Which Is Faster, Heat Or Cold?… Heat, Because You Can Catch A Cold!
Thank heaven for the much needed and very pleasant relief in this extreme hot weather. I feel so much better and can actually get things accomplished at this temperature. I don’t know if I managed to get heat stroke or it’s my advancing age but its just not a happy time when the heat is killing me and there is so much to do. I thank my right hand lady, Norma, for all that she’s done in the last more temperate week to catch us up and make life more enjoyable. Even as early as she started in our heat wave you had to get out of the greenhouse and even the yard by 9 or 10 and although I do the night shift it was still warm but tolerable most nights.
I am hoping that the promise of rain earlier this week comes to pass as it is wanted and needed everywhere. Most plants in the garden and greenhouse are doing well but I’ve heard from many from Alberta to locally that much is not as it should be. Every year is different and as it gets warmer every year we may need to plan a little differently to compensate.
We just had two of the warmest temperature records ever recorded on earth broken and fortunately we still live in the best place ever as long as we are considerate and conscientious and diligent we will be blessed. I am sure most of you are heart broken for the losses at Jasper. I always thought that it was a bigger community but in fact it is only slightly larger than Lumby so it should make us open our eyes to a fickle finger of fate that could be ours.
Although my tomatoes in the greenhouse are doing well many people have told me that although the plants are looking great they are not producing new tomatoes. Temperatures of 35 degrees and higher like we have been experiencing even for a short period of time can cause severe damage to Tomatoes as well as Cucumber, Eggplant, Green Beans and even Peppers that so love the heat. Look at the leaves of your plants to see if they have curled inward as this is a sign of moisture loss also at this temperature the pollen becomes less vital and less abundant and so fruit becomes less abundant.
Also, I find that people leave way to many leaves and suckers on their plants, I trim mine back quite significantly and the tomatoes are very abundant right now. As well as removing a lot the greenery that takes a lot of the plants energy I remove tomatoes that are starting to ripen as well. Extreme heat can also cause programmed cell death that will kill the entire plant or will not allow good root development or the sugar content in the fruit will be lower. If your plants are in an extremely hot sunny place use shade cloth to give them some relief even a sheet can be used to create some relief. Be sure to water the plants extremely well and do this by hand and not by an overhead sprinkler.
Mulching with leaves or straw will also help retain the moisture and you should refrain form fertilizing them at this point as it will only create more stress. Although I have focused more on the Tomato Plant most other garden plants will benefit from the same treatment. Cucumbers this year have never been healthier or more productive.
I have seen a few Cabbage Moths lately, much fewer than I’ve ever seen, but if you have Cabbage growing be diligent and although the wasps seem to be more abundant in the last couple of weeks I’ve yet to be bitten. That will be a true declaration of war!
Happy Gardening!
Samantha Nason
BS Ranch & Greenhouses
250 547 6567
sam1nason@gmail.com
