We had crazy winter weather and it impacted how I’m growing cold hardy vegetables this year. Here in the west we experienced record breaking heat and the least amount of snow and rain ever recorded. Mother nature likes to keep us gardeners on our toes! Here is what changed in my approach to growing these early crops.
I’m growing lettuce, peas, onions, and carrots this year. I ended up sowing the peas and my kyoto carrots earlier than normal on account of the warmer than usual weather. I knew that if the temperatures did eventually drop, that they would be okay.
I started the lettuce indoors for the first time ever instead of directly seeding outside. It was 80+ degrees for many days in February and March and I just wasn’t sure how well it would do with the weird weather. It grew so well and so quickly indoors!
In the past I have always bought onion sets or onion starts from a nursery. I decided to grow them from seed this year because I heard they will grow bigger if started that way. I also planted them outside a bit later due to the drastic ups and downs with the temperatures. Because my seed packet ended up with less seeds than what I needed, I did end up buying some starts from a local nursery. It will be fun to see which ones do better or if it really matters. I love how gardening is one big experiment!
My favorite way to plant small plants is by using my Digz garden trowel. I push it into the soil and wiggle it front to back to create a gap between the soil and the trowel. The little plant plug fits down in the gap and then I remove the trowel. This way the soil is not disrupted very much and it is such a quick way to get all the plants in the ground. My garden trowel is one of my most used tools!
I am curious if you have experienced weird winter weather where you are and if so, how it has impacted your gardening. Head over to my blog to see how my rows turned out and let me know about your gardening experience!
