Nearly drowning

b54red · February 26, 2013

We have been getting torrential rains here for the last couple of weeks. I have personally emptied 18 inches out of my rain gauge in two weeks. Some people have gotten more and most less but it has been unbelievably wet this month. Luckily I live on top of a hill and built raised beds many years ago after having my topsoil wash away during heavy rains. We are now supposed to have a week or more with no rain so maybe my raised beds will dry out enough to be worked if I can just walk between them before we get any more rain.

Looks like we are going to get a few freezing nights at the end of the week so I'll have to do some more covering up of my lettuce and broccoli. Since I'm trying my hand at grafting I don't have any tomatoes ready to go out yet so I didn't get caught by it this year. I thought I would be ready earlier than ever this season but it takes plants longer to heal from grafting than I anticipated.

Tapout · February 26, 2013

Good luck with your garden. I hope the weather gets better for you soon!

b54red · February 26, 2013

Actually most of what I have in the garden looks pretty good considering the amount of rain in the last 2 weeks. The spinach just got beat to death by the rain as did most of my lettuce but everything else looks ok. I think I'll have to add some fertilizer because that much rain has probably leached out a good bit of what was in the beds.

jerryinfla · February 26, 2013

Sounds like you've been getting the rain we so desperately need -- I doubt that we've had much if any more than a inch so far this year. I hope you're able to work in your beds soon!

JamesL · February 26, 2013

Stay dry Bill! I have been following the grafting thread with great interest. Keep up the good work!

b54red · February 26, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerryinfla

Sounds like you've been getting the rain we so desperately need -- I doubt that we've had much if any more than a inch so far this year. I hope you're able to work in your beds soon!

We have been in a drought for so long that even if the summer is dry like it has been most of the past 25 years this rain will help with the groundwater and keep trees in good shape for the summer. Over the past four years I have lost 5 dogwood trees that were all over 30 year old due to the droughts we have been having. I didn't think anything short of a herbicide or a chainsaw would kill dogwoods.

Bill

Stvrob · February 28, 2013

How cold is too cold for broccoli ?

KarenO · February 28, 2013

From my experience, Brocoli is pretty tough and can typically survive even a bit of frost. how cold is it?

Wi-sunflower · February 28, 2013

broccoli can tolerate a lot of cold as long as it's growing OK at the time.

This last fall tho we had a lot of rain, about 6 inches, after a dry summer and our late Broccoli cr@ped out after much less cold weather than usual here. Turned out the plants were rotting from the center as the roots had suffered during the wet spell.

Lettuce should be able to take a reasonable amount of cold too, tho not as much as Broccoli.

Carol

Redbaron · February 28, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stvrob

How cold is too cold for broccoli ?

Broccoli can easily withstand any cold weather Jacksonville Florida has to offer. I have broccoli alive and producing fresh broccoli heads right now in Oklahoma, and we had several cold snaps in the teens last winter. I also have a few Collards and Kale that survived the winter and cauliflower too. I have been picking greens all winter. Great for green smoothies. I had a green smoothie today for breakfast.

The only issue I ever had with broccoli and cold is you need to make sure it is hardened. The plant produces sugars that act as anti-freeze, but it doesn't produce them instantly. It takes some time to adjust. If you get a dramatic freeze out of the blue before it adjusts, the plants will be damaged or killed.

A Hard freeze will still kill them, but as long as they are healthy and hardened, there shouldn't be any issues due to cold way down in Florida.

WVTomatoMan · February 28, 2013

Ya know that's always the way isn't it. In one part of the country they're getting drenched and in another part of the country they sure could use some of that rain. I don't mean to make light of the situation and I hope things dry out for you soon. We've had wet springs when everything has to go in late - it sucks.

Good luck.

Randy

arivaraci · February 28, 2013

My family isn't too far from you and the rain has been a blessing! Glad it hasn't drowned your plants. Hope the rain evens put and keeps up.

Stvrob · February 28, 2013

My broccoli turns purple when the weather gets cold. its really not very cold but they are purple again. Im guessing its about time to pull them and make room for something else.

Redbaron · February 28, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stvrob

My broccoli turns purple when the weather gets cold. its really not very cold but they are purple again. Im guessing its about time to pull them and make room for something else.

In my opinion cold stressed brassicas taste better.

KarenO · February 28, 2013

i definately agree with that Scott. especially kale and brussel sprouts

February 26, 2013	#1
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Nearly drowning We have been getting torrential rains here for the last couple of weeks. I have personally emptied 18 inches out of my rain gauge in two weeks. Some people have gotten more and most less but it has been unbelievably wet this month. Luckily I live on top of a hill and built raised beds many years ago after having my topsoil wash away during heavy rains. We are now supposed to have a week or more with no rain so maybe my raised beds will dry out enough to be worked if I can just walk between them before we get any more rain. Looks like we are going to get a few freezing nights at the end of the week so I'll have to do some more covering up of my lettuce and broccoli. Since I'm trying my hand at grafting I don't have any tomatoes ready to go out yet so I didn't get caught by it this year. I thought I would be ready earlier than ever this season but it takes plants longer to heal from grafting than I anticipated.

February 26, 2013	#4
jerryinfla Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Central Florida Posts: 377	Sounds like you've been getting the rain we so desperately need -- I doubt that we've had much if any more than a inch so far this year. I hope you're able to work in your beds soon! __________________ Jerry - You only get old if you're lucky.

February 26, 2013	#2
Tapout Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: NW Indiana Posts: 355	Good luck with your garden. I hope the weather gets better for you soon!

February 26, 2013	#5
JamesL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 1,992	Stay dry Bill! I have been following the grafting thread with great interest. Keep up the good work!

February 28, 2013	#7
Stvrob Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 1,413	How cold is too cold for broccoli ?

February 28, 2013	#8
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,931	From my experience, Brocoli is pretty tough and can typically survive even a bit of frost. how cold is it?

February 28, 2013	#9
Wi-sunflower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,591	broccoli can tolerate a lot of cold as long as it's growing OK at the time. This last fall tho we had a lot of rain, about 6 inches, after a dry summer and our late Broccoli cr@ped out after much less cold weather than usual here. Turned out the plants were rotting from the center as the roots had suffered during the wet spell. Lettuce should be able to take a reasonable amount of cold too, tho not as much as Broccoli. Carol

February 28, 2013	#11
WVTomatoMan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: West Virginia - Zone 6 Posts: 594	Ya know that's always the way isn't it. In one part of the country they're getting drenched and in another part of the country they sure could use some of that rain. I don't mean to make light of the situation and I hope things dry out for you soon. We've had wet springs when everything has to go in late - it sucks. Good luck. Randy

February 28, 2013	#12
arivaraci Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 199	My family isn't too far from you and the rain has been a blessing! Glad it hasn't drowned your plants. Hope the rain evens put and keeps up.