I have been enjoying the balmy weather we have been experiencing as much as the next man. However I know that there is a price to pay for this weather at this time of year.
As an avid rosarian and gardener, I know how important the weather cycle can be for the garden and the plants in it.
Plants,diseases and pests all have strategies for survival that depend on the weather, unusual conditions such as we are experiencing can upset the delicate balance and can affect the heath and survival of the plants. Mold spores,fungus spores and insect pests can have an increased survival rate in these conditions which can affect the garden all year.
Plants that fail to go dormant or bud too early due to a false spring effect use valuable internal resources and will suffer frost damage when the weather turns, many will not bud, flower and go to fruit when spring finally arrives.
The photos below were taken in my garden yesterday-
I am in USDA zone 6
January 7th with roses zone 6
weed ready to flower
Fresh growth on roses
Annuals growing
Ants,slugs and snails all active still-
As an avid rosarian and gardener, I know how important the weather cycle can be for the garden and the plants in it.
Plants,diseases and pests all have strategies for survival that depend on the weather, unusual conditions such as we are experiencing can upset the delicate balance and can affect the heath and survival of the plants. Mold spores,fungus spores and insect pests can have an increased survival rate in these conditions which can affect the garden all year.
Plants that fail to go dormant or bud too early due to a false spring effect use valuable internal resources and will suffer frost damage when the weather turns, many will not bud, flower and go to fruit when spring finally arrives.
The photos below were taken in my garden yesterday-
I am in USDA zone 6
January 7th with roses zone 6
weed ready to flower
Fresh growth on roses
Annuals growing
Ants,slugs and snails all active still-
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And I'm waiting to see how this weather is going to affect the sugaring off during maple syrup season up at Malabar Farms. The sap may not run at all.
