Too Early?

[jal_ut]

Not much snow this season. My ground has been bare since January 1. Today it was dried out enough to get on it so I went
to the garden and planted a few seeds. Not a bit of green on the garden plot. Things not growing yet. Will be interesting
to see if seed planted in February has a chance. Carrots, radish, lettuce and spinach.

[applestar]

Wow that's going to be an interesting experiment!

...I guess you were itching to plant something, huh? ...I know the feeling...

[Christian1971]

Im itching too. Starting seeds indoors only in April. Is it true that its best to plant two pepper seeds together. When they grow they support each other.

[rainbowgardener]

RE: Is it true that its best to plant two pepper seeds together. When they grow they support each other.

I never heard that and I wouldn't think so. Even though peppers and tomatoes are fairly closely related, tomatoes are vines and peppers are not. Peppers are little shrubs with sturdy stems that get quite woody as they mature. They support themselves just fine. I think the two plants would just compete with each other and each would get less nutrients, water, etc that way.

[digitS']

What have you temperatures been, James?

We have had several afternoon highs this week that were records. It has been 58°f twice. The forecast is for a little cooling but it was below zero in February last year. Hitting 60° didn't happen until early April in 2014 - not at all unusual.

I won't be out in the muddy garden for awhile but I think the lawn grass has begun to grow!

Steve

[jal_ut]

Temperatures have been hitting the mid 50s. Supposed to cool off tomorrow for a couple of days then warmer again. No storms predicted for a week or more. Having a warm dry season. In this country we depend on that winter snow in the mountains for our water next summer. The way its going we may be hurting for water later.

[digitS']

. . . In this country we depend on that winter snow in the mountains for our water next summer. . .

Of course, we do too. I think we are mostly okay. It has been several weeks since I've looked at the Snotel stations. The nearest was at about 60% of average. I doubt if it has improved. Stations north and south had more snow, then, but our storms seem to be too much in line with Oregon's high mountains and they aren't getting enough snow either.

Too much has fallen as rain, even 3,000 feet higher than this valley. With the dams, water can be impounded but the rivers are too high, too early.

I'm not sure what the soil moisture situation is for dry farming in all this wheat country. I understand the new farm bill has shifted much of the subsidies to crop insurance. I hope the 2015 farm season doesn't come down to drawing to inside straights.

Steve

[jal_ut]

My rainfall here so far this year is 2.14 inches. Had some pretty good rains there in January, but its been dry since. My irrigation water here is from the Reservoir storage. The reservoir depends on snow melt to fill. If the reservoir does not fill we may run out of water for the whole season. Most years it fills. We should be OK.

[digitS']

Well, you made me check .

2.95" year to date , which is about .5" higher than normal.

The snow pack is melting, however. The rivers are waay up and, some, a little above flood stage. There's no forecast of a break in the warm weather. Sunny . . but no rain . . . It feels like it should be March.

Steve

[jal_ut]

Here the average annual rainfall is around 19 inches. Most of which comes in winter months and is snow. We depend on that snow pack in the mountains for next summer's water. Not much snow up there yet this winter. Still hoping......

This morning 24 degrees with a high of 52. Clear skies and sunny. It is 11:40 P.M. as I write this and the temp is 28 degs F.

[rainbowgardener]

having a warm, dry season? hmmm....

Do you remember this thread, James? viewtopic.php?f=33&t=50045&start=12

would you still agree with your opinion that nothing has changed about the climate where you are?

[digitS']

The question isn't addressed to me but the one post on that page made it sound like the PNW winter 2012/13, shrug nuthin' too concerning. Well, let's see what has happened since January, 2013.

Always the deficit of moisture ... summer 2013 rated as the 10th hottest average temperatures at the weather stations, here abouts. Summer of 2014 average daily temperatures were #1, never so warm. The result: the largest fires in Washington State history last summer.

Yesterday, I was driving near the boundary between the treeless Columbia Basin and the foothills of the Selkirks, part of the westside of the Rocky Mountain Cordillera. So many of those little pine trees are dying. The moisture deficits year after year are too much for them -- and this area isn't experiencing anything like the drought further south!

Steve

[jal_ut]

"would you still agree with your opinion that nothing has changed about the climate where you are?"

Well, this winter has certainly been strange. We had some snow in December, but it melted and since January 1
the ground has been bare. This is highly unusual here. We expect to be knee deep with snow in February.

I can't say if this is climate change or simply weather patterns? I do know that last summer seemed a bit on the cool side, and now winter on the warm side?

The reservoirs are filling up in spite of little snow. In this high mountain desert we depend on snow pack for our summer water needs. It feeds the springs, reservoirs, rivers and ground water sources too.

Right now the Jet stream is coming down from up North and missing us in Northern Utah, and the snow is hitting Southern Utah, while we bask in sunshine. High of 45 degrees today and sunny. I did go out and toss in some seed a few days ago since we had bare ground. No plants growing though--- too cool.

[bryce d]

Well imagine that. Last year I planted snow peas in Feb. And JAL gave me a bit of a hard time. This year I thought that I would just wait and see what happens, then JAL planted some seeds. I Can't seem to win for loosing. Its all good.
I did notice that there was plenty of time at the end of the season so if not everything goes in on the first day it is probably OK. I finally tore out all my tomatoes last year I was sick of taking care of them. I got about 120 bottles of tomato and salsa from it.

[jal_ut]

Oh, go ahead and plant bryce d..........

A while back I put 4 tomato seeds in a gallon sized pot just to test germination on a batch of seeds.
Yep, every one came and now I have 4 10 inch tall plants wanting more space. Gee, its a lil over 2 months before time to plant tomatoes out in this country. They will have fruit on them by then. I hate to trash them, but not real keen on trying to grow tomatoes to maturity in the house.