Your Weather, 2022

[Phaedra]

This is what I read today from my weather app - we will have days of snow next week, and omg, I wish the temperature on December 18-20 is just something wrong (and won't be real).

 

[digitS']

Get out your tarps, @Phaedra Geiermann .

That is Celsius - so you will be experiencing some very close-to-zero degrees Fahrenheit.

Not just your protected growing structure but maybe even those Coturnix quail - North African critters that they are. Don't be surprised if your laying hens take a break, also. It's more than absence of daylight for them. They have to stay warm, not just make eggs.

If you still have that snow, it makes a fair insulating mulch for your perennials. Pile it on.

Steve

 

[Phaedra]

Get out your tarps, @Phaedra Geiermann .

That is Celsius - so you will be experiencing some very close-to-zero degrees Fahrenheit.

Not just your protected growing structure but maybe even those Coturnix quail - North African critters that they are. Don't be surprised if your laying hens take a break, also. It's more than absence of daylight for them. They have to stay warm, not just make eggs.

If you still have that snow, it makes a fair insulating mulch for your perennials. Pile it on.

Steve

Thanks Steve; I already moved the quail house under the hoop tunnel before the first snow. Such a structure stood quite nicely, so we want to improve and build similar but better ones for the hens. I also prepare additional tarps in case of extreme coldness.

I knew the hens would take some break, and I hope that, too. A few of them had already entered their 3rd year staying with us; they would lay fewer eggs, too. They are not pet chickens, but not too far away

Thank you for your advice. 🥰

 

[digitS']

Awhile before sunrise but this may be the first morning low above freezing in over a month. The snow yesterday turned to rain in the afternoon and I began worrying about the deck roof with all the weight. Shoveling paths and sidewalk wasn't tuff but I will be dealing with some good size berms this Winter by the looks of things.

I pulled "most" of the snow off that roof with the roof rake. Gotta climb higher on the ladder than I want to if I want more of it to come off. It has been a long time since I've gone all around the house to pull snow off. In warmer climates, folks don't have to worry about "ice dams" along the eaves but those are NOT something that you want to develop when you have these short term thaws.

The deck roof is a different story - too dang flat! The gutter and drain pipes completely filled with ice but this little warm spell might really help with those.

I'm hoping that the road department is able to move some of the ice off the secondary and residential streets. The ground is frozen and if 50-100 cars and trucks pass over a snowfall, plowing makes for almost now improvement.

It looks to me that the central Rockies, Cascades and Sierras are doing real well for snow pack. Into southern part, not so good - I guess all that rain they were having a few weeks ago was not falling as snow in the higher elevations.

Steve

 

[flowerbug]

It looks to me that the central Rockies, Cascades and Sierras are doing real well for snow pack. Into southern part, not so good - I guess all that rain they were having a few weeks ago was not falling as snow in the higher elevations.

i think they're getting some more today and they've needed it for sure.

where my sister has been visiting at times (southern NM) they've had enough rains that they've been getting a leaky roof fixed. it will really help the snow pack runoff this coming spring if they keep getting regular enough rains to keep the soil moisture levels up.

looking good so far.

 

[Phaedra]

The frost stayed all day, and such weather will remain for another week. To be honest, I don't think those vegetables can survive.

I will make some major changes to my vegetable garden next year - All the raised beds will be removed, and some wooden frames will be used to build a new chicken coop. Half of the vegetables will grow in the polytunnels (I plan to make one or two tunnels), and the rest will grow on the no-dig ground, based on Charles Dowding's methods.

 

[digitS']

@Phaedra Geiermann ,

I have never had Scotch Kale die when they have been left in the garden to overwinter. That was true when I was in another location with more snow, which must have insulated them.


It has also been true here at home which is, admittedly, more protected because of buildings and fences. There was nothing else, mulch or covering

Steve

 

[Alasgun]

@Phaedra Geiermann , here we raise kale as well and let them stand with a small covering to keep the snow out of the plant. They freeze solid, which is ok; because then i will cut a frozen plant off at the ground and hang it upside down by the back door. We eat kale daily so at each lunch i step out and break off two leaves, and continue till that plant is gone.
we will eat our own kale until the beginning of February in this manner. This year we brought plants in the house one at a time and stripped off the leaves and put them in plastic storage bags and directly into the freezer; once frozen kale is quite crumbly so we just squeeze the bag down to a reasonable size and continue to use as normal, no blanching or other extra effort!

once i get over the shock of recieving what looks like 18-20 inches of snow overnight; i’ll post some pictures. Right now i’ve got a mess to clean up! And may have to shovel the roof this time?😕

 

[Phaedra]

I don't worry much about the kale (on another side, look also sad, but as @Alasgun said, I can harvest their leaves and put them in the freezer, we love a northern German stew made with sausages and a lot of kale), but those in my photos are purple broccolis that would crop next April. I had a very lovely harvest this April so I planted more of them. They were growing well, but I might lose all of them under such terrible coldness.

 

[Phaedra]

@Phaedra Geiermann , here we raise kale as well and let them stand with a small covering to keep the snow out of the plant. They freeze solid, which is ok; because then i will cut a frozen plant off at the ground and hang it upside down by the back door. We eat kale daily so at each lunch i step out and break off two leaves, and continue till that plant is gone.
we will eat our own kale until the beginning of February in this manner. This year we brought plants in the house one at a time and stripped off the leaves and put them in plastic storage bags and directly into the freezer; once frozen kale is quite crumbly so we just squeeze the bag down to a reasonable size and continue to use as normal, no blanching or other extra effort!

once i get over the shock of recieving what looks like 18-20 inches of snow overnight; i’ll post some pictures. Right now i’ve got a mess to clean up! And may have to shovel the roof this time?😕

18-20 inches!!! I guess it will be better to remove some from the roof? The snow can be really heavy.