Here is a good example of how the weather can impact your gardening adventure.
After removing the sod to enlarge our garden we have been inundated with rain which is delaying any work on the new garden bed. It is best to not dig or till the soil when it is this wet so the only thing you can do is wait for it to dry out.
Vegetable gardening is an adventure because there is no perfect garden. Every year you will face adversaries from the weather that you have not seen before.
You can make the most of these learning experiences to still grow an incredible garden and have fun overcoming them.
There will be many situations out of your control but if you embrace these to learn from them you can enjoy the challenges and get great satisfaction from each year you grow a garden.
Impacts of the Weather
Below is a picture of the damage caused by a hail storm that hit our garden last year.
One of the greatest challenges that you have no control over is the weather. You may see a wet, cold Spring that delays your planting to make the best of this weather situation there are things you can do to make the most of it.
Starting seeds early when it appears that you have a weather pattern that looks like it may delay your planting season.
You can purchase your starts from a garden center and either use a cold frame to get them growing or if you are lucky enough to have a greenhouse get them in the greenhouse to kickstart their growth.
You can also protect your plants with frost cloth or wraps that you can open if it does warm up during the day and use to cover during the night and days that are cooler.
On the other side of the coin, there are those years when Spring comes early with no frost days in the forecast so you can get your garden planted early.
When this happens and you want to get your seedlings planted early there are some critical things you need to do. The most important is to harden your seedlings off, do not rush this to get the plants in the ground otherwise you will suffer the loss of many if not all of your new plants.
The other critical responsibility you will have is to watch the weather closely since you have jumpstarted your planting by watching the weather to make sure there is no frost in the forecast. If there is you will need to protect your plants before going to bed to ensure they will not be damaged or killed by the frost.
The other concern that you will need to be aware of with an early planting is April can bring hail storms in many parts of the country so you will need to be aware of these in watching the weather and be prepared to protect your plants. Hail can wipe out a garden both damaging or killing plants and crops.
As you move into the warmer temperatures of mid and late summer you may need to adjust your watering schedule to maintain the growth and production of your plants. So you will need to keep your eyes on the weather and the weekly forecasts to support your garden.
This is also another reason to protect your plants by mulching which will help the ground and roots of your plants retain the moisture they need to grow and produce a great crop for you.
If you have a hot spell that requires you to protect some of your plants from the extreme heat of the day you can either plan for this by planting taller plants to shade those plants that do not like the heat of the sun in the late afternoon or you can use frost cloth to shade the plants.
When watering your plants it is critical to keep the water on the roots and not on the plants themselves, this allows the plants to retain the water you provide them and keeps the plants from getting diseases.
Even when you have survived the Spring and Summer challenges that the weather can bring you as a gardener, you are not done yet. The Fall can bring challenges that you need to be prepared for. You will need to stay tuned to weather forecasts to know if the summer heat extends into the Fall or if the frost of Fall comes early and you need to protect or harvest your crop early.
Recap on Weather Impacts on Gardening
As you expand your gardening knowledge you will also be expanding your awareness of weather patterns and daily forecasts to help you become a better gardener and improve your adventure in gardening.
Even with all the knowledge and awareness, there will still be mistakes made. Embrace these and learn from them so that you do not become frustrated allowing you to enjoy every gardening year.
