Goodness gracious, this beautiful weather has me feeling the effects of Spring Fever. Sunday, the thermometer reached 69 degrees and yesterday, they climbed into the 60’s. With seeds germinating on my dining room table, it’s hard not to believe it’s already Spring 2024. The reality is that we have 49 more days to go.
In a few days, we’ll be suffering through high winds again, and true winter will return. Snow, rain, and a possible need for tire-chains over Donner Pass. Until then, I’ll enjoy every outdoor moment I can.
On the way to the Walmart to the East yesterday, HHH and I noticed that the weather is affecting locals in the same way. Ninja Neighbor was outside watering with her hose, while the neighbor across the street was pruning her bushes. The California neighbor was giving her plants a shot of Miracle Grow. It was then I asked the Master Gardener in the car an important question.
Does he prefer to water during dormancy or not. The answer was No. A dose of Miracle Grow at the wrong time of year coupled with some extra sunshine could cause early budding. With winter winds, rain, and snow, early sprouts and seeds wouldn’t survive.
On the western side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range , almond and fruit trees will bloom throughout the next month. In the early 2000’s, California fruit and nut farmers started hosting “The Blossom Trail”. Many small farms across the San Joaquin Valley banded together to welcome visitors during early spring. It’s a great time to visit different farms, some of them opening stands to sell a little of this or that. Springtime in California is a beautiful thing to behold, in spite of what you hear about the craziness of the big cities. Farmers are farmers wherever they may be located.
Are you experiencing a false spring in your area? Don’t believe it for a minute. Just enjoy the warm, sunny days you get. The high desert plains of northwestern Nevada receive 23 random days of sunny skies during the winter season, according to the internet. These aren’t to to be confused with many more days of serious winter.
If you must, water your bushes and trees, but don’t fertilize. It’s a great time to plant seeds inside your home or greenhouse. Just be sure they receive some sunlight and stay warm.
Your houseplants would always enjoy a little vacation outside should the weather turn nice. Just don’t place them in direct sunshine and remember to bring them back inside before the sun sets. While they’re outside, you can certainly wash them off and houseplants can always use a shot of fertilizer.
A nice warm day is a good time to organize your gardening supplies and tools. If your shovels and hoes need sharpening, a Dremel is a great little tool to use after watching a few U-Tube videos before beginning. As with anything, you can pick up tips and tricks for any garden projects you may want to tackle.
When winter days return, I’ll turn my attention to my solar lights which are in need of cleaning and new batteries. All solar gadgets for the yard need new batteries from time to time. You’ll need a screwdriver and some rechargeable batteries. Take your device apart and replace batteries with the same kind. Do NOT use alkaline batteries. They MUST be rechargeable which can be found at any hardware store or Amazon.
Whatever you decide to do today, enjoy being at peace with the weather you’re experiencing. There can be too much of a good thing. In the middle of summer, we’ll all be wishing for the cloudy skies of winter. It’s just the way things go.
More tomorrow.