The Wacky Weather Continues

Still the salad days

I think the weather is confusing everyone.
Plants, animals and definitely people too.  I consider myself to be in one of those categories, and confused too.

Last year's plants 

Lots of people are inquiring about picking up their tomato plants now...but I've only just finished the transplanting. The plants are still quite small. Besides, with a good 4 weeks to go until they should actually be put in the ground wouldn't it be better I take the risks with the plants and this crazy weather before you plunk your hard earned cash down?

I am growing these plants in an unheated hoop house, so the past few weeks have been most interesting. The fans have been whirring smoothly in an effort to pull the hot air through the hoop house, but over the weekend, with three hard frosts in a row,  I didn't want to take too many chances.

Over top of my greenhouse tables are hoops, on top of which I layered agricultural fabric and plastic to protect my plants. There was a bit of plant loss along the edges sadly where the plastic was touching on some of the plants, but I suspect it was less than 1% and I always plant lots.
Still I slept very little over the weekend, being the worrier that I am. I knew logically that it all was fine, but...well, they are my babies.

On the bright side, it does look like this week's more overcast and warmer conditions will be absolutely the best for hardening off the plants, that is, getting them used to the outside conditions.

It was so nice this morning to read the weather report and realize that-hallelujiah- I don't have to cover up the plants tonight. It may sound easy, but it's not.

As it pours outside, I wonder. Is this the next phase of wacky weather we have in store? Maybe. We've had too warm, too dry, too cold and now too wet?

I hope not. I can do too dry, cold or warm. But too wet? No can do.  There are no answers to that one.

But regardless, I'll sleep tonight on this first night of pounding rain.  A week of it though may be a different story.

But please-no rain on Tomato Days!