Month: February 2019

Just when the trees are blooming, the peas are coming up, and everything is turning green we are getting a cold snap. This weekend we are due for lows of 29-26, a definite cold snap. I don’t expect my plants to be happy. We will be spending this weekend covering the citrus trees, bringing in some pots, and generally planning for this strangely timed cold snap.

Then again, who knows. The weather pattern may change and it may not show up. Maybe we’ll stay in 60’s. But at this point it is a definite wait and see.

Welcome to the crazy weather in Texas.

Today was a nice warm 62. Yesterday we hit a high of 87 degrees. The 5 and 10 day forecasts say we will stay warmish, though not up to the mid 80’s. With this weather, growing season has definitely begun.

Today we pulled off the covers we had over some of the citrus trees, the Meyer lemons. Well, some of those trees have blossoms on them. These plants are all in pots and that’s part of the reason I had covered them for the season. But with the warm weather we’ve been having I felt it was time to uncover them. I also began setting up the watering system and watered plants. The 5 day forecast says we might get some rain, so uncovering pots and letting them get more water will probably be good for the plants.

I also took the opportunity to water the seeds I had put in the other week. At this point some of the seed is actually starting to sprout. The peas and beans are coming up and are recognizable. As for other seed, some of them are just starting to sprout, just tiny, barely 1/4 inch up, but they are beginning to sprout. I wasn’t sure if they would since the seed was old and the weather undecided.

I’m actually kind of excited about this. Even though I may be moving, and not be here long enough to harvest what I’ve planted, I’m still glad I’ve planted seeds. I know the apple trees have blossoms, and I’ve actually been noticing some bees in the yard. Hopefully the bees have been pollinating those blossoms. I may not still be here when they become apples, but I’m still glad to see them growing. Hopefully the next owners will enjoy the garden and the fruit trees.

I’m already thinking about what I want to plant in the new garden.

So don’t worry, Cats Garden will continue in one form or another.

We definitely got some cold around here. Last Friday some areas got snow and other cold weather. But since then its been warming, yet foggy and overcast. The kind of fog that doesn’t burn off much. This morning it was foggy, with fog weather alerts. But now, getting on to evening time, its still very much overcast, cool – 55 degrees, and damp. But the fog, overcast, and damp seem to be hanging on. The weather forecast calls for some clearing skies tomorrow, partly cloudy is the official term. And by Thursday we should climb into the low 70’s.

But the interesting part is that seed I put in recently, remember that? Well some of the seed is starting to sprout. So the cold we had didn’t seem to have that much affect on it. Now the fruit trees, mainly the apples, still have flowers. But I’m not too sure if those blossoms are going to get pollinated, I haven’t seen many bees, but its been such a warm winter they could be pollinated and we could get fruit. I think that’s a wait and see.

One concern that has been mentioned is because its been so warm of a winter, how much problem will we have with bugs. The chance is that it will be a bad bug spring and summer. But again, that’s a wait and see.

But trees are getting buds, so spring is trying to arrive.

We definitely got a cold front last night. We got down to 31 last night. Its taken until 2pm to make it up to 35. I doubt we’ll get much warmer. Some areas of Austin have gotten snow and some graupel mixtures (think ice over snowflakes). Not the best weather out there, but a definite cold snap.

With luck we’ll stay above freezing this evening but that remains to be seen. And hopefully it will stay above freezing tomorrow. If not, it could get ugly outside in the morning. But here, we haven’t had any rain, no precipitation of any kind. So here I’m not so worried about the weather. But in other sections of Austin it could get ugly.

I’m not sure how my seed will fair, but if we have to I will put in more seed. Such is life and Austin weather.

UPDATE: Its 3pm and we are now getting ice pellets. So I don’t expect us to get any good weather until tomorrow.

Okay, we truly have a cold front coming thru. We made it to a high of 69 degrees today. Right now, at almost 10PM we are down to 39 degrees. It is cold, and if you go outside the light wind just bores right thru you. I had to take the boys out about half an hour ago, and it was cold.

They are saying we might get down to freezing. We’ll see, but right now I would have to say it is a possibility. To make it worse, we’re only supposed to get up to 38 degrees tomorrow. And then tomorrow night will get cold again. There’s even a chance of possible rain tomorrow.

Now Saturday, the day after tomorrow, we will warm ever so slightly. Hopefully Saturday we should make it to the low 40’s, with the evening cold again. But by Sunday we will be into the 50’s with more chance of rain.

Then next week we expect to be back to the 60’s.

This is Texas weather. Warm, than cool, maybe cold, then back to warm. And its not quite mid February. There’s still a chance of freeze for another month. But my fruit trees, mainly my apples. are already getting blossoms. Hopefully we don’t get a hard freeze during the next month. But who knows. Its just wait and see.