False Fall

False Fall

 

 

There are not supposed to be highs in the 70’s in August. But then… the whole weather thing is weird. Last year was one of the hottest and driest summers on record. This year is one of the coolest wettest summers. The garden has not required supplemental water more than 6 or 7 times.

 

All the rain has been a mixed blessing. It is great not to have to water, but so much water can be a problem. The tomatoes were quite prolific, but they had so much water in them that even after squeezing them out, the canning jars had water in the bottom of them.

 

The almost daily rain made it almost impossible to control the bugs and the powdery mildew. Every time the plants were sprayed with BT or sulfur, the next day’s rain washed it off. Some people’s whole gardens were washed away. This points to a benefit of raised beds and organic practices. The raised beds drain faster and the organic practices make it possible for birds and predator species of insects to help a little. If all of the bad guys are eliminated, the good guys don’t have anything to eat and they just go away.

 

 

 

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/