is 16' x 10' x 6' high, which is a good
size for a hobby greenhouse.

Between the two, I should be able to stop lugging pots of
plants in and out all spring, and I should be able to
harvest cold-hardy stuff most of the winter. This will
be lovely!

So far during the time we've lived here (two years), the
main enemy has been cold. It's easy to fight cold,
straightforward - you know what the enemy is. Compared to
fighting the bugs, fungi, and disease that plague more
southern gardens, it's a cinch, IMHO.

Pat

On Sun, 27 Apr 2003 07:03:45 -0400, Pat Meadows
wrote:



So far during the time we've lived here (two years), the
main enemy has been cold. It's easy to fight cold,
straightforward - you know what the enemy is. Compared to
fighting the bugs, fungi, and disease that plague more
southern gardens, it's a cinch, IMHO.


I wrote the above about half an hour ago... then I went
outdoors and found disaster.

We hadn't dragged all the pots into the garage or house last
night because last night's forecast low temperature here was
'in the low 40s'. I have a min-max thermometer. The
actual low was 15 F.


All my lovely pots of lettuce, Chinese greens, and chard are
frozen stiff. We've dragged them across the deck to the
shaded area to give them time to thaw before the sun hits
them.

I don't know if *any* of them will survive, they're frozen
solid at this point. If I touched a leaf, it would shatter.

And they would have been fine, if the forecast hadn't been
so wildly off. We've been dragging the pots into the garage
or house at night when we expected freezing temperatures.
Could have done it last night.

Our actual temperatures generally run 5-10 degrees lower
than the forecasts at the nearest weather station, but this
was 25 whole degrees lower! OK, now I know....

Pat (goes off sobbing quietly....)

On Mon, 28 Apr 2003 12:47:58 GMT,
(Frogleg) wrote:



Our actual temperatures generally run 5-10 degrees lower
than the forecasts at the nearest weather station, but this
was 25 whole degrees lower! OK, now I know....

Sorry, Pat. At least it wasn't anything you did -- there's nothing
like killing a bunch of plants through one's own carelessness. Hope
some stuff thaws successfully. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

It's much better than I initially thought. The lettuces and
chard are OK. This is actually amazing, because they were
just as frozen as if you'd put them in a freezer overnight.

Half of the broccoli survived, half didn't.

I'm still not sure about the Chinese greens (baby bok choy,
hon tsai tai, and choy sum). I think they're OK, but they
may fail to thrive henceforth. Also, these are supposed to
bolt to seed if 'vernalized' - if suffering undue cold in
spring. They certainly suffered undue cold!

I've noticed that being frost-bitten really sets plants back
even if they survive. No wonder, too.

On the whole though, it's better than I'd thought. It just
irked me so because I could - and would - have prevented it
if the forecast hadn't been so wildly off - 25 degrees!

Last night, we brought them all in again - and the
temperature was 24. Much warmer than 15.

Pat