Anyone living in this region knows just how cold it's been this last week and into today. This morning I woke to a temperature of 16 degrees, but it felt like 7 degrees. Darn cold, if I do say so. Last evening I had guests over and they both talked of the cold winds and immediately put on my throw blankets upon sitting down on the couch to get warm. The flickering candles did warm us up a bit and created a nice ambiance.
The arctic winds have been whipping through this area with gusts up to 50 mph. Those of you who got dumped with snow know just how cold this blast of weather has been. We didn't get the snow, just the cold temperatures and the wind. I haven't peeked inside the hoop house at all through these past few days. I did notice a couple of days ago that the condensation was still accumulating on the top of the hoop house, so I felt there was enough moisture to sustain the plants, because as I discussed previously, it's not so much the cold as it is the wind that saps the moisture from the plants causing them to become desiccated.
I decided to be brave and find out just how warm or cold the hoop house kept the plants, when it was a mere 16 degrees outside this morning, rather than waiting until the heat of the sun warmed up the outside temp to its expected high of 30 degrees later this afternoon.
Uh-oh... approaching the hoop house I noticed one end of the visqueen was NOT tucked in under the board; some of the beets had been beaten by the wind! They didn't look too good.
I wonder what the rest of the beets and the other vegetables looked like... I was a bit nervous... would they be destroyed completely? Would they be salvageable? My hovercraft parenting instincts were taking over...
First, pull up the visqueen where the thermometer is... ahhh.... it's 32 degrees! Can you imagine that?! Is so darn, frickin cold outside, yet the hoop house has been able to maintain the inside temperature at 32 degrees. Temp check: Good
OK, but what about the wind sucking the moisture from the plants? How are they really going to survive?
Looks like the arugula is toast! They are pretty much all drooped over. I don't know if they'll last much beyond today. One person commented, oh well, they were my least favorite green anyway--too strong. OK, if we have to lose a veggie, I guess it's alright if it's the arugula... (sigh*)
Next up... the Swiss Chard. It is a bit droopy, but it doesn't look totally done in. I think it'll make it, and gosh darn it, I do like the Swiss Chard. I don't care what anybody says!
The Micro Greens have been a little tentative for several showings already. I think they are like lettuce--early to produce and early to be finished. Some of the lacy purple ones still look good. I can use those. The other ones--not so much...
The Broccoli Raab is a bit wilted, but I don't think it is beyond repair. I'm hoping that the next watering will revive it enough to keep it going. I've really been enjoying getting to know and eat these little baby broccoli stalks.
And the prize for Best of the Bunch goes to--Spinach! It sure is a hardy vegetable and it's so good for you!
When I was tucking the plastic of the hoop house down and securing it, I made sure to really have the visqueen edges down flush with the ground so the wind couldn't get it there and do more damage until it was warm enough to water. Keep your fingers crossed with this beloved experiment. The fresh vegetables certainly have been great to eat; and it's been illuminating to know that you really can squeeze out another growing season in a one season environment.
Be well; eat healthy; and make good choices!
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