At this point, we've pretty much given up. It's amazing how one bad New England winter can really wear you down to the bone. There's over 3 feet of snow in the backyard and about twice as much around the house where we've plowed. Yesterday, we had to hire professionals to remove upwards of 4 feet of snow from our roof, further contributing to the pile up. Ice dams had formed all around our roof and the excess moisture was beginning to seep into our house - evidenced by our bedroom ceiling, which will have to be repainted.
It's ironic then that I'm dreading the approach of spring. Our ground tends to thaw rather slowly while our springs tend to be pretty wet. These things alone can cause many basements and yards in our area to flood, including our own. You add 3 feet of melting snow to the mix and well...you have a potential disaster on your hands. Needless to say, I am hoping for a very dry spring accompanied by a slow gradual thaw.
On the gardening front, I'll be sowing the first of my seeds this weekend (I really haven't been in the mood get to started lately). The leaves on my Meyer lemon tree are beginning to show signs of yellowing again. Now I'm starting to believe that this may be due to a moisture issue. There's a real possibly that most of its leaves will be gone by April. If that happens, then I'll have to prune the tree back aggressively to ensure new growth and say goodbye to any chance of a good lemon harvest next fall. Hopefully I'll be able move my citrus trees to the hoop house sometime next month as I'm sure the added sunlight would benefit them greatly.
How are the rest of my fellow New Englanders holding up?
"wear you down to the bone"...I like that..kind of says it all. Same same up here in Nova Scotia...loads of snow and we had a pretty big dig as well. Can sympathize re the roof snow. Sad to read about the Lemon Tree. Hope it doesn't come to that...pruning drastically that is. Really sunny today though which lifts the spirit.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad this storm will be rain and not snow. I'm just hoping it melts out some of our snow and ice. Our little private way gets plowed by the city, but only sort of plowed. Right now one side of the road is about a foot higher than the other side. It is going to be a mess until it melts.
ReplyDeleteI would be bouncing off the walls in your current situation. I hope the excess snow and ice doesn't cause too much damage. It looks like your new and improved hoop house is holding up well though!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if you gave your Meyer Lemon a bit of bottom heat if that would help. It is natural for the oldest leaves to yellow and drop off, my tree always drops a lot of leaves in the winter. When the ground warms up the nutrients become more available and it starts to grow again. Good luck with your tree, it has been such fun to watch your success with it in such a challenging environment.
bummer, dude....I bet you're sick of snow right now
ReplyDeleteWe don't have quite as much snow on the ground and I have had enough! We just have to hope that after the next storm things will calm down and spring will gradually move in. I have found comfort in good red wine lately :)
ReplyDeleteAhhhh.. I feel your pain.. I know I SHOULD have shoveled the cold frames yesterday, but I've been a bit slack! Maybe tomorrow.. We have more white stuff on its way tonight, turning into rain through the night. sigh.. hang on, soon we'll turn that winter corner and start sprinting into spring!
ReplyDeleteI too am worried about all this snow when it melts. I tend to have basement flooding as well. Hang in there.
ReplyDeleteWe had a long, grueling winter last year on the Front Range, and I got pretty pissed off at the weather by the time we had our last big snow on Mother's Day weekend. This year has been relatively mild. With any luck, you'll get a milder winter next year to make up for this beast of a season. Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteSue
I'm with you on being over winter! We have lots of snow on the ground also, and it's been raining all day, so I worried that my basement will flood again like it did last year! Hopefully you will be spared with any flooding and that your lemon tree will bounce back.
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping the melt is slow and gradual for you. That is a horrendous amount of white stuff piled up - but your hoop house is holding up beautifully. :D
ReplyDeleteOh, Thomas, We really feel for you b/c we know exactly how you feel. Last winter, we got over 200" of snow here. Our low tunnels collapsed in the first big storm in Dec. The temps were never above freezing until April 1st, so the snow just packed up. Then, all of a sudden, the temps were in the 70s. All of the snow melted very quickly, and the towns below us flooded. Some people died, and many homes were destroyed. In Spring, Summer and Fall 2010, we didn't get hardly any rain (approx 2" total). Our well dried up, and we had to have water hauled for our own personal use and for the farm animals. As if that wasn't enough, the cherry on top was that as soon as it got cold enough to snow, it hasn't stopped snowing! Since Thanksgiving 2010, we've had snow almost every day. Our total so far is well over 100" and could beat last year's amount before it's all over. I don't know how, but we miraculously managed not to get hit by last week's storm. In fact, it's been above freezing for us which is a nice surprise. All we can say is we're pulling for you. You'll get through it. Just hang in there. I don't know about you, but we're definitely looking forward to a great growing season. Cheers, Ken and Jorene
ReplyDeleteI am impressed with how well you hoophouse is holding up! You did a great job at building it.
ReplyDeleteI hope your snow will melt gradually so you will not have any flood problems. That is a lot of snow!
hope the thaw and everything goes well. Keep a positive thought and think how much fun watching all the beautiful spring and summer crops will be. Winter is almost over.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, you'll be back in the sunshine in no time! I'm starting the first of my seeds this coming week as well so we'll all have something to look forward to!
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI have a lemon tree as well. Every year I take my tree indoors and every year some of the leaves turn yellow and fall off. I think a little yellowing and leaf falling is ok. Mine has been going for a bout 5 years now with lemons every year.
I hope you thaw out soon! Good luck with you sowings this year. I look forward to seeing how they grow!
ReplyDeleteHang in there Thomas. I wish I could send you some Cape Town sunshine for your awesome lemon tree.
ReplyDeleteKnow how you're feeling, Thomas. Last year was awful and Spring couldn't come soon enough.
ReplyDeletechin up, warm weather will be here before you know it!
We are stir crazy. Cannot shovel enough so the chickens are pretty well house bound at this point as well as the dogs and the humans.
ReplyDeleteI dont mind it so much until I try to find a parking space or want to take my dog for a walk. The snowshoes aren't even really helping anymore.
Oh my goodness ...and there I was wishing for some snow again!
ReplyDeleteOur two feet of snow lasted for almost a month, unusual here in the UK, but it's been cold, wet and very windy since then - hence my desire for snow!
I hope you get your wish for a slow thaw. Stay safe!
This has been a hard winter, indeed, especially here in the northeast. I'm glad, at least, that your hoop house survived intact. So many barns and structures around here (New Hampshire) have been caving in, with significant losses of property, including livestock. Sometime between now and those beautiful first days of spring, we'll start feeling the energy that we can usually count on at this time of year. Here's hoping for a slow, gradual snow melt!
ReplyDeleteEleanor
Very difficult situation because of snow up to such height. We don't experience such extreme weather conditions but enjoy different types of season on different time of the year.Till then take care.
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