Comparing this heat wave here to a giant hair dryer is the perfect analogy. We have been over 100 and had a hot wind for the last few days. Gardens and corn were drought stressed before the furnace cranked up. Later planted tobacco near the end of May is holding up ok for now, but earlier planted tobacco needs water badly. Some of it is nearing the button stage.
I took these pics this afternoon, Saturday, after the farmers market. I told the market overseer that we are looking at the possibility of an early retirement this year if this weather continues.
Late melon patch planted around May 20 on cousin's farm next to mom's farm, our new place. It still has potential.
The upper side of about a 2.5 acre field of staggered veggie plantings. There is just a small corner here left to plant. Last Monday after a weekend thunderstorm, I planted a row of pinkeye purple hull peas and 1/2 a row each of cukes and squash. I cultivated on Monday also. The moisture from the storm, about an inch, did not last long.
In the upper terrace, we planted one row of Ledmon watermelon transplants for some early ones. There are a few melons between softball and basketball size, and many with odd shapes and small plants signs of drought stress. Small ones, tennis ball size and smaller, will begin to dry up and blacken if they haven't already. Ledmons are not disease resistant. It is a crap shoot as to where to plant them in a good year. A few here and there will let a grower know pretty quickly where they can be productive.
We have 4 different strip plantings of sweet corn, Merit, Golden Queen, Silver Queen, and bodacious.
The stands were spotty. Soil moisture was marginal through the germination period.
Between 2 corn strips, severanl bean varieties, squash, cukes, peppers, eggplant, and okra are planted. The barren spot on the backside is the okra spot. Some of the 3 rows were planted 3 times. It would come up, stand there a week to 10 days and begin dying. I can usually pick over it every day if favorable weather exists. We usually sell alot, and it doesn't take much to produce alot...normally.
This is the earliest section of corn. It should have been ready by now. I will get nothing from it if there is no rain within a few days. Two rows of late-planted Kennebecs are to the right. We plowed out our early ones last week. We planted extras in April because the Red ones did not come up. A row each of early squash and cukes are to the right, not in the pic, and are mostly done.
The lower terrace, about .7 acre, was planted May 1 in watermelons and cantelopes. Most all of the cantelopes have died, and the melons are in trouble. Normally by now, the field would be covered in green, running melon vines.
This blowing grocery bag shows the breeze today. I know the bags are light, but they all were standing straight out today. The wind makes conditions more bearable for us, but creates the hair dryer environment.
A couple of pics of the hayfield out mom's, now daughter's family's, front door.
The next series of pics are at our home. In addition to Mrs. Jim's kitchen gardens, we have 3 small veggie plots.
Green beans on the lower end and pinkeye purple hull peas on the upper end near the camera. Broccoli and cabbage do well here. I am in the process of taking out broccoil plants and feeding them to the cows.
The other side of this narrow strip has early squash and cukes that are done, a row of badly wilted beets, about 150 mater plants, and cabbage and onions. I put a makeshift shed over the cabbage, about 50 heads to keep them from scorching. Working well so far.
Through the woods and up the hill beside the driveway is the last plot. A hodgepodge of squash, maters, beets, lettuce, spinach, kohlrabi, dill, carrots, and green beans. There is some method to my madness. Soil types vary greatly in these small plots and the larger fields. I try to match veggies that do well in certain soil types, that avoids cross pollenation, and can be easily cultivated. It's like a puzzle and makes a little more work, but it is easier than managing more planted land. With current weather conditions, even a little seems to be too much.
we are gettingf 1 to2 inches of rain a week temp is around 85 with high humidity bugs and worms are our big problem this year green worms on glads plus the heavy down pours we got in may washed the sprays away early im in central ont north of toronto but western ont is a differt story army worm problems late frost in april one guy i know told me he lost 60 acres of sweet corn in plastic to late freeze in april and they are running pumps and travllers 24 7 they filled 1000 gal fuel tank last monday where out thur afternoon that hurts they grow strawberries early sweetcorn melons acres of tomatoes peppers zucs they run at least to 50 ft trailers a day into foodterminal in toronto plus trailers into chain store warhouses
Jimmy - thanks for posting these up. Your hard work and dedication is more than evident in every photograph, and a good rain would really turn things around. I hope for both of us that it comes soon. I respect the variety of produce that you're growing as well! It's very impressive to see what all will grow. You've got beautiful land Jim, and no doubt you and your wife are the greatest of stewards of it. Maybe July will bring more moisture... :?
Boy Jim, those photos look way too familiar. I can't recall a drought engulfing such a large area of the U.S. as it is this year.
Things look the same around here. Fields everywhere you look drying up. Grain prices are going to skyrocket if they haven't yet.
If it weren't for the creek in close proximity where I can draw water from, my garden would be done by now.
Hate to see the weather hurting things that way. You can definately see it was doing great till the rain stopped and still looks a lot better than most. Stopped by and looked at Brandons last night and its not good. The corn looks more like millet and the zucchini look like you poored hot water on them. The zucchini's had set on and sucking all the moisture out of the vines. Another first I saw was some critter eating the watermelon vines, I dont ever remember seeing that. As for the fall hay if it dont rain soon a man better hope he got what he needed this spring. Pray we all get rain soon.
A wet August and September will produce fall hay here. I have enuff to make it through the winter though unless I haveta use a bunch this summer. That is a possibility if this weather continues.
An uncommon early May freeze in the middle of KY last night with a low of 29 degrees.
There has been only four times it has gotten below 32 in my part of KY in my 60 years according to the local weather gurus.
May 10 1966, May 9 1976, May 7 2002 and this morning. Which set a new record low...
This article was in a local paper this morning. Here in flue cured tobacco country the amount grown has decreased rapidly over the last few years. Bulk barns and specialized tobacco equipment rust away. We grew our last crop in 2004 , the year the buyout was approved. We sold carryover 2004...
This article with pics was in a local paper yesterday. The pick-your-own operations are facing real problems unless they can adapt to current situations. A local blueberry farmer I know has already decided not to open his farm this year...
The mild winter has been kind to our late-planted collards. Some kale and turnip greens are still producing. It has been nice to have fresh backyard veggies this time of year.
I picked up a little over 100LBS of pecans this year with about 5 LBS more to go. I have 5 trees and I got about 90% from 1 tree 9% from another one and the other 3 trees didn't do hardly anything. The second tree is a harder shell and much larger than the other 4, but what is lacked in quanity...
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