Winter - Will it Ever End?

Six months ago winter started off a bit early here in Florida with 30 degree temperatures and a little bit of frost on the roof tops. Six months later we wake up again to 39 degrees outside, very unusual for April. Unusual is just about all you can say about this Florida winter season and its made for a challenging growing season.

Trying to get everything in the garden at just the right time and hoping for no more cold spells has not been easy, especially with cold sensitive plants like tomatoes. The one thing that this prolonged chilly weather has been good for is the blueberries which need a certain amount of "chilling hours" to bloom. The berry plants have liked this winter and it shows with the amount of berries that are starting to plump up on the plant. The two plants I almost gave up for dead are even starting to sprout new leaves!

I've mentioned recently how tomato plants can sprout roots from their stems buried below the dirt line. The picture below shows just how that can happen. This plant was uprooted by our raccoon friend recklessly digging in the garden shortly after being planted. Much like our dog, Buddy, after being shot with a bee bee gun in his young life and being run over with a car by dear old dad, this plant has overcome adversity and just keeps on going with a little TLC!