The End of Summer
Just spent the last few days cleaning up my garden after a very dry summer, although we did not have any major heatwaves. The BOM says we had a hot summer, but on the whole I found it rather mild - no endless nights above 30 °C, although we did have a few very very hot days (I was in Port Pirie for day of 48 °C). For SA: February 2013 was 0.9 °C above the long-term average, the warmest
February for the state since 2009.In comparison, February 2012 was 0.9
°C below average.
The tomatoes are still bearing and the strawberries are putting out lots of runners (in the hydroponics). However, something large is eating both the tomatoes and capsicum - perhaps a possum as the animal ate one half of a capsicum - very neatly! I put some broccoli seeds into perlite in the hydroponics, so hopefully they will be ready to plant out in mid-Autumn (I'm a wee bit late). Also very late I removed the heads of the Agapanthus, which did suffer during the >40 °C days, with the outer leaves burning. I also got carried away and pruned the Hydrangeas - all in pots, some inherited last year. One had a lot of dead wood which required drastic pruning. I need to mow the lawn, and remove the sweat corn plants, as they are well and truly finished, but its cooler inside!
The tomatoes are still bearing and the strawberries are putting out lots of runners (in the hydroponics). However, something large is eating both the tomatoes and capsicum - perhaps a possum as the animal ate one half of a capsicum - very neatly! I put some broccoli seeds into perlite in the hydroponics, so hopefully they will be ready to plant out in mid-Autumn (I'm a wee bit late). Also very late I removed the heads of the Agapanthus, which did suffer during the >40 °C days, with the outer leaves burning. I also got carried away and pruned the Hydrangeas - all in pots, some inherited last year. One had a lot of dead wood which required drastic pruning. I need to mow the lawn, and remove the sweat corn plants, as they are well and truly finished, but its cooler inside!
I see that you are in for a hot week this week but I would think you are coming to the end of your heat soon and the garden can finally enjoy some cooler weather hopefully.
ReplyDeleteJoanne